Water forms a very crucial part of human life in ways more than one. Not only is 70 percent of the human body made up of water, but 75 percent of Mother Earth is also water. If you look around you, you will see that all living forms contain water. Even though the human body is capable of surviving for one whole month without food, the body will only be able to last for a week without any intake of water. Most people are aware of the benefits of drinking water, which is why it forms a crucial part of every mealtime; breakfast, lunch and dinner. So what about hot water? Below are 10 of the common ones you should know as well as some health tips of drinking hot water.
Benefits of Drinking Hot Water
1. Promote Digestion
The first thing most people do in the morning is to have a steaming hot cup of tea or coffee. Caffeine intake is not the only reason why such morning drinks are important for you. According to Ayurvedic medicine, drinking warm water in the morning stimulates digestion. Having cold water with food can actually lead to an adverse impact on the digestive system, since the body will have to usemore energy to warm up the cold water and food. This means that it will take a longer time for the body to digest and assimilate the foot.
2. Detoxify Your Body
One of the health benefits of drinking hot water is detoxification. Water helps to get rid of all impure substances in the body. Besides, doctors suggest adding a little fresh lemon juice into hot water for better results of detoxing. The lemon will stimulate digestion and flush out the toxins, while the warm water will not require too much energy for assimilation. Additionally, you can add other cleansing agents to water as well, such as honey, fresh mint, cucumber slices, cinnamon sticks or apple slices, to keep your body hydrated and free of toxins.
3. Improve Blood Circulation
As mentioned, one of the benefits of drinking the hot water is detox, which can further improve the blood circulation. Drinking warm water eliminates the fat deposits and other accumulations in the nervous system.
4. Slow Down Aging
Slowing downing aging is one of the amazing benefits of drinking hot water. Hot water flushes out the toxins from the body, which can primarily cause premature aging. More essentially, it can also repair the skin cells and increase their elasticity.
5. Ease Constipation
Constipation is mainly caused due to an insufficient water intake or dehydration. Therefore, it is necessary to consume large amounts of water. Hot water can will help in stimulating the blood flow and move the digested foods along. Furthermore, warm water is much more soothing than cold water for the intestines.
6. Lose Weight
Drinking warm water boosts the body's metabolism rate and regulates the stomach acids. It keeps the body hydrated, helps in digestion, flushes out toxins and suppresses unnecessary snacking. Additionally, it prevents acidity, bloating and heartburn.
To maximize these benefits of drinking the hot water, combination lemon juice with hot water can be ideal for weight loss to enjoy both the digestive and antiseptic benefits. It also helps in regulating blood sugar levels and preventing obesity in those suffering from diabetes.
7. Maintain Healthy Skin
Skin maintenance is one of benefits of drinking hot water. Hot water can help to deal with skin conditions like breakouts and acne, since it regulates the digestive system of the body and flushes out all the toxins, which are the main cause behind skin conditions. Keeping washing your face gently with warm water makes the face free of bacteria and unclogs the pores. Also, it acts as a mild moisturizer.
8. Improve Hair Health
By activating and energizing the nerve endings of the roots of hair, warm water can make your hair soft and shiny. Activation of hair roots also can promote the hair growth. Furthermore, warm water hydrates the scalp then prevents dandruff.
9. Relieve Coughs
A natural suppressant for cough is drinking a mixture of warm water and honey, which provides as much relief as over-the-counter expectorants. With fewer side effects, hot water is just cheap and easily available compared to other medicines. Mixture of hot water with honey also provides relief from other respiratory infections. Mixture of hot water with salt can also be used to gargle, in order to relieve to a sore, itchy throat.
10. Comfort Arthritis
In order to gain some relief from the pain and discomfort caused by arthritis, warm water baths and pools or hot water bags/bottles should be considered. Warm water relaxes and soothes joint pains, cramps and muscle spasms. It also calms the nerves and muscles after exercise and improves blood circulation of the whole body.
Tips and Cautions on Drinking Hot Water
With knowing the above benefits of hot water intake, some tips and cautions can help you enjoy the most health results.
1. Recommended Intake Amount
Recommend intake amount can affect the benefits of drinking hot water that have been discussed previously. It is recommended for women to consume approximately 90 ounces of water daily, while men should consume 125 ounces.
2. Prepare Well to Enjoy the Best Detoxification Benefit
To get the best detoxification result, the hot water should make you sweat but not burn your mouth. It is better to boil the waterin order to ensure that all the impurities are removed, instead of simply running some hot water from the tap.
3. When to Drink Hot Water
Warm water should be taken before and after mealtimes,as well as prior to and after working out to rehydrate the body. During summertime, you may experience extra sweating and heat, sip on a little warm water to keep the body hydrated. Similarly, those suffering from diarrhea or vomiting should also consume hot water a little to rehydrate at a time and soothe the discomforts.