Ice cream makes you thirsty primarily because of its high sugar content, which affects your body's water balance. When you eat ice cream, sugar enters your bloodstream and causes water to move out of your cells into the blood to dilute the sugar concentration. This cellular dehydration triggers your body's thirst signals. Additionally, the cold temperature of ice cream can numb your palate temporarily, delaying the recognition of thirst until after consumption. The combination of sugar, dairy, and sometimes salt in ice cream also requires water for digestion and can make your mouth and throat feel dry, further prompting you to drink fluids. Drinking water after eating ice cream helps replenish your body's water levels and reduces the sensation of thirst.