If you experience bloating, then you’ve probably considered how everything from your fiber intake to probiotics, alcohol, and stress could impact a meal. But traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) points to something else that might be the issue: your hydration habits. Your glass of ice water during meals may have a greater effect on your digestive system than you realize. Here, TCM practitioner Sandra Lanshin Chiu, L.Ac., DACM, breaks down everything you need to know about the links between hydration and digestion.
How does drink temperature affect digestion?
Several months ago, TikTok was very interested in how water temperature affects digestion. “In general TCM practice, warmth supports proper digestion and cold hinders it,” Chiu says, adding that it impacts women even more than men.
She also points to a 2020 study published in the European Journal of Nutrition, which compared how water temperature affects gastric contractions and appetite. “Drinking ice water temporarily reduced normal stomach contractions compared with warm water in healthy adults,” she explains. “Those who drank the ice water also ate less afterward, suggesting water temperature can influence stomach function.”
If you’re looking for help with your digestion, it might be worth asking for a glass of warm water when you sit down to dinner. Often in Chinese culture, you’ll see a warm or hot broth included in meals instead of water altogether, Chiu says. “A warm broth is believed to help prepare your digestive system to receive food, making absorbing nutrients easier and more effective,” she adds. “This is because warmth supports the function of digestion, helping to support blood circulation to our GI tract.”
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