The Connection Between Heat, Emotions, and Heart Disease: Western and Eastern Insights

caulocare
Jul 14
4 min read

Thermoregulation in the Body

Image: Diagram of the human body with hypothalamus highlighted
Alt Text: Illustration of the hypothalamus in the brain regulating body temperature through thermoregulation
Image: Body sweating under sunlight
Alt Text: Person sweating as a natural cooling response to external heat exposure — **"Chronic emotional stress can overheat the brain, leading to fatigue, insomnia, and cognitive decline. Learn how TCM and neuroscience explain this hidden connection."**

Is Your Body Overheating from Stress? How to Tell and What to Do

By Dr. Phumlarp Caulo | Caulo Care Forest Hills, New York| July 14, 2025

🔥 Introduction

In today’s fast-paced world, many people unknowingly suffer from internal heat in the body, not from the weather, but from the emotional heat caused by constant stress, anger, overwork, and poor dietary habits. This silent heat imbalance can disrupt brain function, strain the heart, trigger inflammation, and accelerate aging.

Combining perspectives from modern biology, chemistry, Western medicine, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this article will explore how stress-related heat affects your health and what you can do to restore internal balance.

🧬 What Is "Heat" in Biology and Chemistry?

🔹 Thermoregulation and the Hypothalamus

The human body regulates its temperature within a narrow range of 36.5–37.5°C (97.7–99.5°F). The hypothalamus, a small but vital part of the brain, serves as the thermostat. When emotional stress arises, it activates the sympathetic nervous system and increases internal heat, affecting various organs.

🔹 Biochemical Heat Production

Metabolism, the process of generating energy, naturally produces heat. During stress, hormones like adrenaline and thyroid hormones accelerate this process, creating more heat and inflammation.

However, when body temperature rises above optimal levels:

Proteins denature
Enzymatic functions break down
ATP (adenosine triphosphate) gets consumed rapidly
The result is oxidative stress, which damages cells, particularly in the heart and brain.

🩺 How Heat Affects Your Heart and Brain (Western Medicine)

🔹 Heart Health and Stress

Stress and heart disease are closely connected. Emotional heat raises heart rate and blood pressure, increasing the risk of:

Hypertension
Arrhythmias
Heart failure over time

🔹 Brain Function and Cognitive Decline

Excess heat also affects brain function, leading to:

Mental fog
Irritability
Insomnia
Cognitive fatigue
Long-term risk of neuroinflammation

🧠 A Brief History of Thermoregulation: From Bernard to Brain Science

The science of thermoregulation didn’t start with air conditioners—it began with a French physiologist.

🔹 Claude Bernard (1813–1878): The Father of Modern Physiology

Bernard was one of the first to describe the concept of "milieu intérieur", or the internal environment. This groundbreaking idea became the foundation of what we now call homeostasis—the body’s ability to keep things like temperature, pH, and fluid balance stable. His legacy: understanding that health is not static—it’s a constant act of balance.

🔹 Walter Cannon: The Man Who Named “Homeostasis”

In the early 20th century, American physician Walter Cannon expanded on Bernard’s ideas. He coined the term homeostasis and explained how the sympathetic nervous system responds to heat, cold, stress, and danger—what we now know as the fight-or-flight response. Cannon linked thermoregulation to blood pressure, hormone regulation, and even emotional stability.

🔹 Where Does Body Temperature Come From?

The answer lies in the hypothalamus, deep within your brain.This small but mighty structure acts like your internal thermostat—constantly adjusting heat production, blood flow, and sweat output. Modern neuroscience from researchers like Roger Guillemin and Andrew Schally has shown how hormones and neurotransmitters help fine-tune this system in response to emotional and environmental stress.

🌀 The TCM Perspective — Emotional Fire and Organ Imbalance

🔹 What Is Internal Heat in TCM?

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), heat (热) and fire (火) are pathogenic forces that can disturb internal harmony. These conditions are often triggered by emotional imbalance, especially:

Anger → Liver Fire
Anxiety → Heart Fire
Overthinking → Spleen Heat

🔹 Signs of Internal Heat in TCM

Red face or eyes
Dry mouth and throat
Restlessness or insomnia
Constipation
Dark yellow urine
Red tongue with yellow coating

❗10 Signs Your Body Has Too Much Heat

Constant irritability or anger
Night sweats or hot flashes
Insomnia or vivid dreams
Redness in the face or eyes
Digestive upset (acid reflux, bloating)
Headaches or migraines
Mouth ulcers or tongue sores
Dry skin or acne
Fast heartbeat or palpitations
Feeling “burnt out” or wired-tired

🍲 Section 5: How to Cool Down Naturally — Foods, Teas, Acupuncture & Lifestyle

🔹 Diet and Internal Heat

Certain foods increase internal heat:

Spicy, fried, grilled meats
Coffee, alcohol, and red meat
Cucumbers, watermelon, celery, green leafy vegetables
TCM teas: chrysanthemum, lotus leaf, mint
Cooling herbs: Gan Cao (Licorice Root), Lu Gen (Reed Rhizome)

🔹 Acupuncture and Herbal Remedies

TCM practitioners often recommend:

Acupuncture at LI11, ST44, DU14 to reduce heat
Herbal formulas that clear internal heat and balance yin and yang

🔹 Lifestyle Practices

Meditative breathing and qigong
Staying hydrated
Avoiding the sun and hot environments
Getting sufficient rest and emotional regulation

✅ Conclusion

Although heat is vital to life, chronic internal or emotional heat caused by stress, anger, poor diet, and overstimulation can silently damage the heart, brain, and immune system.

Understanding how Western science and Traditional Chinese Medicine interpret heat provides us with a powerful, integrative approach to health. By identifying early signs and adjusting our diet, lifestyle, and emotional responses, we can restore balance and protect ourselves from long-term damage.

“True health is not about escaping heat — but understanding it, living with it, and learning how to cool our body, mind, and spirit in harmony.”

📣 Call to Action:

Feeling overwhelmed or burnt out? You may be dealing with emotional or internal heat. Book your personalized integrative consultation with Dr. Phumlarp Caulo

at👉 www.CauloCare.com — where ancient wisdom meets modern healing.

Dr. Phumlarp Caulo LAc,MsAc,OM,DAHM,Pre-RN

Integrative Medicine Practitioner, bridging Eastern and Western Wisdom.

“Rooted in ancient wisdom, guided by modern science

On this page, we look back at history so you can move forward with health.

I believe in Mother of the Earth, the timeless healer of body and soul.”

This information is only educational and should not be construed as medical advice.

Everything must be balanced, and the suggestions may not apply to you.

A specialist doctor should be consulted for any medical advice or diagnosis.

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT NOW!

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