By Dr. Bharat Vaidya

Photo Credit: Photo by Lanju Fotografie on Unsplash

Everyone knows how important it is to drink enough water throughout the day for good health. Water is an essential part for our kidneys health, radiant skin, bowel movements, lubrication of joints, digestive system, and support cardiac system, etc. Various experts recommend drinking anywhere from 8 to 10 cups of water a day. This is also communicated to live a healthy ayurvedic lifestyle.

By consuming the minimum recommended water required, the health experts claim that you are helping your bodily function better and improve your overall health, but modern medicine or health experts never advise you about how to consume the recommended water throughout the day. Should it be ok to drink ice cold water, room temperature water or how it affects your body?

As per Ayurveda, water is a life, but cold water is harmful to your health. It slows the movements of digestive enzymes which are an integral part of bodily fire or Pitta, so food does not get digested properly and creates indigestion which is the root cause of so many diseases. That indigestion creates toxins and gas formation which then becomes hubs of so many bad microorganisms, parasites, bacteria, funguses, viruses etc. It slows the movement of bad lipid particles and results in extra bad fat in the body. These lipids or fats relate with the liver and many hormonal glands which then influence our psychology (Manas).

Viruses, bacteria, funguses love water and especially cold water to flourish and metabolize. So, in any diseased condition, if you drink cold water then it is the biggest harmful component in recovery. In Influenza or any kind of fever, sinus problems, constant cold, disease of Asthma, indigestion, celiac disease, cough, any kind of tumor or cyst, cold water is like a poison and with its cold properties, it helps to increase pathology. Cold water harms bodily fire and heat directly and hence, creates so many pathologies.

During the Postpartum period, the mother’s agni or fire element (enzymes) which is closely related to heart, hormones, and strength of the bodily tissues gets highly compromised during the birthing process. Hence, when agni is at its lowest level, postpartum mothers should consume warm, lubricated and grounding food and a warm, liquid diet instead of cold food or cold water. Hence, as per Ayurveda, cold or ice water is strictly no-no during the postpartum period which is harmful for both mother and baby otherwise it will create vitiated Vata or air element.

My father Dr. Prafulla Vaidya used to advise against drinking cold water. Growing up in Mumbai, India, we had no fridge in our house. First time I arrived in America and visited a restaurant, I was surprised to serve food with a glass of ice-cold water. Till this day, I ask for a glass of room temperature water anywhere I go instead of ice-cold water.

As per Ayurveda, the first advice I give to improve your gut health is to drink 2 glasses of room temperature water on empty stomach first thing in the morning. That is a very basic Ayurvedic lifestyle which you need to accommodate in your life and see how your digestive and gut health improves.

One more advice which I can provide is to educate your children and family members by stopping them from drinking ice or cold water. If you really want to treat their allergies from root and not superficially, then try to let them drink the water at room temperature.

As per sage Charka ‘AGNI SARWASWAM’ meaning digestive fire or Pitta is everything. As per Hippocrates, the heat is life and cold is death. As per Cicero, old age is cold, and death is cold. So, please help Agni or fire to work properly so that you can prevent and cure diseases rather than suppress or autoimmune them and hence, stop drinking cold or fridge water.

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