Drink hot water! In the Chinese culture, this advice is given to anyone who is feeling unwell.
Yes, a glass of cold water sounds heavenly and refreshing at times, however, the benefits of drinking hot water can’t be ignored. And, there is no cheaper and healthier drink than a cup of hot water.
Drinking water keeps our body hydrated and healthy
Water keeps the systems in our body functioning properly by doing the following jobs:
- it regulates blood pressure
- it carries nutrients and oxygen to our cells
- it regulates body temperature
- it maintains electrolyte balance
- it aids digestion and prevents constipation
- it flushes out toxins and germs
- it protects organs, tissues and joints
Warning signs of dehydration
If we don’t drink enough water, these signs and symptoms of dehydration will appear:
- headaches
- tiredness or fatigue
- dizziness and confusion
- muscle weakness and cramps
- altered kidney, heart, or digestive function
- constipation
- passing darker urine than usual
- dry, flaky skin
How much water should we drink?
Western medicine only gives recommendations about the amount, not about the temperature of the water we should drink. The daily recommendation for adults is around eight 8-ounce glasses, or about 2 liters, varying of course with size and weight.
The color of our urine can help indicate if we are well hydrated. Clear urine indicates appropriate hydration, dark yellow or amber color indicates that we need to drink more.
Hot or cold, that is the question
If you order water in a restaurant:
- in the US: we are served a glass of ice water.
- in Europe: water is served cold, but without ice. If we want ice, we have to ask for it.
- in China: water is generally served boiling hot.
Interestingly, there is very little research on the benefit of drinking hot water, and therefore Western medicine has no recommendation about the temperature.
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), however, the temperature of the water you drink is really important. For centuries, Eastern medicine practitioners have been recommending starting the day with a glass of hot water.
Cold water can be helpful when you need to lower body temperature after extreme exercise or overheating.
The benefits of hot water
Heat is known to boost the metabolism, help with digestion, help lose weight, flush out toxins, restore free flow and relief pain, relax muscles, and even relieve nasal congestion.
Boosts the metabolism
Hot water is warming and moving. Starting our day with a cup of hot water will help kick start our metabolism. It will activate our body’s systems starting with the digestive system. This is the most important system in our body, because if we don’t digest and absorb nutrients properly, no other system will get the nutrients it needs and therefore won’t be able to function.
Helps with digestion
Hot water can help digest and dissolve the food we eat. Ice cold water, on the other hand, will harden the fats in food and cause indigestion. Drinking in between meals instead of during meals avoids diluting gastric juices that are necessary to digest our food properly.
Helps lose weight
Hot water will increase body temperature, which will increase our metabolism and therefore burn more calories.
Flushes out toxins
Heat will help clear out toxins and waste from our intestines. It also activates the endocrine system and blood flow, making us sweat. Sweating is a natural way of getting rid of toxins.
Restores free flow and relieves pain
Heat promotes movement. One of the underlying principles in TCM is to restore free flow of Qi and Blood. As one of my teachers used to say: “Where there is free flow, there is no pain. Where there is no free flow, there is pain.”
Relaxes muscles
Drinking hot water is like taking a warm shower inside our body. It relaxes tense muscles and helps with healthy blood flow and circulation. Drinking cold water, therefore, is like taking a cold shower, contracting and congealing the inside of our body.
Relieves nasal congestion
During the season of nasal congestion and sinus infections, a cup of steaming hot water may also help alleviate some of the symptoms of a stuffy nose and a respiratory tract infection. It also warms and soothes a sore throat caused by mucus buildup.
The cheapest and healthiest drink on the planet!
Make it a habit to start and end your day with a cup of hot water. It will help you stay hydrated and you will get all the benefits from a hot shower inside your body!
Sources
(1) https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/data-statistics/plain-water-the-healthier-choice.html
(2) https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-drinking-hot-water
(3) https://www.cheng-tsui.com/blog/hot-water-in-chinese-culture
(4) https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-much-water-should-you-drink
