[taragettingthin]

I found following interesting fact...on http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar.../il/il07a.html

Ice-cold water: Your body temperature is incredibly hot, at approximately 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, and ice water is about 40 degrees. So in order to maintain homeostasis, your body has to bring that ice water temperature up by about 60 degrees — does your body burn calories in the process?

It takes one calorie to raise the temperature of one liter of water by approximately 2 degrees. That means that to raise the temperature of one liter of ice water by 60 degrees, to normal body temperature, your body would burn about 30 calories. Two liters would burn 60 calories — which is about eight glasses of water per day. "Believe it or not, this is actually true — your body needs to warm up cold liquids because it needs to maintain a constant internal temperature," says Jay T. Kearney, former director of the sports science and technology division at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, and vice president of HealtheTech. "Therefore, calories are burned to warm liquid up to your body temperature."

An additional benefit of drinking water — it makes you feel full.

[freethetoys]

i saw this on a show ages ago, i think they said that you only really use 2-3 cals to warm water. mainly cause the water changes as it enters your body so it wont have a huge effect but who knows either source could be lying!

[Erika79]

I've seen that I've tried drinking ice water through-out the day, however, and struggle. I'm a water chugger (and normally get down 100+ ounces), so it's hard for me to chug ice cold water, just doesn't go down as well!!

[scorpio88]

I prefere cold water. Not warm, but not freezing cold..however, good to know that ice cold does that! I love water, I rarely drink anything but water.

[Zen Pharmacy]

I sang for a long time as an off-stage voice for a city opera, and I just can't bring myself to drink water that isn't room temperature anymore.

Drives everyone else in my house nuts as I just leave the brita pitcher on the counter.

It's weird what habits you pick up.

[GoldieStars]

I don't always drink ice water, but i only drink COLD water, warm water doesn't seem to go down as easily. It's nice to see that drinking water has more benefits than I thought.

[KateB]

In the summer I drink cold water, sometimes even ice water. The rest of the year it is room temp. I find manytimes, especially if I am exercising, if I drink Ice water I get stomach cramps, sometimes severe enough that I vomit, therefor the water does no good.

[sh3l5]

My water tends to be tap temperature....
which on cold days can be very cold....
throughout the day its room temperature....

[HardCandy]

I really cannot stand ice water most of the time. I prefer room temp or cold water from the fridge. With lemon!

[kaplods]

I'm not saying every little bit doesn't help, but 33 calories per day, would translate to under 3.5 lbs per year - That is, assuming that the effects of the cold water does not slow down any metabolic processes (which cannot be assumed).

In college (Illinois Wesleyan, 1985), my biology professor told us that ice water had a net effect on the body of -1 kilocalories per liter. One lousy calorie. If his math is correct (or the math of whoever he learned this from), then it would take 10 years to lose 2 lbs.

Regardless of whether it's 3.5 lbs per year, or 1/5 of a pound per year, I'd say that you should drink your water at whatever temperature you LIKE it.