Water Consumption/Temp.

[SmileySue]

The other night, a few friends got into a heavy discussion regarding the temperature that water should be consumed. One side said that it was better to drink cold water because the body burned more calories to warm the water prior to absorbtion. The other side said water should always be consumed at room temperature because the water would pass through before ever being absorbed into the body......

I'm not so sure I agree with the second opinion.....TMI, but I've never had cold pee before........

What do you all think?

[traycon]

I think water should be consumed at whatever temp makes it palatable for the consumer.

[SmileySue]

I agree Tray. I figure, water at whatever temp. is better than none at all.

Personally, I like my water ice cold. Just seems to taste better to me that way.

[Carrollkay]

I like it room temperature in the winter and cold in the summer
Lisa

[Marvelissa]

ditto what Tray said

[jgw]

Originally Posted by Carrollkay

I like it room temperature in the winter and cold in the summer
Lisa

I agree.

[Diana]

I agree with everyone

[missrobinson]

Originally Posted by SmileySue

The other night, a few friends got into a heavy discussion regarding the temperature that water should be consumed. One side said that it was better to drink cold water because the body burned more calories to warm the water prior to absorbtion. The other side said water should always be consumed at room temperature because the water would pass through before ever being absorbed into the body......

I'm not so sure I agree with the second opinion.....TMI, but I've never had cold pee before........

What do you all think?

Source: My older sister.

She lives in SF, is a vegan, knows ANYTHING and EVERYTHING about body toxins, chemicals, how the body works. She's crazy about this stuff. And she's done her research, and has been living that way for about atleast 4 years now.

She basically refuses to drink cold water. Room temperature water is the way to go. (of course i forget her explanation for it)(no doubt though the explanation is somewhere out there on the internet somewhere).

But yes, I trust her 100% about these kinda things. She knows her stuff.



(Sorry I couldn't give you an explanation to it though, but yeah ROOM TEMP. WATER!)

[Insomniac]

I'm another cold in summer, room temp in winter kind of gal.

[dointhis4me]

Don't know which is better for you but I prefer room temp

[Tiffany2288]

I prefer room temp water unless it hot out and I am exercising.

[OurLuvsFromAbove]

Originally Posted by Carrollkay

I like it room temperature in the winter and cold in the summer
Lisa

ME 22222222

[junkfoodmonkey]

The first one may be true, but I doubt the calories burnt are going to make a lot of difference. You can't say "I'll have this donut then work it off by drinking a really cold glass of water!"

And the second one makes no sense at all! What would be good about it even if it was true? Your body needs water. If it just passed through you like you're a drainpipe and never got used then you could die of thirst while lying under a tap with your mouth open!

I like my water room temp, or a little chilled. Too cold hurts my teeth.

[gharkness]

I am with junkfoodmonkey, EXCEPT that IF you like your water cold, it won't hurt - and might burn an additional calorie or two - if you drink it cold. Same with staying in a cold environment, or sleeping in a cold bed, but who wants to be miserable just because it might burn an extra five calories that day?

The second comment (water passing through without being absorbed) is just nonsense.

[jaels]

In general I prefer my water to be room temperature or just a little colder. I find really cold water is difficult to drink at the rate that I should be drinking it.

That said... In health terms I tend to think that we can look back at how our ancestors lived pre electric power to get an idea of what our bodies can handle. In nature, most water that is potable is quite cold. When I was a treeplanter all the water I drank was from fresh springs or glacial run-off streams. It was all icy cold. The only warm water you find in most northern environments anyways is standing and potentially stagnent. So

I guess I agree that any water is good water. On a side note, I do tend to agree that it isn't all that great to consume a lot of water during or just after eating. I think the food needs the enzymes and acids undiluted for good digestion. But I'm no expert.

[FloridaShell]

I like water any way I can get it.

[Kris T.]

Once the water is in your body, don't you think it adjusts its temperature to about 98.6 whether it's room temp or cold? I don't think there's health benefits to a specific temperature.

the body burned more calories to warm the water prior to absorbtion

So, if I eat a boatload of icecream, the effects will be negated, because my body will burn up the calories trying to warm it up, right? I wish!!

Personal preference is the way to go. Your body won't care.

[Laura in Arizona]

It appears that you do burn more calories with ice water. Here is what I found...

Let's figure out exactly what you're burning when you drink a 16-ounce (0.5 liter) glass of ice water:

* The temperature of ice water can be estimated at zero degrees Celsius.
* Body temperature can be estimated at 37 degrees Celsius.
* It takes 1 calorie to raise 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius.
* There are 473.18 grams in 16 fluid ounces of water.

So in the case of a 16-ounce glass of ice water, your body must raise the temperature of 473.18 grams of water from zero to 37 degrees C. In doing so, your body burns 17,508 calories. But that's calories with a little "c." Your body only burns 17.5 Calories, and in the grand scheme of a 2,000-Calorie diet, that 17.5 isn't very significant.

But let's say you adhere to the "eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day" nutritional recommendation. In 64 ounces of water, there are 1,892.72 grams. So to warm up all that water in the course of a day, your body burns 70,030 calories, or 70 Calories. And over time, that 70 Calories a day adds up. So, while you definitely shouldn't depend on ice water consumption to replace exercise or a healthy diet, drinking cold water instead of warm water does, in fact, burn some extra Calories!