There’s no evidence that drinking cold water is bad for your health. Both cold and room-temperature water will keep you hydrated. Drinking warm water has its own benefits, such as helping digestion and toxin removal.
Staying hydrated has
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that men 19 and older consume 3.7 liters of water per day (15.5 cups) and women 19 and older consume 2.7 liters per day (11.5 cups). But can drinking cold water have a negative impact on your health?
Some people believe that drinking cold water is a bad habit that can harm your long-term health. This belief is based on the idea that drinking cold water contracts your stomach, making it harder to digest food after a meal.
Some people also believe that your body has to work harder to maintain its internal temperature of 98.6°F (37°C) if you’re drinking water that’s near the temperature of ice, or less than 36°F (4°C).
But is there any truth to these ideas? Keep reading to find out the possible risks and benefits of drinking cold water.
Drinking cold water does affect your body in ways you might not anticipate or want. An older and small
By comparison, the researchers found that chicken soup and hot water helped people breathe more easily. If you’re trying to treat a cold or flu, drinking cold water might make your congestion feel worse.
There are some health conditions that drinking cold water can aggravate.
The pain related to achalasia, a condition that limits your body’s ability to pass food through your esophagus, can also get worse when you drink cold water with a meal, according to a
In traditional Chinese medicine, drinking cold water with hot food is believed to create an imbalance. Typically, meals in the Chinese culture are served with warm water or hot tea, instead. This belief is mirrored in several other cultures around the world.
Some people hold a similar belief that drinking cold water on a hot day won’t help cool you down. There isn’t enough research to conclude that either belief is true or false.
Drinking cold water does have benefits.
According to a
Can drinking cold water help with weight loss?
Drinking plain water, no matter the temperature,
Drinking water as an alternative to sugary beverages is
Drinking water that’s cold may help you burn a few extra calories as you digest it, because your body has to work harder to maintain its core temperature. But it’s not likely that drinking cold water is a powerful jump-start tool for weight loss.
Drinking warm water can:
- help digestion
- aid in circulation
- assist the body in getting rid of toxins faster
While this isn’t a “risk,” per se, it’s something to keep in mind as you decide how you’d like to get water in your body.
Drinking warm or hot water has
Some people may want to avoid drinking cold water. Drinking cold water while you have a cold or flu, or if you have any chronic condition that results in slower digestion, is probably not a great idea.
But, while some cultures regard drinking cold water as a significant health risk for everyone, there isn’t a lot of research to support that claim. There are plenty of benefits to drinking warm water, though.
As for the benefits of drinking cold water? They turn out to be the same benefits of drinking regular room-temperature water: keeping you hydrated and feeling refreshed.
If you’re concerned about your digestion, trying to maintain a moderate weight, or feeling like you might be consistently dehydrated, speak with your doctor to make a plan.
