Drinking water is vital for health. It helps the body produce tears, saliva, sweat, and other fluids. It also removes waste, maintains a healthy fluid balance, manages body temperature, and enables numerous other bodily functions.
Weight Loss
Sore Throat
“If you have a sore throat, I recommend drinking warm water or tea; you might find if you pay close attention that drinking cold water makes your sore throat pain worse,” Mulvihill says.
Hydration
“We do need adequate hydration for all organ systems to run efficiently, and to effectively remove toxins from our body in the form of urine and sweat,” says Rebecca Blake, RD, a registered dietitian-nutritionist and founder of Rebecca Blake Nutrition. “Western medicine does not draw any association between cold or ice water intake and adverse health consequences.”
It’s difficult to say whether warm or hot water is better than cold water for hydration, Sharma says — but based on his clinical experience, he recommends his patients try warm water or tea if they still feel thirsty after chugging cold water throughout the day.
If you’re dehydrated from GI illness, Sharma suggests electrolyte powders, or sodium and sugar dissolved in water.