Summer and your gut health are connected. When your body faces excessive heat, you may have to deal with issues like dehydration and digestion problem. This is why it is essential to give importance to your diet, especially during summer. You have to look for foods and drinks with digestive and cooling properties. What are are some of the best summer drinks for digestion? Let’s find out.

How does summer affect your gut health?

The summer season marks a shift in our daily routines, diet, and overall lifestyle, which impacts our gut health. Here is how the two are connected:

1. Dehydration

The summer heat elevates the risk of dehydration due to increased perspiration, a natural body cooling process. Dehydration significantly affects the gastrointestinal tract, leading to decreased saliva production, which is essential for the initial digestion of carbohydrates, says dietician Manvi Lohia. Also, water absorption in the colon is heightened to conserve body fluids, resulting in harder stools and potential constipation, highlighting the need for maintaining hydration for smooth digestive processes.

2. Dietary shift

Summer often brings an increased intake of cold beverages, ice creams, and possibly more processed foods, which can introduce a higher quantity of sugars and fats into the diet. These changes can unfavourably affect the diversity and balance of gut microbiota, linked to digestive discomfort and impaired nutrient absorption, says the expert.

Recipes for healthy drinks for digestion

Talking about hydration is incomplete without water, but make sure to have warm water even if it is summer. Drinking warm water in the morning can help break down foods faster, making it easier for digestion, according to a 2015 study published in the European Journal Of Pharmaceutical And Medical Research.

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Here are recipes of nutrient-dense, hydrating beverages that can support digestive health during summer.

1. Aam panna

Ingredients

• 2 raw mangoes
• 2 teaspoons of roasted cumin powder
• A handful of mint leaves
• A pinch of jaggery
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup of water

Method

• Boil mangoes, peel them and extract the pulp.
• Mix pulp with water, jaggery, cumin powder, salt, and mint then serve.

Aam panna hydrates and replenishes electrolytes lost through sweat. The raw mango pulp aids digestion, while cumin acts as a cooling agent, says Lohia.

2. Buttermilk

Ingredients

• 1 part yogurt
• 3 parts water
• 2 teaspoons of roasted cumin powder Salt to taste
• A handful of mint leaves

Method

Blend all the ingredients and serve.

A staple in Indian households, buttermilk is an excellent source of probiotics. The added spices and mint aid digestion.

3. Kokum sharbat

Ingredients

• 200 grams of dried or semi-dried kokum
• 2 teaspoons of cumin powder
• Black salt to taste
• A pinch of jaggery
• 3 cups of water

Method

• Soak kokum in water for two hours.
• Put it in a blender and wait till you get a smooth paste.
• Take a pan, add the kokum paste and mix it with cumin powder, black salt and jaggery.
• Cook this mixture on medium heat for half an hour.
• Once it is cooked, let the mixture cool down.
• Use a strainer to get the extract.
• Add 3 tablespoons of kokum concentrate into a glass, mix it with water then serve.

Kokum is a fruit known for its digestive and cooling properties, says the expert.

4. Sattu sharbat

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of sattu (barley or gram flour)
• One cup of water
• One lemon
• 2 teaspoons of cumin powder
• Salt to taste

Method

• Mix sattu in water, ensuring no lumps are formed.
• Add the rest of the ingredients.
• Squeeze the lemon for its juice, and put it in the mixture then serve.

Sattu is high in fiber, aiding in digestion and preventing constipation.

5. Minty watermelon cooler

Ingredients

• 2 cups of watermelon cubes
• 10 mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 cup of coconut water

Method

Blend all the ingredients until you get a smooth paste then serve.

Watermelon mostly consists of water, which makes it an excellent choice for hydration. Mint contains menthol, which has antispasmodic properties on the muscles of the digestive tract, easing digestive discomfort, says the expert.

6. Green detox drink

Ingredients

• 1 cup of spinach
• 1 sliced apple
• ½ lemon (juiced)
• 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
• 1 cup of water

Method

Blend all the ingredients until they become smooth then serve.

Leafy greens like spinach are rich in magnesium, a natural laxative, while apples provide soluble fiber, aiding in bowel regularity. Lemon juice’s acidity can break down food, aiding digestion.

7. Pineapple basil bliss

Ingredients

• 2 cups of pineapple chunks
• 10 basil leaves
• 1 cup of water.

Method

Blend all ingredients until they turn smooth then serve.

Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that assists in protein digestion, reducing bloating and promoting gut health. Basil has antimicrobial properties that can support a healthy gut flora.