Cold Water Vs Warm Water – Which One Should You Drink?

Introduction

In summer, quite a lot of people prefer to add cold water to regular room-temperature water in a bid to quench their thirst. But doctors do not advise drinking cold water no matter how much you crave it. In fact, they suggest the opposite. Drink water that is lukewarm. You might have seen people who are very conscious about their health opting for warm water instead of cold water. They do it because warm water offers numerous benefits for the body.

Benefits Of Drinking Warm Water:

Water itself has tonnes of benefits. It can promote overall health and protect you from a number of diseases. But when it is a little warm, its benefits increase manifold-

1. Drinking regular water that is lukewarm speeds up digestion. It can quickly break down food particles and aids in better absorption of nutrients. When you drink plenty of warm water, it will ensure that you do not get dehydrated.  
2. Warm water is instrumental in preventing constipation which can lead to other health complications like piles and hemorrhoids.
3. When you drink warm water, your body heats up. This means that your metabolism too is accelerated. A faster metabolism means your body’s ability to utilize the energy released from the breakdown of food is enhanced.
4. Lukewarm water induces you to sweat a lot. The more you sweat, the more your body is able to flush out toxins through perspiration.
5. Warm water enlarges your blood vessels slightly. This promotes better blood circulation. More oxygen reaches all parts of your body and all organs function better.  
6. Since warm water improves blood circulation, it can relieve pain, especially muscle and joint pain. But don’t drink very hot water as it will have the opposite effect and make your joints swell up.  
7. Boiled water that has cooled down and is slightly warm can also ease sinus problems when you’ve caught a bad cold. It gets the mucus moving, which means your body can get rid of it through coughing and blowing your nose.
8. Another reason why you should drink boiled water which is slightly warmer than room temperature is it is a stress reliever.  

Did you know hot water can be useful for more uses than you might know. According to some studies, drinking hot coffee in moderation may increase the expectancy of life by reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, etc. However, overconsumption of coffee is not recommended.

Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)

The Best Time to Drink Warm Water

One of the best times to have a glass of warm water is as soon as you wake up. The time helps you in giving your metabolism an early kick-start. Another beneficial time to have some warm water can be with your meals. This can help in keeping everything liquid and making sure your internal organs are in good shape. Lastly, you can have a glass pretty much any time as it helps in overall blood flow and circulation.

Ice cream headache is an extremely well-known type of headache. Ice cream headaches and cold-stimulus headaches are commonly followed by migraine. Studies imply that drinking cold water may trigger headaches and migraine is one of the most observed one, especially in women.

Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS

Benefits of Drinking Cold Water

Perhaps the most important benefit that you can experience after consuming a glass of cold water is that it helps lower your body temperature. It does so especially when you find yourself in the following situations:

• When the outside world seems to be inside a boiling pot, some cold water can be the perfect combatant to the simmering heat.
• After sweating it out with some exercise, cold water can be a refreshing drink.
• Drinking cold water can help you get rid of foreign substances that may have invaded your body, thereby causing fever.
• Consuming cold water reduces the prospect of sweating and hence prevents a larger degree of dehydration.
• It can also aid you in losing some extra kilos as water has been known to be a great booster of metabolism.

Best Time to Drink Cold Water

Deducing from the aforementioned benefits, one can say that the best time to drink cold water is when you are trying to bring your body’s core temperature down. Other times include when you are suffering from a bad bout of fever or you want to quench your thirst after a workout session.

Water may Bring You Temporary Respite From The Heat But It Does More Harm Than Good

1. It slows down digestion and impacts your metabolism rate.
2. It is very likely to give you a congested nose and a sore throat.
3. It lowers your heart rate.

These are the reasons why you should always opt for water that is slightly warm no matter how enticing cold water seems. If warm water is unappetizing, you can add lime juice or herbs like tulsi to improve its flavor.

Read More About 6 Health Benefits of Drinking Water in the Morning

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