Cold water is a healthy drink. Since the human body is about 60 percent water, water is essential to keep your body hydrated. Because your stomach absorbs cold water faster than warm water, it quickly cools your body to its normal temperature after exercising. Depending on your preference, drink plenty of lukewarm or cold water throughout the day.

Stomach

Drink cold water on hot days, before, during and after exercise, to regulate your body temperature and keep your body hydrated. Cold water absorbs your heat as it warms to body temperature and cools you from within. Cold water counters dehydration faster than warm water does, because it leaves your stomach and quickly enters your blood stream.

Importance

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Water is so important to the body that it doesn't really matter what the water temperature is as long as you are drinking enough. Water helps you digest and absorb food, it carries nutrients, including hormones, antibodies and disease-fighting cells throughout your body and lubricates your joints. Water removes toxins and waste products from your body. The amount of water you drink -- not its temperature -- is important for maintaining good health.

Amount

The amount of water you need depends on your lifestyle, size and individual body chemistry. To maintain health, the Institute of Medicine recommends 2.7 liters of water each day for women, which equals 91 ounces or about 11 cups. The IOM recommends 3.7 liters of water per day for men or 125 ounces, which is the amount of water in 12 cups. These recommendations include total water from beverages and food. According to the IOM, 80 percent of your daily water intake comes from beverages and 20 percent comes from food.

Benefits

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Water benefits your body in many ways, such as contributing to healthy, glowing skin. Water works with foods containing fiber to help prevent constipation. Drinking water before or with meals may help you drink fewer sweetened beverages, and is associated with greater weight loss among dieters, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.