We all know that it’s extremely important to drink sufficient water to stay hydrated. However, are you aware that the temperature of water you drink can also affect your health? There’s nothing quite like a glass of chilled water to cool down on a hot day, but reading the following information, you might want to think twice before reaching for a pitcher of chilled water. When I first came across this information, it shocked me, but I thought that it’s highly pertinent to share with you since these hidden dangers aren’t very well- known.
Constipation - Drinking chilled water has the potential to cause constipation. It causes food to solidify and hardens as it passes through the body, making the intestines contract, which can lead to difficulty when you need to defecate.
Headaches - If you’re familiar with ‘brain freeze’, which you get as a result of ingesting ice cream or crushed ice, then you can know that chilled water can do the same thing.
Hinders hydration - Chilled water slows down the hydration process rather than speeding it up. This is because the body needs to bring it up to the correct temperature first before it can use it.
Irritates throat - An average cold day can give you a runny nose and block up your sinuses. In the case of chilled water, it results in extra mucus accumulating in your pipes, thus making your throat sore.
It can lead to extra fat - Cold temperatures in the body causes fat to harden and congeal, making them more difficult for the body to digest.
Sap energy - While drinking chilled water can make you feel refreshed and stimulate you in the short term, it actually drains your energy in the long run. This is because your body has to use extra energy to warm up the chilled water and bring it up to its average temperature.
Slows heart rate - The vagus nerve which runs down the back of your neck, is affected by a sudden ingestion of chilled water, which can cause the heart rate to drop. As an emergency measure, your heart rate slows down until your body temperature reaches equilibrium once again.
Upsets digestion - Cold temperatures are anti-inflammatory, therefore causing blood vessels to retract leading to stomach upsets, abdominal pain, stomach gurgling and nausea.
source - littlethings
source - littlethings
