How Cold Drinks Affect Digestion

By Joyce Kawalchuk, L.Ac.

It was 13 degrees when I woke up the other morning in Princeton, New Jersey. While dining out for lunch, I was offered iced water. Nothing unusual, right? Research suggests that this simple custom may have a significant impact on your gut. Here's the low down on how cold drinks affect your digestion.

Cold Drinks & Digestion: An Integrative Health Perspecitve

In American culture, it's customary to be served ice water while dining out at a restaurant. Beyond that, breakfast smoothies, workout recovery drinks, bottled water, and refreshments are all typically cold or iced, unless requested otherwise.

According to Chinese medicine, regular daily consumption of cold liquids and foods can put unnecessary strain on the digestive system. This strain can result in slower metabolism and lymphatic stagnation.

Physiologically speaking, consuming cold liquids constricts blood vessels and restricts blood flow to the stomach and intestines, making it more difficult to absorb vitamins and minerals from food.

Digestive peristalsis is the involuntary movement of food throughout the digestive tract. A study in the Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility found that swallowing cold liquids decreases the rate of peristalsis in healthy subjects.  

Opt for Room Temperature or Warm Drinks

According to Chinese medicine, drinking cold liquids may aggravate the following conditions:
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• frequent belching, especially during meals
• reflux
• constipation
• bloating
• fatigue
• frequent urination, especially at night

Opting for room temperature or warm liquids is a simple health habit that can support overall digestion. This is especially important during the winter months. Living seasonally is a tenet of Chinese medicine and external environments are seen to impact health just as much as internal environments.