New publications
Cold drinking water is beneficial to brain function
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
The positive effect of drinking water on the health of the human body has been known for quite a long time. Water is the main fluid in the body and its importance is difficult to overestimate. It is water that provides the transport function and maintains a constant temperature, and is also a key element in all reactions that occur in the cells of a living organism.
Recent research by British scientists has proven that water can have a beneficial effect on brain performance. A London medical journal published information that confirmed that several glasses of cold drinking water can significantly affect brain performance.
A group of scientists from popular universities in London conducted several studies aimed at analyzing the effect of water on the functions of the human body. It turned out that water can affect not only the general health of a person, but also cognitive functions, brain performance and even mood. About 36 volunteers aged 27 to 32 years took part in the experiment. The purpose of the study was to determine the possible effect of water on human attentiveness and cognitive functions. Before passing various tests, the participants were divided into two groups, one of which received whole grain bars and a fairly large amount of cold water, and the second - only cereal products. During the experiment, scientists hoped to track the effect of water on the test results, so each participant in the first group was required to drink at least half a liter of drinking water. Half an hour after eating, the participants in the experiment were offered various tests for intelligence, attentiveness, reaction speed.
The results of the study confirmed the fact that cold water can improve brain performance. Those participants who drank water before the experiment turned out to be more intelligent and scored more correct answers. The experts also noted that people who drank more than 700 milliliters of water (about three glasses) showed results 14-15% better than other participants in the experiment.
The head of the study believes that the main reason for such behavior of the body is that water is able to relieve the load from some areas of the brain that are responsible for the speed of processing the received information. Another reason may be the fact that the feeling of thirst can cause quite severe discomfort and distract a person from solving the tasks at hand.
However, not all doctors agree that a lack of water in the body has a negative effect on reaction speed and the perception of new information. Early studies by American specialists have shown that the feeling of thirst can lead to a higher speed of solving tasks and a greater number of correct answers when passing intelligence tests. According to specialists from the University of California, the reason for such behavior of the human body is vasopressin, a hormone whose secretion significantly increases with a decrease in the volume of fluid in the cells. According to American doctors, vasopressin can affect a person's attentiveness and reaction speed.
At the moment, scientists are planning to conduct several experiments that will help determine the effect of temperature and the degree of water purification.
[