Can drinking cold water boost your metabolism

Q: Can drinking cold water help you lose weight?

Drinking water thats cold may help you burn a few extra calories as you digest it, because your body has to work harder to maintain its core temperature. But its not likely that drinking cold water is a powerful jump-start tool for weight loss.

Q: Can drinking water increase metabolism?

Water is the key to life, and it turns out its also one of the easiest ways to help your metabolism. Drinking water increases your metabolism by up to 25% for nearly an hour after drinking it. That means if you drink a few cups of water every hour, youll keep your metabolism at peak performance all day.

If you’ve ever stepped on the scale, raised a fist to the sky, and solemnly cursed your metabolism, you’re probably looking for a way to ensure it never lets you down again. But metabolism is sorely misunderstood, and before you go around cursing things, it’s helpful to know more about what’s going on inside your body.

Table of Contents Show

Why Water and How Much?
Water and Your Weight
Cold Water Metabolism Myth
Can drinking cold water help you lose weight?
Does cold water or hot water increase metabolism?
Does cold increase metabolism?
Can drinking water increase metabolism?

Metabolism is the name of a chemical process. It’s not—as some people believe—an individual body part like a thyroid gland or a spleen. Think of it as many parts and processes of your body all working together toward a common goal: converting your food to energy.

Related: What to Eat for the Midnight Munchies

The faster your metabolism works, the more efficiently you’ll be able to use the food you eat. That’s good because you have more leeway in the amount of calories you consume. If you have a slow, inefficient metabolism, weight loss is going to be much harder. However, there are four simple things you can do to make sure your metabolism is working properly so you can feel healthy and get the most out of your calories.

1. Lift weights

Cardio is great, but if you’re looking to increase your metabolism, weight lifting is where it’s at. Men are more inclined to lift weights; it’s women who resist the lift, and that’s a pity because weight lifting is super beneficial. Most women are afraid that they’ll get “bulky” from weights, but that’s just not true. Building muscle means you’ll be able to burn more calories while you’re resting. You may find that you look better and your clothes will be looser because you’ll be more toned.

2. Sleep

This one seems like a no-brainer, but Americans still don’t get enough sleep. If your body isn’t rested, it can’t be expected to perform well. If you want to maximize your metabolism, get 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. You’ll also find that your ability to resist snacking is improved when you’re rested.

3. Eat fiber

Soluble fiber helps feed helpful bacteria in your gut, which decreases inflammation and helps prevent obesity. We rely on carbohydrates for energy, and fiber has been shown to help digest those carbohydrates more efficiently. Adding soluble fiber to your diet will also help you feel fuller longer.

4. Drink water

Water is the key to life, and it turns out it’s also one of the easiest ways to help your metabolism. Drinking water increases your metabolism by up to 25% for nearly an hour after drinking it. That means if you drink a few cups of water every hour, you’ll keep your metabolism at peak performance all day.

Related: Six Ways to Keep Your Bones Strong and Healthy

These four tips have been shown to aid your metabolism and contribute to weight loss. Commit yourself to a weightlifting routine, get plenty of sleep, eat fiber, and drink more water to ensure you won’t find yourself cursing your own metabolism: after all, it’s on your side.

Drinking plenty of fluids is important in order to stay hydrated and healthy. But you might also have seen reports that drinking ice-cold water increases metabolism. So what's the idea behind this theory and is there any truth to it?

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Ice-cold water increases metabolism ever so slightly, as some calories are burned bringing it up to body temperature. But the effect is too small to have any bearing on your weight.

Why Water and How Much?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), water is vital for the following:

Regulating body temperature.
Keeping your joints lubricated.
Getting rid of toxins via sweat, urine and bowel movements.

There are no official guidelines for intake of water, but experts at the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine estimate that most women who are adequately hydrated consume an average of 2.7 liters (11.5 cups) of total water daily. Men who are adequately hydrated drink approximately 3.7 liters (15.5 cups) daily.

Bear in mind that this is the total from all beverages and foods. Around 80 percent of your fluid intake comes from beverages, and 20 percent comes from high-water foods such as fruits, salads and soups.

Although water is the ideal drink, other fluids also provide hydration, according to the Mayo Clinic. For example, milk, juice and herbal tea all count toward your fluid intake. Sugary drinks also count, but are best avoided, especially if you're watching your weight, advises the CDC. Swapping a 20-ounce sugar-sweetened soda for a glass of water will save you about 240 calories.

Water and Your Weight

Besides being calorie-free, water offers other waistline benefits. Research published in the July/August 2016 issue of the Annals of Family Medicine found that people who are better hydrated are less likely to develop obesity. This research can't prove that drinking more will make you slimmer, but it is an interesting correlation.

It's certainly a good idea to drink a glass of water when you're hit by a food craving, as evidence suggests that people often wrongly interpret thirst as hunger. In a one-off classic study in the August 2008 issue of Physiology & Behavior, study subjects responded "appropriately" by consuming water when they were thirsty (but not hungry) only 2 percent of the time.

To keep water slimming but interesting, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests infusing it with low-calorie flavor options such as slices of lemon or lime, crushed raspberries, mint leaves or slivers of ginger root and cucumber.

Read more: Sparkling Water Versus Regular Water

Cold Water Metabolism Myth

Adding plenty of ice cubes is another way to make water nicer to drink. In theory, there's also an extra waistline benefit to drinking cold water, because your body has to bring the water up to your body temperature, which takes energy.

However, the calorie advantage of drinking super-chilled water is actually quite small. According to the University of Washington, you'll burn only 8 calories more per cup by drinking water at just above freezing, rather than at room temperature. If you drank 8 cups of iced water a day, you'd burn off just 68 extra calories.

By all means, take advantage of how ice-cold water increases metabolism a tiny bit, especially in the middle of summer, when it's appealing to do so anyway. However, the rest of the time, just enjoy warmer drinks if you prefer — staying hydrated is your primary objective, which means enjoying as many drinks as you need at a temperature that works for you.

It's also worth noting that 15 minutes of walking burns around 68 calories for the average person according to the CDC. So drink your water at a temperature you enjoy and try to stay active.

Can drinking cold water help you lose weight?

Drinking water that's cold may help you burn a few extra calories as you digest it, because your body has to work harder to maintain its core temperature. But it's not likely that drinking cold water is a powerful jump-start tool for weight loss.

Does cold water or hot water increase metabolism?

Weight loss A study published in 2003 found that switching from drinking cold water to hot water could increase weight loss. Researchers found that drinking 500 ml of water before a meal increased metabolism by 30 percent. Raising water temperature to 98.6 degrees accounted for 40 percent of the increase in metabolism.

Does cold increase metabolism?

Cold exposure increases metabolism in two main ways: shivering thermogenesis and nonshivering thermogenesis. Nonshivering thermogenesis is mediated by a special kind of mitochondrial-dense fat called brown fat, which converts food to heat and keeps you warm without shivering.

Can drinking water increase metabolism?

Water is the key to life, and it turns out it's also one of the easiest ways to help your metabolism. Drinking water increases your metabolism by up to 25% for nearly an hour after drinking it. That means if you drink a few cups of water every hour, you'll keep your metabolism at peak performance all day.