Consumption of very cold or very hot foods and drinks can make digestion difficult, as extreme temperatures require additional exertion.

One reads again and again that it is unhealthy – even dangerous – to drink cold water. From other sources, however, one hears that cold water in particular is good.

What is right now, what is wrong? Under what conditions is cold water harmful? We explain it to you here!

The human body of an adult consists of 65 percent water, the brain even up to over 80 percent!

In order to maintain all body functions, our body always needs enough fluid. Preferably in the form of pure water.

A fluid deficit in the body is usually the simple cause of many physical complaints such as headaches, digestive problems, circulatory problems, concentration disorders, fatigue, decreased performance and more.

How Much Water Do I Have to Drink?

The rule of thumb for your daily water requirement is simple: per kilo of body weight it should be around 40ml water. So if you weigh 60kg, your personal amount of water you drink is 2.4 liters per day.

At 70kg that would be 2.8 liters, at 80kg 3.2 liters, etc. These values ​​increase if you do sports, sweat, are out in dry mountain air, with dry heating air, or if you take dehydrating medication.

Make sure that the amount you drink each day is definitely calorie-free so that your hydration does not affect your hips!

A small calculation example: 2.5 liters of apple juice spritzer add up to 700 calories, which is almost more than a complete meal that you then simply drink in addition.

As pure water, the calorie balance would be zero. Juice spritzers are not suitable, so pay attention to calorie-free hydration!

Rumor mill:

There are strange rumors that we would like to clear up.

Cold water hinders digestion

Rumor has it that cold water would turn fats back into solid form in food and therefore block digestion. This is nonsense, you would have to swallow a sack of ice cubes.

One reads further that cold water should contract the gastric juice glands and thus impede digestion. That too is nonsense, because there is always gastric juice in the stomach.

In addition, digestion begins with the first bite. A glass of cold water cannot change that.

Cold water makes a headache

It can happen. But this does not only apply to cold water, but also to ice cream and other ice-cold dishes. The large amount of cold in the mouth and throat causes some vessels to contract.

This then creates a tension headache because certain regions in the head are briefly not supplied with enough fluid and blood.

Not everyone reacts this way to cold drinks and food, but it can happen. In this case, you should avoid cold water or only drink small sips with breaks.

Cold water cools the body

This is wrong. The body first has to heat up cold water to body temperature; for this it needs heat, which it has to produce.

It therefore makes no sense to pour cold drinks down when it is hot to cool off or after exercising.

The body then briefly heats up even more than before! In midsummer or after exercise, drinks at body temperature (or room temperature) are therefore best.

Cold water makes you slim

As explained earlier, the body uses energy to bring cold water to body temperature. This is completely pointless and even counterproductive for cooling off after exercise or in extreme heat.

When you lose weight, however, you can take advantage of this effect.

However, a small glass of water with ice is not enough. The amount of ice water should be at least 500ml if the body is to start mobilizing energy to bring the water to body temperature.

In addition, you would then have to drink the ice water relatively quickly in one go. It has to arrive in the stomach as a “block of ice water” in order to provoke the desired reaction.

Not quite your case? Then it is better to burn calories differently. Or even better: don’t take in too many of them!

Because half a liter of ice water burns just 15 calories, which you save (and burn) more effectively in a different way …