Is Drinking Cold Water Bad for Your Health? Debunking Common Myths

Drinking cold water is not harmful for most people, though it may trigger headaches or discomfort in some.

Is it harmful

No evidence shows it harms healthy people.

Possible effects

• Brain freeze.
• Headaches in migraine sufferers.
• Throat discomfort or a sore throat in some people.
• Slower digestion in achalasia patients.

Benefits

Cold water may refresh and lower body heat during exercise.

Myths

It does not cause fat to harden or make you sick.

Recommendation

Drink the temperature you like.

Temperature and digestion

Drinking cold water is safe for most people. Studies show that cold water is absorbed in the same way as warm water. Cold water may slightly increase calorie burning (the body warms it to body temperature), but the effect is small, roughly 8 calories for a 16 ounce glass.

Exercise and heat

Cold water can help lower body temperature during exercise and improve endurance in the heat, according to studies in sports medicine. Athletes often drink cold fluids for this reason.

Possible discomfort

• Cold water can cause a brief headache, “brain freeze”, due to a nerve response in the palate when something cold touches the roof of the mouth.
• People with achalasia, a swallowing disorder, may find cold water worsens symptoms. A 2012 study found that cold water can increase spasms in some people with achalasia.
• Some people with migraine report that cold drinks can trigger headaches.
• Sensitive teeth may react to cold water.

Digestion myth

The claim that cold water solidifies fats in your stomach is not supported by evidence. The stomach quickly brings liquids to body temperature.

Sore throat

Warm fluids may feel more soothing for sore throats, while cold fluids or ice pops can numb pain.

Traditional views

Traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda often recommend warm or room temperature water, based on beliefs not tested in clinical trials.

Recommendation

Choose the temperature that encourages you to drink enough. Most adults need about 2.7 to 3.7 liters of total fluids a day from drinks and food, according to the National Academies.

Safe storage

Keep water in clean containers, and wash reusable bottles often.

What the evidence says

There is little evidence that drinking cold water is harmful for healthy people. Cold water is absorbed at about the same rate as water at room temperature, and it can help cool the body during exercise, with sports science reviews suggesting cold drinks can improve endurance in heat. Some people with achalasia, a swallowing disorder, or those who get migraines or “brain freeze” may feel discomfort. Brain freeze, formally sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, comes from cold touching the roof of the mouth and passes in seconds.

Traditions and recommendation

Traditional Chinese Medicine advises warm drinks, but modern research does not show cold water slows digestion or harms health. Cold water might tighten a sore throat for a moment, and people with sensitive teeth may feel pain. The best temperature is the one that gets you to drink enough, since staying hydrated matters more. Adults need roughly 2.7 to 3.7 liters of total water daily from all sources. Store water in clean containers.

Based on data from the American College of Sports Medicine and the Cleveland Clinic