Here’s an interesting point of discussion.
How many of you prefer drinking warm water to cold water?
I enjoy my iced drinks but I usually take my water plain and warm or at room temperature. While growing up in an Asian family, I was always warned by my late grandma that drinking too much cold or iced water was bad for you and can lead to indigestion and arthritis. Of course, being young and hot headed, I wouldn’t listen to her. Besides its not scientifically proven either way.
That said, as I grew older I realized that drinking warm drinks was more soothing to my insides. Sure, I still take my iced drinks but if its very hot outside and I take a very cold drink, I find that I actually feel warmer after a while, although there is the initial cooling down of the body. I think the body actually has to work harder and generate more heat to warm up the cold water coursing through our insides.
When I dine out, I opt for warm or hot water instead of iced drinks. I find it helps my digestion and since I’m Asian, I believe in the yin and yang of things so by my book, too much cold water can offset your yin-yang balance.
Some say that drinking cold water with a meal can cause heart attacks or even cancer but these are generally debunked as hoaxes or urban myths. Hoaxes or not, there are proponents of the theory of sticking to warm or hot water with meals for this reason.
Personally, I don’t drink cold water often as a matter of choice, less so for any perceived health reason. I’m not averse to the occasional cold drink – heaven knows the hot weather demands it! But I just opt for warm or room temperature water when I can.
How about you? Do you believe in the health benefits of drinking hot or cold water? Which do you prefer?
Paris B
Yup, I find that as I get older, I start to look for iced/cold stuff less and less. But I can’t go all the way for warm water – even room temperature is a bit too ‘warm’ for my liking. I like my liquids a bit cool, not cold, just cool. Weird much? 😛
heh I do hot/warm water all the time in most places unless I’m craving something sweet 🙂
Most of the time i take warm / room temp water or hot tea (especially in the freezing office), but if i’m outside in the sweltering heat, its iced drinks for me! 😀
Yeah nothing beats a cold drink on a hot day! 🙂 I prefer to take cold coconut on a hot day – at least its no sugar added 🙂
i usually go for warm water, but i read somewhere it said cold water will help to boost metabolism hence burn more fat..i have no idea how true it is, but most of the protein shakes or diet products require to drink cold water only.
Yeah there are 2 theories about cold water. Some say its “good” some say its “bad” I say take the middle path and go for either in moderation! 🙂
Uh oh…. I almost only drink cold water now… And if that’s not a problem, I have a habit of chewing ice cubes… ^.^
And that is actually bad for the teeth!
Always warm water for me even in a hot day, mum believes it anti ageing as well, I steal sips of cold water from bf once a while but that’s it. But then again I like ice cream…..lol…
I’m not sure about the anti aging but I personally believe warm water is better for the health than constantly drinking cold water. Maybe your mom has something there! 😉 I don’t like ice cream thank goodness LOL!
I have been drinking warm water for most parts of my life, because of my mum, and because my windpipe contracts too much from very iced water, and I cough immediately.
However, I’ve read about the theory on the body working harder, and so increasing metabolism rate, better for people who wish to try dieting. haha, don’t know how true is that.
I still choose warm water over iced every time. I am afraid of the cold, and more tolerant of heat, so I guess, I am okay with the weather. =)
You’re a true Island Girl Jyoan! 😀 But yes sometimes when I take a drink that’s too cold, I start coughing or get brain freeze 😛
ICED WATER even in winter. Unless I’m freezing or sick. I seldom drink hot drinks at all – even my morning coffee is iced. ^_^
I have a crazy high metabolism. Gotta give it something to do.
Haha hey if it works for you! 😀
Depends. HAHA
In M’sia it’ll always be cold no matter what. But my coffee must be of that optimum temperature – not scalding hot but just at THAT temperature of 65-70degrees C 😛
Now that it’s winter, it’s always hot drinks for me. Hot teas (eww), coffee and bovril.
Having said that, I walked out just now to get icecream because I ahd a lousy morning. Icecream FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😀
Actually I used to eat ice cream in winter too. It actually makes you warmer coz of the metabolism thing and the body having to burn up all that dairy. So, really eating ice cream on a hot day is not a very good idea 😉
Hi!
Hot/warm drinks most of the time. Esp when its time of the month when aunty come to pay visit! Heard that cold drinks may cause blood clots….
Also i have heard warm drinks after meal suppose to help digestion after oily food as heat washed away the oil as compared to cold drink….
In the morning, I normally take a cup of warm water, to start up the system and my stomach love it, fuels up the system nicely…..;-)
cheers,
lemon
I should drink some water in the mornings too! Its supposed to be good for the system. I don’t really believe that cold or warm drinks can really do much harm/good to our bodies after eating but in general, I don’t have drinks with my meals unless its hot soup 🙂 Its just a personal thing.
Drinking Hot water isn’t good for the body.
It damages your oral lining and oesophagus (part which connect oral cavity to stomach).
Thing is, it has been going on for generations how hot water/hot tea/hot food is good for you, especially among the Chinese community.
