Are Cold Drinks Actually Bad For Your Body? S'poreans Debate Over The Benefits Of Warm Water Vs Cold Water

If you often drink cold beverages, you’ve probably had someone tell you to cut back and stick to room-temperature drinks instead, usually with the warning that “it’s bad for your body”. But in Singapore’s sweltering, humid weather, who can resist a cold glass of water?

The real question is: Is cold water really harmful to your health — and if so, how?

That’s the same query local host Jade Seah, 42, posed as her “unfiltered thought of the day” in her latest Instagram reel.

“I don’t know if it’s a girl thing, or a Chinese thing, or an age thing. But quite a number of my friends have said they have stopped drinking cold drinks, and when [they’re at] a restaurant, they will ask for warm water,” said Jade.

“When I asked them why, they said ‘not good’. I wanted to understand why it’s not good, but no one would tell me why,” she continued.

She added that one friend, who is recovering from surgery, avoids cold drinks to aid her recovery. Even that friend, who was advised by her doctor to avoid cold drinks, didn’t explain the reason to Jade.

In her captions, Jade revealed she had only heard about this in recent years and is “somewhat convinced” that it’s “some weird legend that is not steeped in actual scientific fact.” Her mum, a former nurse, never advocated drinking only room-temperature water.

It all made her even more curious about the topic.

Jade's followers were quick to share their takes, many explaining why they, too, avoid drinking too many chilled beverages.

One commenter explained that in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), “warmth is seen as supportive, while cold can slow the body down”. According to them, the stomach and spleen, considered the body’s “digestive engine,” work best when warm. 

They explained that cold drinks may slow digestion or cause mild constriction, whereas warm liquids can relax the digestive tract, improve circulation, and ease discomfort, which is why “a warm drink after a meal or first thing in the morning just feels good”. 

Echoing that sentiment, another penned: “Because your digestive body operates at a certain temperature, so when you put cold stuff in, your body has to work extra to heat what you ingest, and then be able to digest it. Hence the bloating for some of us.”

Some also believe that hot or warm drinks work best on an empty stomach and are good for the bowels.

Most of those advocating drinking room temperature water agreed that cold water should be saved for after workouts or to cool down on hot days.

Then you have the skeptics, who like Jade, are in the ‘all water is the same’ camp. 

“All these hot/cold things, no scientific evidence prove it harms body health,” penned one netizen, while another stated: “It’s superstition mostly. No scientific proof of it being harmful.”

Well, according to reports, while there is little scientific evidence that cold water causes health problems, certain traditional practices, such as TCM, remain firm in the belief that cold drinks can weaken the body’s digestive strength.

In a 2023 TikTok clip posted by Dr Samuel Choudhury (yes, that Dr Samuel), he debunks the idea that cold water slows digestion or affects nutrient absorption, but also notes that chilled water can affect people with colds or asthma, as well as those whose migraines are triggered by cold drinks.

The baseline? What matters most is staying hydrated, right?