Drinking cold water can help you lose weight, hydrate your body and even boost your metabolism rate. While cold water has a lot of health benefits, it is important to understand that you should not consume cold water if you have a cold, cough or flu.
It not only affects your digestion, it can also increase the problem of sinus. Drinking cold water can lower your pulse and heart rate and it can trigger if you already have a heart problem. Not only this, it also works to increase fat on your body.
The risks and disadvantages of drinking cold water include thickening of mucus causing respiratory difficulty, headaches, tooth sensitivity, slowing gastric emptying, aggravating achalasia (a rare disease making it difficult for food to pass from the esophagus to the stomach), and causing 'cold stress'.
It may help provide more energy as well as help in digestion. However, cold water decreases internal body temperature and may lead to decreased metabolism. People suffering from migraine, cold, flu, or headache should avoid cold water as it may worsen the condition.
Some research suggests that people with conditions that affect the esophagus, or food pipe, such as achalasia, should avoid drinking cold water. Achalasia is a rare condition that can make swallowing food and drink difficult. A 2012 study found that drinking cold water worsened symptoms in people with achalasia.
And cold water is thought to create excessive moisture and dampness, adding to excess phlegm and mucus, kidney and gallbladder stones, and arterial plaque.
“It can create problems in the liver, make fats to stick in the liver and affect the large intestine which on its own can result in cancer,” he said. Ogbinaka advised that people should drink normal temperature water to avoid complications at old age.
Under the precepts of Chinese medicine, balance is key, and hot or warm water is considered essential to balance cold and humidity; in addition, it is believed to promote blood circulation and toxin release.
A glass of warm water in the morning is great for cleansing your body as it flushes out toxins. Warm water plays an essential role in breaking down food and also keeps your digestive system healthy.
Natural cleanser
A glass of water before bed also helps to keep your body hydrated, as the body is composed mostly of water. Cold water before sleeping helps to maintain hydration levels throughout the body and keep you healthy.
Eighty per cent of patients with fatty liver (25 of 31) consumed an excessive amount of soft drink beverages (more than 50 g/day of added sugar) (Coca-Cola, Fanta and Sprite [The Coca-Cola Company, Canada]) and/or flavoured fruit juices (orange, raspberry, 'sport' and mixed) for a period of 36 months, compared with 20% ...
"However, heart patients should be careful that they should not excessively drink cold water because it can trigger heart arrhythmias and may also cause vasospasm which may sometimes lead to heart attack," the expert adds.
When your kidneys are failing, a high concentration and accumulation of substances lead to brown, red, or purple urine. Studies suggest the urine color is due to abnormal protein or sugar as well as high numbers of cellular casts and red and white blood cells.
Without a doubt, spring water is the winner. It is considered the best water to drink, providing vital nutrients as it moves through the body. This is, of course, spring water that is bottled at the source and proven to be actual living spring water.
Consuming cold drinks is not the norm in most countries around the world. While we often receive a glass of ice cold water alongside our meals at a restaurant, in China you would get a cup of steaming hot tea instead. Even when the weather is hot and humid, many Chinese carry thermoses filled with hot water.
Ice baths control blood sugars. Several scientific studies have demonstrated that deliberate cold exposure will clear glucose from the bloodstream and improve insulin sensitivity.
Some specific studies have found that repeated exposure to the cold can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce fasting glycemia in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Ice water is known to tighten your pores. It reduces the appearance of open pores giving your skin a tight and sculpted look. If you want to prevent signs of early aging like fine lines and wrinkles, then ice-cold water is a great hack to try.
Another reason to stop consuming icy water is to prevent a sore throat and blocked nose. Drinking chilled water, especially after eating food, creates a lot of mucus in your respiratory system. When the track gets congested, it also becomes vulnerable to many respiratory infections.
The idea that drinking cold water must burn more calories developed from the belief that our bodies expend energy to warm up. It is true that your body will work to raise its temperature to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, but it will only expend about eight calories to do this.
It's often recommended that you should stop drinking water two hours before going to bed. This way, you're not flooding your body with extra fluids that may cause an unwanted trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night.