On a hot summer day, I really want to drink a glass of ice water to cool down and feel a surge of freshness.
However, the habit of drinking cold water is fraught with a number of risks to your body .
And the colder the water, the more tangible the consequences can be.
Experts do not recommend drinking ice water, no matter how hot you are.
Here are some reasons why you should choose room temperature water over cold water.
1. Cold water does not cool in the heat
When it’s hot outside, we often reach for a bottle of cold ice water. However, a cold drink can make you hotter than room temperature water.
This is because the cold drink interferes with the sweating mechanism and your body starts to store more heat.
At the same time, a hot drink in the heat stimulates the temperature sensors, which triggers the process of sweating – a key mechanism that our bodies use to cool.
In other words, in hot weather, a hot drink will help you cool off better than a cold one.
2. It impairs digestion
When we drink cold water, our blood vessels constrict, which interferes with digestion.
It also interferes with the natural absorption of nutrients during food digestion. Our bodies are forced to take a break from digestion and focus on regulating body and water temperatures.
The normal body temperature is 36.6 degrees, and when we consume something that is very cold, the body tries to compensate by spending energy to regulate the temperature.
In some cases, regularly drinking cold water can lead to diarrhea , as the body will be too depleted to digest food efficiently and expel most of the water and food. In other cases, it can lead to constipation , as the cold causes food to harden and the intestines to shrink.
For this reason, experts advise drinking room temperature water.
3. Irritating to throat
Have you noticed how your nose starts to run or, on the contrary, pawns on a frosty winter day?
This is due to the fact that our bodies produce mucus as a natural moisturizer to warm and moisturize the air before it reaches the lungs.
Cold water creates a similar reaction in our body, but unnecessarily. The body begins to secrete a lot of mucus , which irritates the throat and nose.
Drinking a glass of ice water, especially after a meal, leads to the accumulation of mucus.
However, when congestion occurs in the respiratory system, it becomes more vulnerable to inflammatory diseases .
4. Interferes with the breakdown of fats
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Experts also claim that when we drink cold water immediately after a meal, the low temperature causes the fats from the food you ate to harden , which interferes with its normal breakdown.
In any case, it is not recommended to drink water immediately after a meal.
It is best to wait about 30 minutes after eating before drinking the water.
5. Slows down the heart rate
Some studies have shown that cold water can lower your heart rate.
Cold water is thought to stimulate the tenth cranial nerve, the vagus nerve. This nerve, which runs along the back of the neck, plays an important role in the autonomic nervous system, regulating, among other things, the heart rate.
When we drink cold water, the low temperature of the water stimulates the nerve and slows the heart rate in response to a sudden drop in temperature.
6. Deprives energy
Cold water can also drain energy, leaving you feeling tired and lethargic .
Many people drink cold water as a tonic, as the cold acts as a quick stimulant.
However, when cold water passes through your body, it needs additional energy to heat the water to body temperature, and this deprives you of energy.
7. Interferes with fluid replenishment
As mentioned above, our body does not immediately use water, which is colder than the rest of the body fluid .
He needs to heat fluid to the standard 37 degrees before it enters the bloodstream and digestive tract, so cold water slows down the process of replenishing fluid in the body somewhat.
The only exceptions are long distance runners, who may rely on a slow response mechanism to maintain water levels during long runs.
8. Headache
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If you’ve ever tried to eat ice cream quickly, then you may remember the sensation of throbbing pain from cold that radiates to your head.
Iced water causes the same reaction in your body as it cools many of the sensory nerves in your spine.
The spine sends signals and there is a headache, chills, or other unpleasant sensations from the cold.
9. Shock factor
Some experts believe that drinking cold water immediately after an intense workout can be a shock to your internal organs , which are hotter than the water you consume.
Ice water interferes with optimal absorption of recovery fluid.
If you are feeling very tired or have cramps after exercise, the cold water may be to blame.
Your body uses additional energy sources to heat the water and this slows down the rehydration process.
By drinking warm water, your organs and muscles will recover faster, as your body doesn’t need to work so hard to heat the water.
Bonus: Burns calories
Our body uses a little more energy to heat cold water to body temperature. Although the effect is not that great, a large glass of cold water burns 5 to 18 calories .
If you repeat this process throughout the day, drinking 5 or more glasses of water, you can burn as many calories as walking for 15 minutes.
However, remember that cold water is not a substitute for a full workout.