There’s probably nothing more refreshing than gulping down a glass of cold water after a hot day. But what about drinking hot water instead? It may seem counterintuitive. After all, how is it possible to cool yourself down if you add more heat to your body?
It may surprise you that the benefits of drinking hot water may just outweigh that of cold water. What is the truth behind this claim? Can hot water bring relief and provide relaxation?
Scientific research on hot water has recently emerged, reporting its role in boosting health performance. Here are some advantages and more.
1. Hot Beverages Can Cool You Down
The University of Sydney’s Ollie Jay, who researches how the human body responds to heat, says a hot drink can indeed trigger a net cooling effect through excess sweating.
A hot tea or coffee on a sweltering summer’s day can trigger one’s sweat glands, and sweating is a natural occurrence that your body uses to cool you down.
2. Better Digestion
Drinking hot water benefits the body’s digestive system.
A study conducted in 2016 found a significant correlation between drinking hot water and improved intestinal movements. Not only does the temperature help break down food faster than cold or warm water. It can also reduce the likelihood of constipation by supporting gut movement.
3. Weight Loss
Many health studies have shown that drinking hot water is one of the best ways to lose weight. First, increased water consumption facilitates a feeling of fullness in the body. It also allows the body to flush out waste materials and absorb nutrients better.
A study in 2003 went on to show that drinking water over 37°C translated into a 40% increase in metabolism, which lasted for 30-40 minutes.
4. Pain Relief
The heat from consuming hot water helps to improve circulation and blood flow. This is why you are usually served a hot drink after a massage session. Traditional Chinese doctors or massage therapists do not recommend cold drinks after a massage.
This has something to do with how heat has long been used to treat and rehabilitate patients. High temperatures stimulate improved blood flow and effectively reduces stiffness. Heat can also relax muscles, and offer relief and comfort to aching areas.
5. Ease COVID-19 Nasal Congestion
Breathing in steam from hot water clears the nasal passageways. This is great for people suffering from a runny nose or flu. Many Covid-19 patients have been known to use this method for relief. A study from a University Hospital in Italy test six symptomatic patients to prove that repeated steam inhalation cycles can potentially reduce the risk of disease progression in those with COVID-19.
Whether or not it may apply to you, cyclic steam inhalation is a readily-available and non-invasive treatment to bring ease from COVID-19 respiratory symptoms. Hot vapour is very effective at reducing clogging in the sinuses!
You can do this by wrapping a towel around your head and slowly leaning over a glass or bowl of steaming water. Inhale the steam slowly and feel your nasal passages clear up.
6. Improve Your Central Nervous System
Our central nervous system is mainly responsible for regulating how we feel, think, move, and learn.
Dehydration has long been known to negatively impact our central nervous system activity by shrinking the brain tissues and leading to other cognitive problems. Staying hydrated by drinking hot water helps prevent these issues.
An early clinical trial observed that drinking hot tea, water, or coffee can further improve one’s nervous system by boosting physiological functions and mood regulation.
7. Reduce Stress
Drinking hot water may help reduce feelings of stress, as well as anxiety and depression levels. A study in 2018 suggested an inverse relationship between water intake and depression levels. If left unaddressed, stress may increase the risk of hypertension and other heart problems.
If you’re feeling a little more stressed out than usual due to an unexpected life event or a late night, drink hot water throughout the day and you may feel better almost instantly.
8. Detox Your Body
Drinking hot water can relax muscles in the urinary system and promote the natural detox process by passing out waste more easily from the body. This is a safe and natural detox method.
Sometimes, the most basic practices could be better than downing a barrage of juice cleanses and health products marketing themselves as a “detoxifier”. Nothing detoxifies the body better than itself.
Conclusion About The Benefits Of Drinking Hot Water
Drinking hot water is probably the last thing we can think about in aiding us to cool down. However, you cannot deny the plethora of scientific research and studies exploring the health benefits of drinking hot water.
Be it a post-workout drink or as a complementary treatment for achalasia, hot water consumption is highly encouraged. It keeps the body properly hydrated and offers pain relief for different conditions.
The best way to get safe and clean hot water is by investing in a hot water dispenser in Singapore.
AOS Bath’s hot water dispenser system instantly provides you with hot drinking water at the push of a button.
Complement it with our state-of-the-art drinking water filter for easy access to clean hot water whenever you need it.
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