RisksDrinking cold water does affect your body in ways you may not anticipate or want. One older and small study from 1978Trusted Source, involving 15 people, found that drinking cold water made nasal mucous thicker and more difficult to pass through the respiratory tract. By comparison, the researchers found that chicken soup and hot water helped people breathe more easily. If you’re trying to treat a cold or flu, drinking cold water might make your congestion feel worse.