Does drinking cold water REALLY make you gain weight?
CLAIM:
Drinking cold water leads to weight gain.
FACT:
Drinking cold water does not cause weight gain. It may burn a few extra calories as the body works to maintain its core temperature, but the effect is small and not enough to significantly impact weight. Water, regardless of temperature, should be consumed with a focus on staying properly hydrated.
You’re trying to lose weight, so you start watching what you eat, how much you move — and even what temperature your water is. After all, isn’t drinking cold water said to make you gain weight? That’s the latest claim doing the rounds on social media.
A viral Instagram reel by fitness coach and influencer Priyank Mehta has reignited the debate on whether sipping chilled water can actually slow down digestion or increase body fat.
Understanding cold water
There is little scientific evidence to suggest that drinking cold water is harmful to your health. Whether you prefer cold or room-temperature water, both will keep you hydrated. Warm water, on the other hand, has its own benefits, such as helping digestion, improving circulation, and aiding the removal of toxins from the body.
Staying hydrated supports both mental and physical health. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that men aged 19 and older drink about 3.7 litres (15.5 cups) of water daily, while women should consume around 2.7 litres (11.5 cups). Despite these guidelines, many people still believe that cold water can affect digestion or lead to weight gain, raising the question of whether chilled water really has a negative impact on health.
What are the risks of drinking cold water?
Some people believe that drinking cold water after meals can contract the stomach and slow down digestion. Others think that ice-cold water forces the body to work harder to maintain its internal temperature of 98.6°F (37°C), which could be harmful over time.
Scientific research offers limited but interesting insights. A small study from 1978 involving 15 participants found that cold water made nasal mucus thicker, making it harder to pass through the respiratory tract. In contrast, hot water and chicken soup helped people breathe more easily. This suggests that if you are suffering from a cold or flu, cold water might worsen congestion.
Cold water can also aggravate certain health conditions. Research from 2001 linked drinking cold water to triggering migraines in people who already experience them. A 2012 study also found that individuals with achalasia, a condition that affects the ability to swallow, experienced more pain when they drank cold water with meals.
Traditional Chinese medicine advises against drinking cold water with hot food, as it is believed to cause an imbalance in the body. Similar beliefs exist in several cultures, where warm water or tea is preferred with meals.
Some people also believe that drinking cold water on a hot day doesn’t actually help cool the body. However, there isn’t sufficient scientific evidence to clearly prove or disprove this idea.
Does drinking cold water really cause weight loss?
A 2012 study found that drinking cold water during exercise can help prevent overheating and improve performance by lowering body temperature. Drinking plain water instead of sugary beverages, regardless of temperature, is also linked to lower calorie intake and better weight management.
Building on the cardiovascular benefits of water, a study published in 2014 indicated that drinking both cold and room-temperature water can help ease the heart’s workload by lowering heart rate and reducing the double product—a measure that reflects the heart muscle’s oxygen demand.
The performance-enhancing effects of cold beverages were further explored in another 2014 study, which examined 12 trained male athletes cycling in a tropical climate. The researchers found that consuming an ice-slush drink improved performance more than drinking water at a neutral temperature. Performance was highest when the ice-slush beverage included a menthol aroma.
The study concluded, “Cold water or ice-slush with menthol aroma seems to be the most effective beverage for endurance exercise in a tropical climate. Further studies are needed to explore its effects in field competition.”
Cold water may even have a mild thermogenic effect. A 2021 study conducted on 21 overweight but otherwise healthy children, with an average age of around 10 years, found that drinking 10 ml of cold water per kilogram of body weight (at 4°C) temporarily increased their resting energy expenditure (REE). The researchers observed that REE rose by up to 25% after consuming cold water, with the effect lasting for more than 40 minutes.
As the study noted, “Consuming the recommended daily amount of water for children could result in an energy expenditure equivalent to an additional weight loss of about 1.2 kg per year. These findings reinforce the concept of water-induced REE elevation shown in adults, suggesting that water drinking could assist overweight children in weight loss or maintenance, and may warrant emphasis in dietary guidelines against the obesity epidemic.”
Choosing water instead of sugary drinks supports digestion and helps maintain a healthy weight, even if the water is cold. Drinking cold water may burn a few extra calories since the body works to maintain its core temperature, but it is unlikely to serve as a significant or rapid method for weight loss.
Is warm water better than cold water?
Drinking warm or hot water can feel comforting, especially during colder months, while cool water often feels more refreshing in warmer weather. Warm water may also provide a temporary boost to circulation by causing arteries and veins to expand.
Research, however, suggests that the temperature of water does not drastically impact hydration. A 2011 study involving six Taekwondo athletes found that drinking very cold water at 5°C did not improve voluntary fluid intake or overall hydration. Similarly, a 2013 study reported that water at around 16°C (60.8°F), roughly the temperature of cool tap water, encouraged participants to drink more voluntarily and resulted in less sweating compared to water at other temperatures.
The key takeaway is that staying adequately hydrated is far more important than the temperature of the water. The priority should be consuming enough fluids each day, whether the water is warm, room-temperature, or cold.
Warm water does offer some benefits, such as aiding digestion and providing a soothing effect. Meanwhile, the benefits of drinking cold water are largely similar to those of room-temperature water—it keeps you hydrated and refreshed.
If you have underlying health conditions, digestion concerns, or want to maintain a healthy weight and stay consistently hydrated, it is best to consult a doctor to develop a hydration plan that works for you.
This story is done in collaboration with First Check, which is the health journalism vertical of DataLEADS.
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