Ask the Diva: Do Cold Drinks Slow the Metabolism?
Nutrition Diva dishes on whether drinking cold beverages can affect your metabolism and weight loss.
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Question It’s really nice to have an icy drink in hot days. However, I heard someone say that cold drinks will slow down the metabolism. So even if they are low in calories, they can slow weight loss. Is it true?
Answer Ah, that “someone.” Like so many of the things about nutrition that “someone” has said, this one is completely false (and not even logical). As I explained in my show on negative calorie foods, drinking cold drinks actually helps you burn a few extra calories because your body has to spend energy to heat them up to body temperature.
But, as I said in this recent interview with Today’s Diet and Nutrition Magazine, something can be true without being significant. In the case of drinking ice water, the calorie-burning effect is too small to make drinking ice water a viable weight loss strategy — but at least you don’t have to worry about cold drinks slowing down weight loss.
For the real facts on most of the things you’ve heard “someone” says about nutrition, search the Nutrition Diva archives. After four years of fielding your questions, chances are pretty good that I’ve talked about it!
Check out How to Win at Losing for Nutrition Diva’s honest take on 10 more popular weight loss myths!
Cold drink from Shutterstock
About the Author
Monica Reinagel is a board-certified licensed nutritionist, author, and the creator of one of iTunes’ most highly ranked health and fitness podcasts. Her advice is regularly featured on the TODAY show, Dr. Oz, NPR, and in the nation’s leading newspapers, magazines, and websites. Do you have a nutrition question? Call the Nutrition Diva listener line at 443-961-6206. Your question could be featured on the show.
