Effect of regular cold-water drinking on body temperature, body composition, and aging
Official title: Study to Explore How Core Temperature Reduction Influence Health
Run by Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology ,Chinese Academy of Sciences · NCT06432491 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether drinking cold (4°C) water four times a day for six months reduces body fat and helps slow biological aging in healthy adults aged 50–65.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 50 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 36 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology ,Chinese Academy of Sciences Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Shenzhen, Guangdong) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 1, 2025 |
| Main results expected | June 30, 2026 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | January 21, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06432491 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Healthy adults aged 50–65 who live in Shenzhen, have had no recent major surgery or weight change, are not on long-term medications, and do not have major chronic diseases or metal implants are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
People outside the 50–65 age range, those with metabolic, cardiovascular, pulmonary, endocrine, or gastrointestinal diseases, those on long-term medications, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and people with metal implants or claustrophobia are unlikely to qualify or benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Participants will be randomly assigned to drink either 4°C water (intervention) or 37°C water (control) four times daily for six months, with visits and testing at baseline, three months, and six months. Body composition will be measured by MRI, DEXA, and bioelectrical methods, and waist/hip will be measured with 3D scanning while core temperature and brown adipose tissue are also assessed. A range of metabolic and aging biomarkers (glucose, lipids, insulin, inflammatory markers, Phenotypic Age, GlycanAge, gut microbiota, eye fundus and facial imaging, bone density) will be collected to track physiological changes. Testing will occur at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology and the Health Checkup Department of Shenzhen University General Hospital.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, drinking cold water could become a simple, low-cost way to reduce body fat and slow biological aging in older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Small pilot data reported lowering of core body temperature with cold water and prior cold-exposure work has activated brown adipose tissue, but using cold drinking to change body composition or extend healthy lifespan is largely untested.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Aged between 50 and 65 years old (including 50 and 65) * No surgery in the past 6 months * Healthy (No metabolic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases (COPD, asthma, et al.), endocrine diseases and gastrointestinal diseases) * Based in Shenzhen during the whole study period * No significant change on body weight in the past 3 months Exclusion Criteria: * Those who need to take medication for a long term (including diet pills) * On a diet * Disabled * Females who are trying to get pregnant, pregnant, or breastfeeding * Presence of a metal implant in the body (e.g. pacemaker) * Those with claustrophobia * Those with blood phobia, pathological hypotension or hypertension * Those who are in other intervention studies
Where it's running
-
Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Shenzhen, Guangdong, China Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: John R Speakman, PhD
- Email: j.speakman@abdn.ac.uk
- Phone: 15810868669
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.