What is the effect of drinking ice cold water?
My experience of drinking ice cold water is catching cold; sometimes, but not always immediately after drinking ice cold water. This can begin with sneezeing.
I get pain in sensitive teeth and this may be involved in stimulating the exposed nerve endings and further making them sensitive.
I have not found direct correlation of drinking ice cold water with the incidence and severity of infections. But theoretically; it can reduce the blood supply of the surfaces of mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus and stomach. This may in the long run contribute to infections.
Recently, my joint pains seem to have considerably reduced. Since I am not taking any pain killers or any other treatment and since there is no change in the life style or any other factors, I think, NOT DRINKING ICE COLD WATER is responsible for relief from joint pains.
It is said that drinking ice cold water can contribute to joint pains by virtue of increasing what is called VATA and KAFA principles in body in a variable manner depending upon one's constitution. KAFA principle is a tendency to be heavy, aggregated, solidified, gravitated etc. and it aggravation manifests into diarrhea, increase in urine, dullness, stiffness, expectoration [sputum] formation, running of nose, lack of appetite and indigestion etc. VATA principle if aggravated causes asthmatic problems, constipation, joint pain, neural problems etc.
Whether ice cold water as such can reduce acidity or not, is not clear. But it seems likely that it can reduce the secretions of the surface with which it come in contact.
Whether drinking of ice cold water can cause "cold pressure effect" i.e. increase in sympathetic nervous stimulation and increase in blood pressure, is not clear. But cold as such is known to have "cold pressure effect" i.e. increase sympathetic activation and blood pressure.
But, one thing is certain. Avoiding ice cold water has no bad effects at all!
It is absolutely safe to drink water of room temperature.
This opinion may sound less fashionable, but actually it is not merely less fashionable, but against the hype, vogue or fashion of installing ice coolers in every establishment endangering the health of millions, increasing the consumption of electricity and killing the health promoting home industry of pot making.
(adapted from wiki.answers.com)
