About 60% of the human body is comprised of water. You can survive for several weeks without food. Without water for just 3 days, you are likely to pass away.
This doesn’t come as a surprise as water performs so many vital functions in the human body. Water helps maintain ideal body temperature. It also flushes out toxins and waste products, and aids in the digestive process and metabolism of vitamins and minerals. Water lubricates the joints as well as assists having the body oxygenated.
Did you know that drinking cold and warm water each has its own set of health benefits?
Everyone knows that regular consumption of water is beneficial, but not many people are aware that the temperature at which it’s taken can make water work further to your advantage. Continue reading to know the different perks to enjoy for drinking cold and warm water.
Drinking Cold Water
Water is more refreshing and thirst-quenching when it’s ice-cold rather than room temperature. That is why everyone likes to guzzle cold water during those hot summer days or after an intense workout. There are a few other benefits to drinking cold water:
- It helps you burn more calories. Introducing ice-cold water in your system causes your body to spring into action in an attempt to bring back normal core temperature. By producing more heat, the metabolic rate is accelerated and more calories are burned. While the amounts of calories burned by drinking cold water seem insignificant, every calorie burned means a lot to someone who likes to get in shape.
- Cold water lowers your temperature. Drinking cool water helps save your body from overheating, especially while you’re working out or when the weather is sweltering hot. An unnecessary increase in the core body temperature can put a strain on your heart as the blood vessels tend to dilate. The consumption of cool water to lower the temperature also helps ward off dehydration that might result from excessive sweating.
- Drinking cold water wakes you up. Feeling lethargic and sleepy but got no access to the coffee maker? Drink cold water instead. Doing so increases your heart rate and causes a surge of adrenaline to perk you up.
- It may help improve your mood. According to experts, eating ice cream can stimulate a particular area of the brain which is responsible for the mood, the orbitofrontal cortex. It’s safe to assume that drinking cold water can also help lift your spirits. The nicest thing about cold water is it doesn’t contain sugar and calories like ice cream.
When is the best time to drink ice-cold water? Whenever you wish to enjoy the benefits it offers. Whether while working out or feeling down, the perks of cold water consumption can be obtained as soon as you need them.
Drinking Warm Water
Ayurvedic medicine has it that drinking warm water helps improve digestion, reduce the by-products of metabolism as well as promote healing. Proponents say that drinking warm water is more favorable than drinking cold water. The following are some of the purported benefits of doing so:
- It provides pain relief. From headaches, upset stomach to menstrual cramps, the intake of warm water allows you to deal with pain drug-free. The consumption of warm water instantly brings about a calming and soothing effect on the body, thus allowing your nerves and muscles to relax.
- Drinking warm water helps ward off premature aging. Warm water is more effective at flushing out accumulated toxins in the body than cold water. With those waste products out of your system, skin can become softer and glowing. The production of structural proteins collagen and elastin is also promoted, thus improving those fine lines and wrinkles.
- Warm water consumption helps promote regular bowel movement. That’s because it helps in breaking down food into smaller particles, allowing them to pass smoothly through the GI tract. Drinking warm water helps ward off constipation as well as other symptoms related to it such as bloating, excess gas and abdominal cramping.
- It promotes better digestion. Drinking cold water during and after meals can cause fats and oils in food to harden, making them more difficult for your body to process. The intake of warm water is generally good for the digestive process as it assists in breaking down food and helps those nutrients to get absorbed better.
When is the best time to drink warm water? Experts say that it should be done first thing in the morning.
