Cold Water: Friend or Foe for the Human Body?

Reihane  Alipour; Amir Hossein  Tajik; Sadegh  Rajabi

doi:10.18502/tim.v11i1.21246

Reihane Alipour Traditional Medicine and Materia Medica Research Center and Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Amir Hossein Tajik Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Sadegh Rajabi Traditional Medicine and Materia Medica Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/tim.v11i1.21246

Keywords: Cold water; Ice-cold water; Pathology; Physiology; Body organs

Abstract

Water serves a crucial function in a variety of physiological processes, including maintaining hydration, supporting skin integrity, aiding in the excretion of waste through urination, and forming essential components of both saliva and blood. It not only supports the sensitive tissues in the body, aids digestion, and regulates body temperature and blood pressure, but also is essential for critically ill patients. Cold stimuli in the mouth are often pleasurable and satisfy thirst, with cold water being the preferred choice for hydration. This review analyzed English articles up to March 2025 on the effects of cold water on body organs. PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched using keywords related to cold water and ingestion, excluding immersion, sport, and exercise. Original research, reviews, and case reports were included, while non-English studies and out-of-range dates were excluded. "In press" articles and reference lists were also reviewed. Several lines of evidence indicate that cold water consumption has distinct effects on various parts of the body. These parts include metabolism, body temperature, cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory system, nervous system, and urogenital system. This review article summarizes the physiological functions of water within various tissues and organs of the human body. Then, the potential pathophysiological effects of cold water on a variety of body organs and metabolic processes will be clarified.