Health Dangers of Drinking Cold Water

Cold water


     Our body composition is made up 70 percent water. We can survive for days without food but not water. Water is an essential part of our survival. Even the earth is said to be also 70 percent water.
What  ideal temperature of water is healthy for our body? Though depending on what purpose water is taken, the ideal temperature is room Temperature (30 degrees centigrade). Any thing below or above this, is considered cold or warm water respectively.

Let us look at side effects of drinking cold water.

1. Slow down Digestion

Drinking ice water or cold water hampers the process of digesting food as it causes your blood vessels to shrink. This can slow down the process of digestion and as the food is not digested properly, the nutrients are lost or not absorbed by the body.

2. May Lead To sore Throat

Drinking cold water can cause the buildup of respiratory mucosa, which is a protective layer of the respiratory tract. When this layer gets congested, the respiratory tract is exposed and becomes vulnerable to various infections and hence the chances of your throat turning sore are high.

3. Shortage Of Nutrients

The body’s temperature is 37o C and when you drink something at a very low temperature, your body has to spend energy to regulate its temperature. This spent energy is otherwise used to digest food and absorb nutrients, thereby leaving your body short of nutrition.

4. Decreases your heart rate:

Drinking ice water or cold water decreases your heart rate. Studies have shown that drinking ice water stimulates the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is the 10th cranial nerve and is an important part of the body’s autonomous nervous system that controls involuntary actions of the body. The vagus nerve mediates the lowering of the heart rate and the low temperatures of ice cold water act as a stimulus to the nerve which causes the heart rate to drop.

   In conclusion, our body is made of fat. To understand what cold water does to our body, pour a glass of cold water to a puck meat. The result will amaze you.