Who knew that a cold glass of water on a hot day could actually be detrimental to your health?

Theory’s state that cold water actually causes blood vessels in the stomach to shrink. Actually,

room temperature water is better for hydration than cold water.

Doctors say that drinking water at room temperature is better because the body has to use energy

to heat the cold water to body temperature which will result in water loss. Studies indicate that

the problem with cold water is that as the liquid passes through our system, the temperature

solidifies fats from the foods we’ve just eaten and the body in turn finds it hard to digests the

unwanted fats from our bodies.

Even though ice has many health benefits, drinking ice water or cold water can only give

temporary relief and drinking ice water regularly has its downside. Check out the below further

effects of drinking ice or cold water;

1. Interferes with your 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. Robs you 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.

3. Increases your chances of getting a 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.

4. Decreases your heart rate: Drinking ice water or cold water decreases your heart rate.

Studies have shown that drinking ice water stimulates the valgus nerve. The valgus 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 valgus 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

On the flip side of this, people who tend to drink cold water drink more of it than people who

drink warm water because it is more satisfying. So the cold water that they tend to lose in their

bodies will be replaced as they drink a lot of it.

Try drinking lemon water. Lemon water is the best source of vitamin C and it contains several

nutrients. Lemon water is proven to have antibacterial, anti-aging and anti-fatigue substances

among other things. It also helps to boost our immune system and strengthen our health.

So the next times you’re out and think about ordering a glass of water, tell the waiter no ice, and

bring lots of lemons!

Why Lemons???????????

The citric acid in lemon juice acts as a stimulant for your digestive system, and can also help

flush out toxins and undigested material that may have built up along the walls of the colon.

Mixing the juice with water not only lessens the intensity of the lemon flavor, but helps get you

the fluids you need to get everything moving normally again.