With Britain getting hotter this week, experts have a new prescription for older adults battling the sun – grab a slushy.
A groundbreaking study from the University of Brighton is investigating whether a good old-fashioned ice slurry – the same kind of crushed ice drink you’d find in the cinema minus the blue raspberry – could help protect pensioners from dangerous heat-related illnesses.
The idea is simple: drink it before heading into the heat.
And this isn’t just about keeping cool — researchers believe it could actually protect the gut and stop the body’s internal thermostat from spiralling out of control.
Why the gut? Because when we get too hot, our gut barrier can start to break down.
That lets nasty bacteria leak into the bloodstream, triggering inflammation and in severe cases, heatstroke – especially dangerous for older adults, who are more vulnerable to this so-called “leaky gut” effect.
“Most people think about cooling down after they’ve already overheated,” said the research team, “but what if we could stop that overheating in the first place?”
A quick cooling drink before pottering in the garden or heading out for a walk might just be the difference between a pleasant afternoon and a medical emergency.
With the current hot spell and heatwaves becoming more common, easy low-cost solutions like this could be vital for keeping Britain’s growing elderly population safe.
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