"Is Cold Water Bad For Your Health?" — This Doctor Debunks Myths About Drinking Cold Water

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Singaporean general practitioner and TikTok content creator, Dr Sam, has been making waves on his page by discussing various medical issues through short and precise clips. 

However, a recent feature of his has been gaining traction on the platform after he decided to confront the myth often conveyed by numerous Asian parents to their children: cold water is bad for you. 

Dissecting the matter in a two-minute clip, Dr Sam provides a series of claims the public often generalise when making a point about drinking cold water. Breaking down one point at a time, Dr Sam gives his perspective on the matter and provides viewers with a peek into whether these topics are true or not.

Mentioning a report from the National Library of Medicine, Dr Sam begins by stating that there are thermal receptors within the stomach, which give the impression that something cold would affect the gastric emptying (layman's terms for digestion).

"Several studies were actually done, and the results were conflicting. It has been shown that cold water of four degrees becomes room temperature five minutes after entering the stomach. So the effects, if any, are transient,"  he explained.

Continuing on, Dr Sam also stated that water temperature does not affect the absorption of nutrients, revealing that it doesn't mean one absorbs less water just because it is cold.

Ending his take on the matter, Dr Sam stated that this claim is untrue.

"Your mum will tell you that you cannot take cold drinks with hot food," Dr Sam began on this claim. "Some believe that if you mix cold drinks with hot food, it will turn to sludge, affecting digestion and absorption."

However, Dr Sam went on to mention that there are no studies that have proven this matter to be true, thereby making this claim untrue as well.

Citing a study from the National Library of Medicine, Dr Sam opened the discussion of this claim by revealing how the study found that cold water reduces the velocity (flow rate) of mucus in the nose. "This is one reason why it can [cause] congestion and [make your] cough worse," he stated.

Referencing another study from the same website, Dr Sam stated that those with asthma are more likely to have trigger reactions from being in cold environments or ingesting cold food and cold drinks.

"And one of the causes of chronic cough is poorly controlled asthma. So yes, this claim is true!" he concluded.

Using another study from the National Library of Medicine, Dr Sam discussed the issue of cold water acting as a trigger for migraines in certain individuals.

"For certain people [who suffer from] migraines, cold water can be a trigger," he said. 

Nonetheless, Dr Sam was also clear about the fact that if one has a migraine, it does not mean that cold water will be a trigger. However, he stated that if one's known triggers for the migraine is temperature, that it may be one of the causes of the issue.

"If you are exercising, cold water can help to modulate your temperature and help reduce heat related strain, improving your exercise and endurance," he stated.

Wrapping up his thoughts on the overall matter, Dr Sam stated that water temperature does play a role in certain conditions, though it is not as important as the amount that one should drink.

"You should be drinking eight glasses of water every day. Insufficient water is one of the reasons why people get constipation." 

Ending his video on a humorous note, Dr Sam also advised viewers to not send his video to their mothers if it would cause a 'fight' over the temperature of water. "Choose your battles, respect your elders!" he concluded.

In the caption of his post, Dr Sam noted that his views are not meant to replace professional or medical advise and is just the perspective of Western medicine.