Here’s the truth that doctors won’t scream from a rooftop: Eating ice does hydrate you, just slower than drinking the equivalent amount of liquid water. A study from 2018 (yes, people study this) found that ice melts in your stomach and gets absorbed just fine.
Uncover the Secrets of the Ice Water Diet with Me
But if you’re replacing actual water with just ice chips all day, you’re missing out on volume. It’s like eating a single potato chip instead of a whole bag—sure, you got a potato, but you didn’t get the satisfaction.
The real problem is that most people don’t eat enough ice to matter. You’d have to chew through a small iceberg to match a single glass of water. That’s a lot of jaw work for a drink.
When Ice Is Actually Your Best Friend
There’s a weird, niche group of people—like my Aunt Carol—who swear by chewing ice during hot summer hikes. She says it’s “like drinking without the sloshing.” And honestly? She’s not wrong.
If you’re nauseous or recovering from a stomach bug, eating crushed ice is a doctor-recommended way to sip tiny bits of hydration without upsetting your gut. It’s the Goldilocks method of rehydration: not too much, not too little.
Just don’t do what my cousin did, which was eat an entire tray of ice after a night out, then complain that his “stomach felt like a freezer.” Moderation, people.
Ice Cold Water Benefits Explained: Is Drinking Cold Water Bad? – Frizzlife
