Our body needs liquids in order to function correctly. Our blood consists of 80% water and our brain - 75% water. If we don't drink enough liquids, the salts, nutrients and hormones won't be able to be transported optimally. We will suffer an increased risk of thrombosis, will get tired more easily and have difficulty concentrating. That's why we need to make sure we drink plenty of water.
But the latest studies indicate that drinking cold water while eating can be harmful to proper digestion.
Even the ancient Chinese knew about the ill effects of cold water during meals and for thousands of years they substituted it with warm drinks, teas and so on.
And proper digestion is of exceptional importance for the normal functioning of the entire body, so that it has plenty of energy for doing daily tasks, for extracting the crucial vitamins and minerals, for the immune defenses of the body.
Studies show that during normal digestion of meat, eggs, fish, cheese, legumes, nuts and seeds, they stay in the stomach approximately 4-5 hours, the time required for the digestive processes. But if cold water is consumed while eating, they remain in the stomach for only 20 min.
This hinders their break down and absorption. This food cannot be broken down in the intestines, it begins to ferment and release toxic chemicals. This leads to stomach bloating, gas, burping, bad breath, diarrhea, headache, allergies and more.
In short - drinking ice cold water while eating can slow digestive processes. As well, a cold beverage makes the body warm it up which requires energy.
For this reason, experts advise avoiding cold liquids and instead drinking only ones at room temperature at least 30 min. before and after meals. It's been proven that warmer drinks improve digestion and peristalsis and thus allow the body to absorb the necessary amounts of nutrients.
