When it comes to the potential benefits of drinking hot water, many of them are substantial. And it’s an easy, healthy habit to adopt. Think of sipping hot water like you would a hot cup of coffee — as a part of your morning routine.
Read on for a look at some of the benefits of drinking hot water.
What Are Some Of The Benefits Of Drinking Hot Water?
Water serves so many important health purposes. It nourishes the cells, helps keep your body temperature in check, helps flush out waste, and it also helps transport proteins and carbohydrates through the blood. In addition, water helps lubricate the joints and protect the spinal cord and brain.1
So, it’s obviously important to drink water each day. How much you need can vary, depending on whether you’re a man or a woman. Men typically need about three quarts a day, while women need about two quarts.2
If you’re in the daily habit of drinking water, that’s great. But if you’re looking to change things up, consider sipping hot water instead. Here are just a few reasons why you might want to consider drinking hot water. Just make sure you don’t go overboard with the heat – keep the temperature range between 130 and 160°F. 3
It Could Help Support Healthy Digestion
There’s a chance sipping hot water could help if you have problems “going.” Water has been shown to help with constipation, and research indicates that hot water does an even better job than cold water.4,5
There is also evidence that hot water may help support healthy digestion. It could be more effective at breaking down food in the stomach that the body wouldn’t otherwise be able to dissolve.6
Weight Loss Efforts
Now, there’s no magic “water diet” that will help with weight loss. But there is research that suggests drinking a little more water than recommended – about 1.5 quarts – might play a role in helping suppress your appetite. And this might help support weight loss.7
You don’t want to go overboard with water consumption, though. Drinking too much water may reduce the body’s sodium levels, which can lead to potential health issues. Excessive water intake increases the risk of accumulation of fluid in the legs and lungs.8
Nasal Congestion
Just about everyone has experienced a stuffed up nose at one time or another – and it can be not just annoying, but even miserable. Well, one of the potential benefits of drinking hot water is helping with decongestion. The key is the steam, which may help clear congested nasal passages.9
While there is obviously no cure for the common cold, there is at least some evidence that hot water (and other hot drinks), may at least make you feel a little better. One study found that hot drinks could help with certain cold-related issues, such as a runny nose, sore throat, chills, sneezing, coughing, and fatigue.10
Nervous System And Stress Levels
The unfortunate reality is that stress and anxiety are a fact of life. There’s evidence that not consuming enough water – whether it’s hot, cold, or somewhere in between – may contribute to these issues. A lack of water (dehydration) may negatively impact the functioning of the nervous system, potentially affecting your mood as a result. Proper water intake, on the other hand, might help boost your mood.11,12
Hot Or Cold, Water Can Also Help The Skin And Hair
Water can also do a lot to strengthen both your skin and hair. Drinking mineral water, for example, may go a long way toward making sure your skin is hydrated, which will keep it looking its best.13 Water can also help keep your skin moisturized, reducing the chances for damage due to rashes or extended sun exposure.14
Your hair can really benefit from water. It contains zinc, iron and other minerals that are essential for maintaining a head of strong, beautiful hair.15
Why Do We Need To Drink Plenty Of Water?
It’s hard to overstate just how important it is to drink plenty of water, hot or cold, each day for your health. Need more reasons to drink up?
- Water helps keep you from suffering from dehydration, a problem that may lead to health issues throughout the body.
- Water plays a huge role in helping to eliminate waste from the body.
- It may also help to cushion and lubricate joints.16
- It’s especially important for older people to drink water on a regular basis. If an older person loses too much water through perspiration, it could thicken blood flow, making proper blood circulation more difficult.17
How Can You Get Used To Drinking More Water?
If you’re not in the habit of drinking a lot of water each day, it might help to ease into a daily routine. Here are a few tips that might help.
- Keep track of how much water you drink. If need be, keep a log for one or two weeks of how much you’re consuming. Try to establish a goal, and build up to that goal over time.
- Have water with you as much as possible. Keep a bottle by your desk when you work, or by your couch as you watch TV. It will remind you to take a drink every once in a while.
- Remember that a lot of foods are high in water content, especially fruits, like watermelon, and vegetables, like lettuce and cucumbers. Adding them to your diet may also help you increase your daily water intake.18
Talk To Your Doctor To Learn More
Your doctor can let you know specifically how much water (hot or cold) you should drink each day. Remember, though, that even though there are a lot of hot water benefits, you need to be careful. Make sure the water you’re drinking isn’t too hot (or it could burn your throat), drink in moderation, and enjoy reaping the benefits.
Learn More:
Check Out These Delicious Fruit Infused Water Recipes: Healthy Drink Options
Distilled Water vs Purified Water: Experts Weigh In On Drinking Water
What a Simple Glass of Lemon Water Can Do
Sources
- https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects
- https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1750-3841.14699
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27684632
- https://jurnal.unai.edu/index.php/isc/article/view/1088
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27684632
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4121911/
- https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/hormonal-and-metabolic-disorders/water-balance/overhydration
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5026511/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19145994/
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-52775-5
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3984246/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16827695/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18489334/
- https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutrientsindw.pdf
- https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/water-and-healthier-drinks.html
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/
- https://www.henryford.com/blog/2017/05/why-you-should-drink-more-water-and-5-tips-on-how-to-do-it