A faster metabolism is thought to bring a healthier, and leaner body. Some people go to extreme lengths to increase their metabolism in hopes to lose weight and get leaner, but its now known that the simple act of drinking a glass of cold water can increase your metabolism. While drinking water shouldn’t be your only act to a healthier you, this simple fact will help increase your results.
How does it work? We know that drinking water is essential to a healthier life, and while drinking a glass of warm water with lemon is a recommended activity in the mornings, drinking cold water has the effect of increasing your metabolism.
This happens because your body naturally tries to warm up the incoming liquid to your core body temperature, which takes effort and burns calories in the process.
A study published in the December 2003 Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism tested subjects as they drank water at a temperature of 22 degrees. The study showed that “Drinking 500 ml of water increased metabolic rate by 30%. The increase occurred within 10 min and reached a maximum after 30–40 min.” (1) It goes on to state that 40% of the energy expended was due to increasing the water to 37 degrees, or body temperature. This process expended about 100kJ of energy.
While this really isn’t a huge amount, it still can help in every day life, and when you’re concerned with boosting your metabolism, this is a key factor there.
A number of people also find it easier to drink cool water as opposed to warm or room temperature water, which then allows them to drink more every day, staying hydrated better.
Drinking cold(er) water throughout the day has even more benefits, as it calms down hunger pangs, making you want to snack less.
Note too, this effect can happen with any cold beverage as well, but you don’t get the health benefits of pure water incorporated into this.
Sources: 1. Water-Induced Thermogenesis – http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/10.1210/jc.2003-030780
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[…] have found that people who drink more cold water compared to sugary drinks such as juice or soda tend to be more successful when it comes to losing […]