Cold Water or Warm Water – Which is better to Drink?
Nothing is as satisfying as a glass of cold water in the scorching summer. After having said that, a question generally pops up in the mind – is cold water actually good for us or warm water is a better option? From our early years, we have heard that avoid drinking chilled water or don’t consume cold water with/after meals. And does that actually imply something useful? Yes, probably because our ancient medicine system of Ayurveda as well as the traditional Chinese medicine have always focused on drinking water at the right temperature. Certainly, a glass of cold water seems to be more gratifying than a glass of warm water, especially in summers. Yet both have their own effects of our body, let’s check them out!
When to drink cold water?
While exercising – Any physical activity or exercising increases our body temperature. And with sweating, we lose a lot of water and electrolytes that may cause dehydration. It is recommended to sip cold water at regular intervals while exercising to replenish the water lost, and regulate the temperature of your body.
When you’re trying to shed extra pounds – If you’re trying to lose weight, prefer cold water over warm water as it increases the metabolism and helps in burning extra calories. Though cold water is not a cure for weight loss, it contributes significantly to your weight loss efforts. Drinking cold water on regular basis can help you burn almost 70 extra calories per day.
When you’re down with fever – Yes, you might be surprised with this one, but drinking cold water when you have fever is beneficial. Since our body temperature rises during fever, drinking a glass of cold water or normal water can provide immediate relief.
However, it is crucial to drink pure and clean water in order to reap its benefits. Considering the environmental pollution, the tap water we get is generally impure and contaminated. Health experts always recommend getting a high-quality water purifier installed so as to ensure that the water you drink is pure. Havells, the premium brand for electrical goods, offers a variety of RO and UV water purifiers that ensure 100% RO+UV safe drinking water fortified with naturally-occurring minerals. Make sure to drink safe and potable water for the overall health.
When to prefer warm water?
For better Digestion – Drinking warm water can really be helpful if you have problems in digestion. According to Ayurveda, warm water enables better digestion. In fact, drinking a glass of warm water in the morning is believed to stimulate the digestion process and ease bowel movements. In China and Japan, people usually have hot soups or water with meals, which is known to aid in digestion. If we compare the given scenario with having cold water with meals, our body has to make extra efforts in order to digest the food.
For Detoxification – If you want to flush out toxins from your body, drinking warm water may certainly help. While preparing for detox water remedies, using warm water will enhance its effect. Drinking warm water with squeezed lemon helps in stimulating digestion and flushing out impurities from our body.
For Pain Relief – Consumption of warm water stimulates the blood flow in your body and thus, eases the pain. If you are suffering from a headache, inflammation or even menstrual cramps, drinking warm water will help you to relax and calm down.
For Treating Constipation – Constipation is mostly due to dehydration. If you are suffering from constipation, drinking warm water will have a soothing effect on the intestines, and further help in bowel movements.
To Sum Up
Whether you prefer cold water or warm water, it is more important to keep yourself hydrated. Listen to your body, your biological clock is naturally set to respond and demand according to particular weather and conditions. In sweltering heat, we tend to find relief in cold water, while we would like to have warm water when suffering from cold. Both cold and warm water have their set of advantages. Make use of the above given benefits, and consume water as per your plan for exercising, dieting and healing. Besides the preference to drinking warm or cold water, you should give due importance to having clean and healthy water.