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On hot days, people often enjoy drinking ice water to cool down. However, it's the environment that's hot, not the body temperature, which remains constant and does not rise. What needs to be lowered is the temperature of the environment, not the body temperature! Moreover, once ice water enters the stomach, it can cause significant harm to the body! Young people recover quickly and may not feel the destructive power of ice water, but problems usually start to appear as they age, and by then, it might be too late to remedy the situation.

Humans are warm-blooded animals, which means that around 36.5℃ is the optimal operating temperature for the human body. Maintaining a constant temperature has been a result of over 200 million years of evolution and is not easily achieved. Research shows that when the body gets cold and the body temperature slightly decreases, the immune system immediately weakens, making it easier for viruses and bacteria to invade. If the temperature is too low, the efficiency of tissue and organ functions deteriorates; if it's excessively low, functionality may cease entirely. A body temperature below 30℃ is on the brink of death!

When cold drinks and ice enter the warm digestive tract, they neutralize a large amount of heat ⁽¹⁾. The blood vessels in the stomach and intestinal walls and surrounding tissues immediately contract due to the cold, reducing blood supply to the gastrointestinal tract, which drastically lowers the temperature of the digestive tract. Enzymes in the intestines immediately become ineffective, and gastrointestinal motility slows down. The low temperature also affects adjacent organs like the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas, significantly reducing the secretion of various digestive juices, thus greatly diminishing overall digestive power. The secretion of antibodies and mucus decreases, weakening the defensive capabilities of the gastrointestinal tract, making it difficult to eliminate bacteria and viruses in food, leading to an imbalance in the microbiome, with beneficial bacteria decreasing and harmful bacteria increasing. If the food is greasy, the fats will solidify due to the cold, similar to lard in a refrigerator, making it harder to digest and sticking to the gastrointestinal walls, hindering absorption... The entire process is like a glacier sweeping across a green field, instantly extinguishing all vitality within the gastrointestinal tract, greatly affecting digestive function. Long-term damage to the gastrointestinal tract from ice water can lead to various digestive diseases and plant the seeds for future cancer.

Apart from directly impacting the gastrointestinal tract, ice water can also affect surrounding tissues, especially in women. If the pelvic area gets cold, it can lead to poor blood circulation in the uterus and ovaries, potentially causing menstrual pain, delayed menstruation, menstrual irregularities, and hormonal imbalances. Some women experience dysmenorrhea after consuming ice products before their period, which is also a sign of poor circulation. Insufficient blood supply to the uterus and ovaries can weaken local immunity, making it easier for viruses and bacteria to infect, leading to leukorrhea, fibroids, or even viral invasions, planting the seeds for future cancer. Over time, this can gradually lead to difficulties in conceiving and infertility.

In addition to the destructive power of low temperature, ice water also has chemical destructive power, which comes from various artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and other chemical additives in ice products. Although the concentration of these additives is claimed to be within safe limits, this refers to a single dose of one product. What if you drink two bottles a day? Or consume other instant noodles, canned foods, or junk foods? What if you continue this for three to five days? It's hard not to exceed the safe dose with these amounts accumulating in the body over time. These artificial additives generally need to be metabolized by the liver and kidneys, and long-term consumption will inevitably place an additional burden on these organs, accelerating their aging, increasing the likelihood of disease and cancer.

Young bodies have abundant vitality, and their digestive tracts can temporarily withstand the extreme cold of ice water, quickly restoring the temperature and function of the gastrointestinal tract. However, the damage accumulates over time. As age increases and the ability to quickly restore gastrointestinal temperature diminishes, problems begin to appear. According to the author's experience, those who enjoy ice products often start experiencing gastrointestinal bloating and irregular bowel movements in their early 30s.

The "gut-brain theory" suggests that the number of neurons in the abdominal cavity is comparable to that in the brain, earning it the title of the body's second brain. It not only interacts closely with the brain, influencing thoughts and emotions, but also responds to feelings of joy, pain, and other emotions. If the abdominal cavity is repeatedly harmed by icy water, leading to a loss of health, emotions and intelligence may also be adversely affected.

The gastrointestinal tract is the source of all nutrients in the human body and an important line of defense for the immune system. Once the gastrointestinal function weakens, the nutrient supply to various organs in the body decreases, and various viruses and bacteria from food can invade freely. It's like a famine with poor harvests, coupled with a disease outbreak, leading to nationwide food rationing and widespread suffering. The impact spans the entire body, so how can the body remain healthy and strong? Therefore, it is clear that cold drinks are the source of illness and the enemy of health. How can one indulge in momentary cravings at the expense of health?

bubble_chart Note

1. Water has a relatively high specific heat capacity, and few substances have a higher specific heat capacity than water ⁽²⁾, meaning that, for the same mass, water can absorb or release more heat than other substances. How much heat will ice water absorb in the warm gastrointestinal tract? To raise the temperature of 500cc of water from 0°C to body temperature (37°C), approximately 18.5 kilocalories of heat are required; if it's half ice and half water, about 27.65 kilocalories are needed. A normal person gains about 600 kilocalories from one meal, which can supply half a day's needs. Thus, a 500cc cup of ice water can deprive the body of about 1/20 of the heat from a meal, causing a sudden drop in temperature in the local gastrointestinal tract.
2. The specific heat capacity of water is 4.18, air 1, iron 0.45, lead 0.127, wood 0.4, and soil 0.8 (unit: J/g.K).