Warm Water helps live longer?

Question

I was at my grandma's house for 2 weeks, away from my idiot brothers, and one night we were just sitting there and she said that her great-grandma lived to be 104(my grandma is 64 and works out every day, so don't call her crazy!) She said that every time she went to her house she pretty much didn't eat or drink there. Her grandma didn't believe in refridgoration, so she left water, milk, and other foods and drinks sitting on the counter. She actually drank them too! My grandma said she was a wise grandma, and said that she said that cold water was a shock to your body, and room temperature and warm water were better for you. Now people, this is 104 years old! Maybe you don't have to drink warm milk, but just room temperature and warm water and I garuntee you will live longer. Have you heard of this before?

Answer 1

Hmm.... I've never heard of this before, but with some things, it makes sense....
Not so much for the "shock" part of it, but because leaving things out on the counter may actually make some germs grow in them (the cold prevents them from growing). Putting more germs into your system slowly and over time might help you live longer because it gives you a stronger immune system.... but ONLY when it's a little every so often, otherwise, you may get sick a lot.

That being said, cold water doesn't shock your system enough to actually hurt it or lessen your lifespan, same way that room temperature water won't make you live longer. If it did, people back in the early 1900s (before refrigeration was normal) would have lived longer than the 50-70 year average. Yes, there were some people that lived longer, but they were the rare ones.
Most of the people that live to older ages typically have a healthier diet, more vitamins/minerals, or have some added nutrients in their diets that help them live longer (like on some of the Pacific islands that have people living longer).

Answer 2

I wouldn't follow her example too closely. If you leave some foods out on the counter at room temperature very long, you're just asking for a case of botulism or other food poisoning.

Has your grandmother had lots of cases of a "12 hour bug", or a "24 hour flu"? There's no such thing. Flu lasts longer than that. Those are the names often mis-applied to food poisoning.

Answer 3

Cold Water and Cold Drinks Rehydrate Faster
Research has shown that cold water passes through the stomach faster and is therefore sent to the intestines for absorbtion faster. During and after exercise, you want to replace fluids lost due to sweat rapidly, so cold water and cold sports drinks are preferred.