Let’s be honest we all are guilty of gulping down ice cold water especially in summer. Living in tropical climates like ours it is not unusual for many people to have the want to drink cold water in the hot summers. Well! Most of us even drink cold water way after summer. Though it might seem to be just an innocent habit which gives us instant relief from the scorching sun and hot weather, what we don’t realize is that we are doing more harm to our bodies by drinking cold water than we realize.
Drinking cold water while taking your medicines or right after having a meal can prove to be very bad for your health.
Let us look the disadvantages of drinking cold water in length to understand side effects of cold water in a better way:
Drains your energy levels
Well you might be thinking that on a summer day when you take a gulp of cold water you find instant solace and it helps you calm down. Yes what you feel is true but that effect of cold water in the body is for just few minutes. What we don’t realize is that cold water actually when we introduce any new substance to the body which is less than our body’s regular temperature i.e. 370 degree celcius our body has to spend more energy to in controlling the temperate. Hence, by drinking cold water you are actually spending more energy, which makes you feel drained of energy.
Extra fat formation is also a formidable threat
One of the side effects of drinking cold water is that it helps fats to harden in your digestive system. Surprised? Yes! When you drink cold water while or after having meals which were heavy in fat, the fats are solidified in your stomach and it not only makes the digestion of it hard but also makes it very difficult for your body to break the fat. Drinking cold water also puts off your body from work mode which means you may not be burning many calories drinking cold water.
Causes digestion related problems
As already mentioned, drinking cold water can lead to hardening of fats in the stomach. This exact reason also results in digestion related problems. Whenever you drink cold water during your meals or right after having them, the fats in the foods will are converted into rock hard solids which take a very long time to digest. And doing so on a daily basis can result in long term digestive issues in your body which in turn can cause stomach aches, abdominal aches and nausea.
Hampers your immunity
Drinking cold water can affect overall immune system of your body. When you are drinking cold water after your lunch and dinner, it will generate extra mucus in your body. The overall result of this will be reduced immune system. When the immunity of the body is decreased it will act as a stem for more diseases even chronic ones.
Could be a reason for frequent headaches
It is a commonly known fact that cold eatables and drinks give people a brain freeze. Hence, people are usually prone to head aches or cold and even people who have conditions like sinusitis should stay away from cold water as it increases the chances of getting a head ache. The chilling caused by drinking ice cold water can be make nerves and spine send signals to brain instantaneously which is the primary reason for the headaches.
Can also result in constipation
Cold water, can first change the mechanism of digestion with by cooling down or reducing the intensity of the enzymes that breakdown the food and help us digest the intake. Water is very important factor, when taken at room temperature and not in cold state is the optimum way to absorb, which also assists in digestion and keeps the bowel in good state. Hence by consuming cold water on a regular basis you might be yourself inviting the problem of constipation.
Affects blood circulation
Yes! Regular consumption of cold water can also effect the circulation of blood in your body. What happens when you drink cold water is that a component called homeostasis is generated in your body . This makes us our body work extra to control the temperature of your body. This whole process takes a toll on your circulatory system by creating a stress on your blood vessels and tissues which ultimately leads to improper functioning of our circulatory system.
Should never take medication with cold water
Medicine practitioners and doctors have been warning against taking medications with cold water for a while now. Studies have found that as the body’s energy is mostly consumed in keeping the temperature of your body regulated after taking cold water, it considerably delays the digestion of your medication. As a result, it delays or hampers the effect of the medication on your body which can be quite problematic if you are trying to get an immediate effect in case of an emergency.
Due to all the above disadvantages, you need to refrain from drinking cold water on a regular basis. If you drink cold water and you are already facing one of the above issues, then it is better you stop drinking ice cold water immediately and also consult your doctor to cure your condition.
As drinking cold water has so many disadvantages on the other side, at the same time drinking warm water has many advantages for your health. Few of the advantages of drinking warm water are given below.
- Helps break food down easily.
- It helps bowel movements
- Improves blood quality and clarity
- Pushes out toxic acids and materials from your body.
- Enhances your digestive system
- When taken with lemon juice, it improves immune system.
With so many health benefits , it is high time you shift from drinking cold water to drinking warm water today.
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