The Benefits and Risks of Drinking Cold Water (Ice Water)

Time and again, it's proven that drinking atleast 8 glasses water everyday is essential to maintaining a healthy body! However, there are several questions raised on the ideal temperature of water for drinking. In western countries, people prefer drinking ice cold water to quench their thirst. In India, we believe that cold water can lead to severe health consequences. So, who is right and who is wrong?

In this article, we shall debunk the mystery for you by discussing the possible side effects and health benefits of drinking cold water, along with knowing whether the temperature change of water can really affect us!

Is Drinking Cold Water Good for Health?

Drinking water as such is critical to maintaining a healthy system. Water helps in flushing out the toxins from the body, speeding up digestion, maintaining ideal body temperature, promoting blood circulation and keeping the skin, hair hydrated.

Although the ancient Ayurveda suggests that drinking cold water can cause imbalance in the body, modern medicine doesn't have any evidence to support its ill effects. Scientists opine that as long as the person is consuming the recommended daily allowance of water, the temperature of water may not have a significant impact.

However, few studies show that cold water can quench your thirst well by making you drink more quantity compared to drinking warm water.

What are the Benefits of Drinking Cold Water:

Let us look into the advantages of drinking ice cold water:

1. Perfect Post-Work out Drink:

After a workout, your body tends to sweat a lot due to increased temperatures, leading to dehydration. Drinking cold water after a physical exercise can lower the elevated body heat and balance the core temperature. As study also shows that people who drank cold water after an exercise sweated 50% lesser than those who had warm water. This confirms that drinking cold water can help gym-goers and athletes perform for longer hours without exhaustion or dehydration.

2. May Assist in Calorie Burning Process:

You will find it surprising to know that cold water can support weight loss process. How? When you drink cold water, your body spends more energy in maintaining the overall core body temperature. The process can involve burning a few extra calories, which may speed up the weight loss results. However, cold water must not treated as a main mechanism to lose weight.

3. Helps You Stay Alert:

If you are struggling to stay awake early in the morning or during a boring session, try drinking some cold water to get a jump start. Why does this happen? When you pump in ice cold water, your body sends an "alert" signal to the brain and wakes you up. The adrenaline cells also get activated due to the sensory glands under your skin, which can activate your mind and make you mentally alert.

4. Satisfies Your Thirst:

Nothing can quench your thirst on a hot summer day than a glass of chilled ice water. The reason is that cold water can turn off the thirst simulators in your brain, which can leave you with a "satisfied" feeling. This is also the same reason why you feel better and refreshed after drinking a cold drink when you are thirsty.

Risks of Drinking Cold Water:

Let us now look into the disadvantages of drinking cold water:

1. Can Impact Your Digestive System:

There are several consequences of drinking cold water on your digestive system. When you drink cold water, the energy needed for breaking down the food particles gets diverted to regulating the body temperature. Also, the low temperature can contract the blood vessels in the stomach area leading to poor digestion and absorption of nutrients. This is also the reason why you don't feel hungry after drinking a glass of cold water or drink.

2. Can Send Shock Waves in the Body:

Although cold water can help in fighting post workout fatigue experts warn about its negative side. When you suddenly drink chilled water after an intense workout, the temperature difference can confused the body and brain. This can send shock waves, leading to dizziness and even stomach cramps.

3. Lowers Heart Rate:

Studies show that drinking cold water can slow down the heart rate and even disrupts the activity of the vagal nerve responsible for performing a lot of important functions in the body. This can have serious implications on your overall health.

4. Can Cause Cold and Congestion:

If you suffer from frequent colds or respiratory problems, it could be because of the cold water you drink everyday. Cold water can thick the mucus in your tract and cause difficulty in breathing. The other added problems are headaches, sore throat, migraines and a problem called Achalasia, in which the food doesn't pass easily through the esophagus.

We would like to conclude this article stating that drinking cold water has a share of equal pros and cons. If you want to reduce these side effects, switch to warm water or a comfortable temperature of 15 to 20 degrees to quench your thirst. So, which one would you choose? Cold, warm or normal?