Warm Water - Health Benefits, Uses & Side Effects - Lean All NOW
“Pure Water is the World’s First and Foremost Medicine.” This Slovakian proverb explains a lot about the medicinal importance of water. It is said that the people who don’t drink enough water face many health issues.
Amongst all ways of consuming water, Warm Water is said to be the best! Although it is just another way of water consumption, drinking warm water has more benefits than normal or cold water.
It is better if you have hot to lukewarm water every time you drink water. It’s not just about hydration, it’s about cleansing, detoxifying and much more.
Health benefiting properties of Warm Water:
Drinking warm water every day affects your body in a positive manner. It has many health-enhancing properties including anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, antibacterial, detoxification, anti-acne and so on.
NCBI explains, “Our results suggest that drinking WW has a positive effect on growth performance and gut microbiota.”
Apart from benefitting the gut bacteria, warm water can do wonders depending on when you drink it, how warm it is, if you use it to provide steam to your body and what you mix in the warm water.
Health Benefits & Uses of Warm Water:
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Treats Nasal Congestion
A glass of warm water in the morning and at night can relieve nasal congestion. Mucous membranes can cause trouble in breathing, swallowing foods and cause cough.
Warm water helps break down the mucus to create a smooth flow of air and fluids.
Warm water should be sipped slowly, inhaling steam, so you also get relieved from headache, sinusitis, and migraines.
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Aids Digestion
As people suffer from many digestive disorders, science explains how drinking excess water can help aid their digestive diseases. Gas, constipation, indigestion, and irritable bowel syndrome can be cured by keeping yourself hydrated.
It will be an added advantage if you drink warm water an hour after your meals. This helps digest the foods faster.
NCBI explains how warm water can make it easy for you to digest food and improve bowel movements at the same time.
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Improves Nervous System Functions
Lack of water in your body affects your brain and central nervous system. This can prevent your brain from sending appropriate signals for your body to perform well.
Studies have proven how drinking warm water and keeping hydrated can work well on your central nervous system and brain functions.
Warm water releases relaxing and happy hormones that can reduce stress and anxiety in individuals.
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Treats Chronic Constipation
The people who have troubles emptying their bowels every morning are advised to have a glass of warm water every morning.
You may even add some lemon to warm water to detoxify your system. Drinking warm water every morning and frequently during the day can help soften the stools so they can pass easily.
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Normalizes Body’s Core Temperature
If your body’s temperature drops suddenly or rises, it can result in fever and other chronic illnesses too.
Studies suggest drinking a glass of warm water in the morning and before going to bed to keep your body temperature normal. It also helps prevent shivering when you suffer from cold and cough.
While some places have freezing winters, it is important to consume hot fluids. You may add some green tea, honey water, lemon water or other warm water juices to your diet.
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Promotes Healthy Sleep
Having warm water before bedtime can promote healthy sleep in people suffering from insomnia.
Some people also have a bath with warm water or take warm water steam to be relaxed. This is another way of destressing yourself after a long day at work. Drinking warm water has a similar effect.
Some studies believe in adding several medicinal herbs to your warm water to get better benefits. You may add tulsi, chamomile or mint leaves to enhance the effects of warm water.
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Improves Blood Circulation
Warm water bath improves your body’s blood circulation. It helps open up the arteries and veins that are blocked.
It helps expand your arteries and veins so they can carry more blood cells and transport them to various organs.
It also helps relieve congestion and lets oxygen circulate well and reach your brain. This enables effective thinking as well. Drinking warm water when you’re stressed, congested and confused can help too.
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Improves Mood
Studies explain how drinking less water impacts our moods. It increases stress levels, dissatisfaction, anger, frustration and irritation.
Whereas, consuming warm water slowly, sip-by-sip, can help improve your mood. It makes you feel satisfied, calm and helps you attain peace of mind. You may even add some cinnamon in your warm water to feel happier.
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Helps in Detoxification
Warm water helps your kidneys flush out more toxins. It also helps dilute the waste and helps you urinate frequently to eliminate toxins from your body.
A study explains how drinking enough water, especially warm water, can flush out any impurities from your body.
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Helps Lose Weight
Research suggests how drinking more water, especially warm water, can help you lose weight. Warm water promotes the feeling of fullness in most people. It also stops you from eating extra.
It also speeds up the fat-burning process so you can eat whatever you like and still burn fat.
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Boosts Metabolism
According to Medical News Today, “Raising water temperature to 98.6 degrees accounted for 40 percent of the increase in metabolism.
This metabolic step-up lasted for 30-40 minutes, following water consumption.” Hence, warm water can speed up several body organs and their functions.
Side-Effects of Warm Water:
Warm water is generally considered to be the safest remedy even for infants. People suggest lukewarm water as an aid to 90% of illnesses since it promotes the feeling of health, happiness, and calm mind.
Although water is generally safe for consumption. Drinking too much hot water or taking too many warm water baths can have some side-effects. (SAPUWA)
- Extremely hot water can burn your tongue and harm your taste buds as well.
- It can injure internal linings if you drink too hot water.
- Excess warm water can dilute the electrolytes.
- Too much warm water can cause breathlessness as you may feel too full.
- Drinking hot water from the tap can be dangerous as it has many toxins.
- Excess of anything can be harmful to kidneys.
Conclusion:
Although warm water is a great remedy for cold, cough, congestion, obesity, stress and cardiovascular diseases, you must see to it that you don’t drink it very hot.
References
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31212853/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27684632/
https://www.healthline.com/health/cic/do-this-and-that-hacks
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5489010/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2578367/
https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-drinking-hot-water#circulation
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3984246/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32340375/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2859815/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319673#benefits-of-drinking-hot-water
https://sapuwa.com/en/10-unusual-side-effects-of-drinking-hot-water.html