Over half of the body weight is water. Water hydrates the body and plays a crucial role in innumerable body functions. But how you like your glass of water decides how much the body benefits. When compared to cold water, some water benefits are specific to hot and warm water. There’s whole science behind hot water benefits.
Perfect hot drinking water is described as water that ranges between the temperatures of 54 and 71°C (130 and 160°F). Science suggests that the overall benefits of drinking water increase significantly if it is between the recommended temperatures.
Amazing Hot Water Benefits
As compared to drinking cold water, hot water benefits for the body are far more pronounced. These include:
1. Clearing Nasal Congestion
Warm water creates steam. Deep inhalation of gentle steam vapours helps loosen mucus, providing relief from clogged sinuses and sinus headaches. Drinking warm water also soothes a sore throat.
2. Improving Digestion
Drinking warm water is soothing for the intestinal lining. As warm water moves through the intestine during the digestion process, it confers a comforting effect. The food thus moves through the intestines easily.
3. Helping Breakdown the Food
Research suggests that drinking warm water helps dissolve and dissipate the food in the intestines. This makes the breakdown of hard-to-digest foods easy. Thus, the body can absorb nutrients more easily and quickly.
Drinking adequate water further makes the stool soft and allows easy defecation. Drinking warm water also helps keep bowel movements regular.
4. Helping Activate Central Nervous System
Dehydration harms the functioning of the central nervous system. It impairs brain functioning and increases mood swings and irritability. Drinking water frequently checks dehydration and improves the functioning of the nervous system.
5. Controlling Shivering
Shivering is the body’s natural response to adjusting to cold conditions. Drinking warm water helps raise the body’s core temperature. As the body generates more heat, it controls shivering and shaking caused due to extreme chill.
6. Improving Blood Circulation
Warm water is a vasodilator. Drinking warm water causes the arteries and veins to expand. This ensures an effective supply of oxygen-rich blood to all muscles and body organs. This helps improve health and vitality.
7. Aiding in Weight Loss
Drinking warm water regularly helps melt away accumulated fat when coupled with a good exercise regime. As the body breaks down fat more effectively, it helps in weight loss. Furthermore, hot water benefits the body as it increases the body’s metabolism rate. The body thus begins to burn more calories during rest, leading to weight loss.
8. Providing Relief from Achalasia
Regular contraction and relaxation of the oesophagus allow swallowing of the food. But Achalasia is a lower-esophageal disorder. It allows only the contraction of the oesophagus tube. This causes trouble swallowing as the food gets stuck in the oesophagus tube. However, drinking warm water can help ease achalasia symptoms.
9. Helping Detox the Body
Drinking hot water helps dissolve the waste material in the blood. Furthermore, adequate intake of water helps the kidneys to flush out waste more effectively. Together they help the body to get rid of toxic waste more effectively.
10. Reducing Inflammation
Toxic waste, if not removed from the body, circulates in the blood. These can gradually cause damage to body organs and increase inflammation which further increases the risk of developing chronic diseases. Drinking warm water helps the body get rid of toxic waste, easily and effectively. This helps reduce inflammation.
11. Helping Eliminate Stress
Dehydration impairs the functioning of the central nervous system, fuelling stress, irritability, and mood swings. Warm water is a stimulant for the brain. It hydrates the body and supports proper brain function. It removes muscle stiffness, calms the body and eliminates stress.
12. Helping Improve Immunity
Water is important for the overall health of the body. Proper hydration helps the body in eliminating harmful toxins and disease-causing microorganisms from the body. This helps improve the overall immunity of the body.
13. Providing Relief from Menstrual Cramps
Drinking hot water has a soothing and calming effect on the abdominal muscles. As the muscles tend to relax, it provides instant relief from menstrual cramps and muscle spasms.
14. Improving Skin and Hair Quality
Drinking water is known to improve skin quality. But drinking hot water works a step higher. The heat of water deeply cleanses the skin. Thus, eliminating the root cause of many skin conditions. Improved blood circulation further improves hair quality. Warm water energises the root follicles, making them more active and healthy. Drinking lots of water also keeps the scalp hydrated. This reduces the outbreak of dandruff and other conditions caused due to dry scalp.
15. Helping Prevent Premature Ageing
Toxins circulating in the body make you age faster. As drinking hot water helps in the elimination of toxic waste, it prevents premature ageing of the skin. Furthermore, drinking hot water boosts the skin’s cell repair process. This confers younger-looking skin.
Side Effects of Drinking Hot Water
Water is an elixir for life. But drinking too much water or drinking hot water can have repercussions too. Listed below are the few noted side effects of drinking hot water.
- Drinking warm tap water can be full of contaminants. This is because warm water dissolves more contaminants than cold water. Unless the water is boiled and cooled to room temperature, it is not safe for drinking.
- Drinking hot water flushes out body toxins. But drinking hot water too frequently can cause electrolyte imbalance in the body due to frequent urination.
- Drinking hot water during bedtime can disrupt sleep with frequent urination and increased bowel movement.
- Drinking hot water too frequently puts the kidneys under constant pressure. A chronic increase in workload can harm the kidneys.
- Drinking extremely hot water can easily scald the lips and inner lining of the mouth. This can cause minor burns, making chewing food difficult.
- Consumption of extremely hot water might as well damage the sensitive lining of the oesophagus.
Precautions While Drinking Hot Water
Warm water benefits certainly outweigh its risks and side effects. Taking proper precautions while drinking hot water can further cut down risks. Listed below are precautions that can help reduce the side effects of drinking hot water.
- Do not drink very hot water.
- Make sure the water temperature is between 54 and 71°C.
- Do not gulp down hot water. Drink small, slow sips.
- Keep your skin away from the steam as it can cause a thermal burn.
Conclusion
Water intake works wonders for the body. The benefits manifold if the water temperature is slightly towards being warm. Ideally, the water temperature must range between 54 and 71°C. The hot water benefits include improved digestion and instant relief from constipation. Inhaling steam from the hot water can ease nasal congestion and unclog the sinus.
Drinking hot water also detoxifies the body. This acts as an anti-ageing potion for the body as it improves skin and hair quality. But to reap the maximum benefits of drinking hot water, make sure it is not very hot as it can scald the lips and inner lining of the mouth. Also, do not overdo it as drinking hot water too frequently can cause an electrolyte imbalance due to frequent urination.
