Is Drinking Cold Water Healthy?

Among the constant recommendations on the quantity of water to drink daily and when to do so, there is relatively little said about the temperature of water to drink. So the question is, what if the water is cold? How does it impact the drinker`s health? Let`s talk about it.

There are studies that show that cold water intake could aggravate congestion, make nasal mucus thicker and more difficult to pass through the respiratory tract, while hot water, hot beverages, and hot chicken soup make breathing easier. Cold water also worsens migraines and aggravates pains associated with achalasia, a condition in which sufferers experience difficulty in passing food through their esophagus.

Ancient Chinese medicine holds the belief that drinking cold water with meals could cause an imbalance in the body, so they serve meals with warm water. How true are all these and other beliefs about cold water? Although many would rather focus on the possible risks of cold water, we`ll begin with its health benefits.

7 Benefits of Drinking Cold Water

Provides Energy

Having a drink of cold water can refresh and energize your body throughout the day, even if you have little or no meal.

Rehydration

When you feel like you`ve burned out so quickly, you may have some cold water. The human stomach absorbs water that is about 40 degrees Fahrenheit much faster than warm or room temperature water, and this goes a long way in rehydrating the body.

Detoxification

Ice cold water eliminates toxic elements from the body, as well as prevents the buildup of toxins and their negative effects on the immune system. You may do well to drink some cold water regularly to ward off toxins and repair your immune system.

Aids Weight Loss in Children

Drinking water aids digestion and weight maintenance, and cold water specifically increases the expenditure of energy in overweight children, and as a result, starting the weight loss process.

Balances Body Temperature After Workout

Drinking some cold water after a rigorous workout session can be helpful, as it will prevent your body from overheating, as well as maintain lower core temperature.

Alertness and Pain Relief

Cold water activates sensors under the skin, thereby increasing heart rate and causing an adrenaline rush that makes one feel more alive than ever. Sounds familiar? Yeah, you sure have been drinking some cold water. Adrenaline enhances alertness and mental readiness. Cold water comes second after caffeine in enhancing attentiveness. An alert mind from better adrenaline production aids quicker decision-making. What`s more? Adrenaline also increases the body’s tendency to bear the pain. Giving accident victims a cold glass of water keeps their mind alert, and helps them feel less pain.

Improved Metabolism Rate

Rapid metabolism rate is undeniably a clear sign of good health. A German study reveals that drinking six cups of cold water a day can heighten resting metabolism by about 50 calories each day. This burns more sugars and fats and eventually leads to weight loss.

5 Side Effects of Drinking Cold Water

Restricts Digestion

You probably didn`t know that chilled water and cold beverages contract your blood vessels and restrict digestion. That`s not all, as it hinders the natural nutrient-absorption process during digestion. This diverts the body’s focus from digestion to regulating your body temperature and that of the water, thereby causing water loss and a feeling of dehydration. And of course, the body expends extra energy in regulating temperatures. It`s healthy to drink water at room temperature, especially after meals.

Hinders Breakdown of Fats

Drinking cold water just after your meal causes the fats from the foods you just consumed solidify and making it laborious for your body to break down unwanted fats. It is not even advisable to drink any form of water after a meal; you may leave a 30-minute window instead.

May Decrease Heart Rate

Drinking chilled water may stimulate the tenth cranial nerve, called the vagus nerve. This nerve is a vital part of the body’s autonomous nervous system, and it`s responsible for the lowering of heart rate. Every time you drink cold water, the low temperatures of the water stimulate the nerve and decrease heart rate.

Risk of Shock

Although cold water gives a feeling of regulating body temperature after a workout, it has its side effects. When you workout, you generate a lot of heat and drinking chilled water immediately after causes a mismatch of temperatures, thereby having a toll on your digestive tract. Also, your body finds it difficult to absorb chilled water at this time, so drinking it is unnecessary. Some people also complain of chronic pain in the stomach after drinking cold water immediately after a workout. This happens because ice-cold water causes a shock to their body.

Sore Throat and Stuffy Nose

Gulping down chilled water often increases your chances of getting a sore throat and stuffy nose. Drinking cold water, especially after a meal, results in respiratory mucosa, which is the build-up of excess mucus, making you vulnerable to various inflammatory infections.

3 Facts About Room Temperature Water

Since water at room temperature has some benefits over chilled water, let`s see three health benefits you can get from it.

Better at Reducing Thirst

Drinking water at room temperature does better at reducing thirst than its cold counterpart.

Combats Constipation

Room temperature water improves circulation and relaxes muscles, and as a result, combats constipation and abdominal cramping. If you feel some discomfort, a glass of water at room temperature or a warm cup of tea can relax your stomach muscles and get you feeling better.

Boosts Metabolism

Room temperature and warm water are great at improving your body`s metabolism, so you just might want to get a gulp every now and then.

Some Water Facts

Let`s explore some amazing water facts you probably never knew.

• There are about 1.5 billion cubic kilometers of water on earth, equating to 1.5 billion trillion liters, or approximately 800 trillion Olympic-size swimming pools. Spreading this evenly over the earth`s surface would have a depth of 3,700 meters.
• 97% of the earth’s water is salty.
• Water is the second most common molecule in the universe, coming after the hydrogen gas, H2.
• There is ice on the poles of the moon, as well as on the poles of Mars and Mercury.
• Each person drinks about 1000 liters of water a year.
• Water expands when it freezes, unlike virtually every other liquid.
• A five-minute shower uses 200 liters of water.
• You use 8 liters to flush a toilet, just about the same quantity you use to brush your teeth.
• One of the first authentic water heaters got patented by an English painter.
• One of the first electric water heaters was created in the 1920s.
• The United States uses approximately 400 billion gallons of water each day.
• Water is capable of dissolving more substances than any other liquid, including sulfuric acid.
• The freezing point of water lowers as the amount of salt dissolved in at increases.

Now that you Know…

Now you know the benefits and side effects of drinking cold water. In all, it is not entirely bad, you only need to know when to drink, and when not to, as well as its impact on your health. Do well to balance your consumption of water at various temperatures.