16 ways sipping on hot water throughout the day boosts health, according to Chinese medicine
"Hot water?", I responded astonished when three of my girlfriends asked for a glass of simple heated H20 at dinner last week. Beyond talking about our day-to-day life and what we did on vacation, this habit completely caught my attention and to tell the truth, the reason behind it made me adopt it in my routine right away.
Although drinking warm water with a little lemon on an empty stomach is a practice that has become very popular in recent years, drinking it hot and throughout the day has more health benefits than I could have imagined. According to oriental medicine, drinking hot water (whether accompanied or not by food) can have favourable effects related to digestion, circulation and the nervous system, to name a few.
According to the Huangdi Neijing, an ancient Chinese medical text and in the words of UNESCO, “the oldest and most important written work of traditional Chinese medicine,” cold water imbalances Yin and Yang by weakening our Yang, i.e., our vital energy. Hot water, on the other hand, has the opposite effect: it nourishes Yang and thus helps to balance the body's energy, which results in a stronger immune system and an overall improvement in health.
Benefits of drinking hot water during the day, according to oriental medicine
- Improves hydration.
- Speeds up our metabolism and relieves constipation.
- Helps better digestion when taken before each meal.
- Eliminates toxins through sweating.
- Reduces inflammation.
- Improves circulation thanks to the expansion of blood vessels due to the effect of temperature.
- Aids in the greater absorption of nutrients.
- Reduces stress and anxiety by promoting better functioning of the nervous system.
- Relieves muscle pain by relaxing the muscles.
- Reduces headaches caused by dehydration.
- Regulates body temperature.
- Relieves nasal congestion by clearing the sinuses.
- Generates a greater feeling of satiety.
- Dissolves the viscosity of fat, which can help in its elimination when accompanied by a balanced diet.
- Reduces cramps and PMS (premenstrual syndrome).
- Promotes healthy fertility and menstruation through improved pelvic circulation.
Can I replace hot water with coffee or tea?
Although you may be wondering what the main difference is between drinking this water "alone" or with some addition such as coffee or tea, studies have confirmed that thanks to the doses of caffeine contained in both beverages, the body's hydration may be affected, causing us to actually lose fluids. Taking into account that hydration is one of the main reasons that helps us reap all the benefits of hot water, adding coffee or tea prevents us from obtaining the same results.
After concluding my research, I noticed that this practice was not as uncommon as I thought. My aunt has been drinking hot water for months on the recommendation of a nutritionist and Carol Rodriguez, Art Production Associate for Vogue Mexico and Latin America drinks it every day and claims to notice an improvement in her digestion throughout the day, in addition to reduced bloating and heaviness. I, for one, will be requesting a glass of hot water with each and every one of my meals and to be honest, I quite enjoy drinking it. Undoubtedly, a practice that goes beyond the "drink enough water a day" that we all know and is worth taking into account.