Ben Affleck and why we like iced coffee year-round

Ben Affleck gets it.

Jennifer Lopez's husband went viral back in 2020 after clutching a tray of Dunkin' Donuts iced coffees – so much so that he's recreating the chaos for yet another new Dunkin'advertisement.

Yes, it's the middle of winter. But for many an iced coffee drinker, that does not matter. They'll drink it year-round. They'll let their fingers freeze while stepping outside with their cold cups. But why?

It all comes down to personal preference, and a variety of components (like attention and camaraderie on social media) embolden people to brave the "brr."

Why iced coffee over hot coffee?

For those curious: Iced coffee is coffee brewed hot that has been cooled rapidly or has ice added immediately. Its sister, cold brew coffee, is made up of coffee grounds steeped in water between 12 to 24 hours that are then strained over a coffee filter to make cold brew concentrate diluted with water or milk and served over ice.

But yes, iced coffee "photographs better in a social media world" than hot coffee, according to Dara W. Ford, the program co-director for the Masters of Science in Nutrition Education at American University. A quick look across platforms suggests how popular the drink is – 11.7 billion views for the hashtag #icedcoffee on TikTok alone.

Some groups, like the gay community, have claimed drinking iced coffee in cold weather as their own. Others just like discussing the quirkiness of the habit: "I’m the type of person to complain about the cold weather yet still order an iced coffee," one X user wrote. This, of course, is more fun than scientific.

Wherever you stand on it, "when it comes to health, there is very little difference," Ford says. "Both hot and iced coffee offer antioxidants and polyphenols, and pouring coffee over ice does not change that profile."

Noted:Iced coffee tastes great but cooled hot coffee is gross. Why?

Sugar is a draw for iced coffee drinkers

Cold brew coffee in particular "may offer additional benefits, as the process of making cold brew results in less acidic coffee," Ford adds. "This is beneficial for those who have gastrointestinal sensitivities to acidity, and it may require less 'masking' of the bitterness of coffee with sugar and other additives that detract from any potential health benefit." But what about those who would rather mask their coffee with sweetness?

The sugar, of course, is a draw for many. And you'd get the same sugar rush from an iced or a hot coffee. University of Washington epidemiology professor Adam Drewnowski, for his part, likes "a shot of hot espresso in the morning. Italian style. No sugar." But he knows "many people drink cold sweetened caffeinated drinks in the morning and at all times of day." This goes beyond iced coffee – how many times do you hear your coworker talking about how much they love Diet Coke?

"Coffee has morphed into a non-carbonated soft drink," Drewnowski says. "That means it is served cold – and very likely sweetened," which in theory negates some of those aforementioned health benefits.

So if you're an iced coffee drinker all the time like Ben Affleck, great, that makes sense. If you like it hot, great. Just watch out while pouring that sugar – and maybe don't carry so many at once.

Noted:Can drinking both coffee and tea save your life? And more research you need to know about.

Contributing: Morgan Hines