Is Drinking Cold Water Good or Bad?

Do you crave ice-cold water? Have you ever thought of the benefits of sipping cold water? Although drinking water at any temperature—hot, cold, or lukewarm—supports your general health, it is generally believed that hot water has more advantages. On the other hand, some people find that drinking cold water helps them stay cool and quench their thirst.

All biological processes, including digestion and metabolism, waste elimination, regulating body temperature, and preserving the health of organs and tissues, depend on drinking adequate water each day. Although it's important for our health to be hydrated, there's disagreement over the ideal temperature for people to drink water.

Advantages of Drinking Cold Water

Many individuals prefer to drink cold water because it makes them feel refreshed, especially on hot summer days or after a hard workout.

The following are 7 benefits of consuming cold water:

1. Rehydration:

   
   Water keeps you hydrated, whether the water you drink is warm, cold, or room temperature. Compared to warm water, cold water is more refreshing and might make you drink more water overall. The more water you drink as a result of your preference for cold water might help you stay healthy overall, avoid stomach problems, and control your body temperature. Additionally, it is useful for lowering sweating and minimizing the chance of dehydration (3^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   Should You Drink Warm or Cold Water?
   
   Go to source)

2. Increased Metabolism

   
   Cold water can surprisingly increase your metabolism. According to a recent study by German experts, drinking six glasses of cold water a day will boost your resting metabolism and cause you to burn roughly 50 calories, or the equivalent of walking for fifteen minutes. A healthy and successful weight loss strategy is facilitated by this increased metabolism

3. Helps in Detoxification

   
   By washing out toxins and preventing their buildup, which can have harmful effects on your health, cold water is believed to be a highly effective method for detoxifying the body. But it's important to be properly hydrated in order to reap the benefits of detoxification. If not, symptoms like headaches, lethargy, and dizziness could occur

4. Post-workout Recovery

   
   Your body may suffer heightened body temperature and muscular inflammation during an intense workout. Cooling down with cold water lowers core body temperature, preventing overheating and promoting muscle repair after (or even before) exercise. After working out, you can also take a few minutes to relax in an ice-cold bathtub to help your body repair more quickly and lessen discomfort (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   The effect of a cold beverage during an exercise session combining both strength and energy systems development training on core temperature and markers of performance
   
   Go to source)

5. Pain Management

   
   Cold water may help relieve certain kinds of discomfort and pain. It works by narrowing blood vessels and decreasing blood flow to the head, which relieves discomfort and can help with headaches and migraines. If you have a sore throat, menstruation pain, or achalasia, a disorder that prevents food from passing down your esophagus, you should exercise caution because using cold water may make your symptoms worse (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   Response of esophagus to high and low temperatures in patients with achalasia
   
   Go to source)

6. Enhances Radiant Skin

   
   Cold water can benefit skin health in a number of ways. Using ice water on your face decreases redness, edema, and puffiness, tightens pores, calms inflammation, and enhances the overall tone of your skin. As a matter of fact, sipping cold water can help reduce pores and give you a more natural glow

7. Boosts Attentiveness

   
   Besides coffee, drinking cold water is also thought to improve focus and attention span. Cold water is a great option if you need to stay awake and focused because it can provide you with a quick energy boost and increase attentiveness

Risks of Consuming Cold Water

Drinking cold water can have the following three main risks or adverse effects:

1. Digestive Issues:

   Certain people may get upset stomachs after drinking extremely cold water. This occurs because the cold water slows down digestion and prevents nutrients from being absorbed, making it difficult to break down food

2. Vulnerable to Infections:

   Drinking cold water might cause runny nose, and sore throats, aggravating cold and flu-like symptoms. As a result, you become more susceptible to various respiratory infections

3. Heart Rate Fluctuations:

   Cold water can lower the heart rate. Hence, people highly vulnerable to cardiac risk are advised to consume room-temperature water

While you can drink cold water, stay away from consuming cold water excessively and exclusively.

References:

1. The effect of a cold beverage during an exercise session combining both strength and energy systems development training on core temperature and markers of performance - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3472188/)
2. Response of esophagus to high and low temperatures in patients with achalasia - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23105999/)
3. Should You Drink Warm or Cold Water? - (https://health.clevelandclinic.org/cold-water-vs-warm-water/)

Source-Medindia