However, this constant damage to your lining may in the long run cause many problems, such as inflammation which may then lead to ulcers (which may later undergo cancerous change).
Coupled with the fact that many Chinese enjoy eating pickled/preserved food, which contain carcinogens, it’s no surprise that in Malaysia, the Chinese record among the highest number of medical cases pertaining to the upper parts of ‘food track’ such as oesophagitis, gastric cancer etc.
So I would say, luke warm water, not hot 🙂
Just my two cents though.
Well, unless anyone has a throat or skin of asbestos, no one can handle boiling hot water. Most of us have to let it cool down first to a tolerable level before drinking even if its hot coffee – I’ve burnt myself enough to learn that 🙂 Still, thanks for the reminder!
warm water for me~ and usually before a meal to “warm up” the gastric juices
i read somewhere too much cold drinks will “harden” gastric juices and bits of food at the bottom of the stomach creating a tar like substance.
You know, I think once water enters our body, it gets warmed up anyway by the body – 37 degrees celcius should warm anything that enters the body so I don’t quite believe all those horror stories about cold water causing oil to congeal 🙂 Still, I think that for many, its actually harder to drink warm or room temperature water than it is to drink cold water just coz it doesn’t taste so good 😉
warm water for me cos i just feel more comfortable after drinking warm or hot drinks! for my coffee, definitely hot!
i read somewhere that the theory behind avoiding cold drinks especially after meal is that oil from food that we consume will hardened/ solidify and it is more difficult to be digested. and if this effect is accumulated it will lead to hardened arteries and heart attacks and etc. it made some sense to me 🙂
I loved cold drinks and not to mention ice creams..but I had severe menstrual pains. And so…I have to “khiong” all icy drinks like 2 weeks earlier.. and it works! And of course not to take the “cooling” stuff if u know wat i mean..
My husband can’t understand why we have the whole room temperature vs cold water question from waiters all the time. He also doesn’t understand public loos as in why there is a pipe, water but that’s another story and I’d rather not try to explain to him for the zillionth time. It’s definitely an asian thing.
My grandma used to tell us girls to never drink water, especially cold water standing up because it goes straight to your lady parts and will shock them (ovaries, eggs?). Whenever I drink standing up there’s a little niggling thought in my mind that I must sit down even though I don’t quite believe it even.
I prefer room temp water only because of how it tastes. Cold water has a different taste somehow – even without ice.
For now, I like cold water a lot because I believe it makes my body work harder to keep warm (thus burning all the fat, har har). Then again, I don’t drink any soft drinks so I think I’m OK for now. I like hot water when I need some soothing, warm sometimes leaves a metallic taste in my mouth, and cold is just NICE.
Hmmmm I hardly take ice or cold water before I met my bf. He influenced me into drinking ice and cold water and I can’t stop. Yea it’s bad knowing that I have asthma and sinus too. My friends all remembers me by the girl who always drink anything hot like Lime juice hot, Lemon Tea Hot and everything else that can be made hot. I do take them even when the day is hot! haha 😛
Still I try not to drink it too much cold or ice water. I remember watching this Taiwan Program Ladies First. A doctor did a heart rate test when you drink warm or hot water and comparing to cold or ice water. Drinking Ice or cold water actually lowers down the heart rate tremendously which is bad coz it’s not supposed to be that way. Imagine after you went for sports activities and you drink cold water? That is very bad.
As for me… When I’m on a strict diet I consume hot or warm water. It helps in detoxing and it’s easier for the bowel movements. I think 😛 ehehhe
I’ve heard of those stories too – my mother often warned me that it will decrease my chances of conceiving, etc etc. But guess what? I’m 6 months pregnant! I believe it’s neither right nor wrong to drink cold or warm water… whatever your body needs at that time, it will tell you. But for me personally, if it’s plain water I prefer cold to warm. Warm water actually makes me thirstier! Weird? But I can drink tea or coffee warm… Hmm. :\
oops…I fall into the “icy cold drinks + chews ice cubes” category…although after warning from the dentist I now just pick small cubes and let them melt in my mouth instead. haven’t been able to do the whole warm/hot drinks thing no matter how I try – unless it’s hot cocoa/coffee in the middle of winter…LOL!
It s hard to eat out if you are used to drink warm water. I don’t ask for warm water because they will just get it from the pipe for me. Yuck. Instead i ask for hot water (like what they use to prepare tea) and use a few ice cube to cool it down to the temp that I like. Most of the time the waiter was either really surprised that ordered hot water (not with tea), or he/she would just bring a glass of cold water. Sometimes I bring my own bottle (in SS bottle) of hot water to restaurant. However when I am pregnant and had morning sickness, I drank cold water, really really cold water, that was the only way I could keep it down. I would switch back to warm water once I no longer felt sick.
When I drink cold water my stomach does feel alot worse. Then I shiver a lot which is uncomfortable! Definiately think that people should make warm water the norm.