Health benefits of drinking hot water

Drinking hot water can provide your body with the water it needs to replenish fluids. It can also improve digestion, relieve congestion, and even make you feel more relaxed. Most people who drink hot water as a holistic health remedy do so first thing in the morning or right before bed for optimal health benefit. Warm water to a temperature between 120°F and 140°F. Hot water should not be hot enough to scald your taste buds (temperatures of 160°F or more can scald and result in significant burns). Add a twist of lemon for a vitamin C boost, and you’re already on your way to better health.

Relieves nasal congestion

The warmth of hot water creates steam. Taking a deep inhale of this gentle vapor while holding a cup of hot water can help loosen clogged sinuses and even relieve a sinus headache.Since you have mucous membranes throughout your neck and upper torso, drinking hot water can help warm that area and soothe a sore throat caused by mucous buildup.

Aids digestion

Drinking hot water both soothes and activates your digestive tract. Water is, after all, the lubricant that keeps your digestion going. As the water moves through your stomach and intestines, digestive organs are better hydrated and able to eliminate waste. Hot water can also dissolve and dissipate things you’ve eaten that your body might have had trouble digesting.

Calms central nervous system

Drinking hot water can calm your central nervous system and lubricate your body. When your nervous system is primed for healthy and controlled reactions, you’ll find that you feel fewer aches and pains, as well as less panicked throughout your day.A person who has arthritis might get an extra benefit from using hot water — to calm their central nervous system

Helps relieve constipation

Drinking hot water helps your intestines to contract. When that happens, old waste trapped in your intestines is able to pass out of your body. Drinking hot water regularly helps keep you, well, regular. But drinking it occasionally when you’re constipated isn’t a bad idea, either.

Keeps you hydrated

Hot water is no different than room temperature or cool water when it comes to keeping you hydrated.A common recommendation from health authorities is that an adult should drink eight 8-ounce glasses (about 2 liters or a half gallon) of water a day. That’s a hard target for many people to hit. Starting your day with a serving of hot water and ending your day with another will get you that much closer to being adequately hydrated. Your body needs water to perform basically every essential function, so the value of that can’t be overstated.

May aid in weight loss

Drinking hot water wakes your body’s temperature control system up. As your body compensates for the warm temperature of the water, it brings your internal temperature down, and activates your metabolism. Hot water also helps your intestines contract to clear out waste products that are bloating your body, which gets rid of the dreaded “water weight.”

Improves circulation

Taking a warm bath helps your circulatory organs — your arteries and veins — to expand and carry blood more effectively throughout your body. Drinking hot water can have a similar effect. Healthy blood flow affects everything from your blood pressure to your risk of cardiovascular disease. As a bonus, warmth from drinking hot water or bathing at nighttime can help relax you and prepare you for restful sleep.

Can decrease stress levels

Since drinking hot water helps improve central nervous system functions, you might end up feeling less anxious if you drink it. If you add some warm milk to the mix, you might find that you’re feeling even more calm than after drinking hot water, according to one study.

Great for glowing skin

Drinking warm water raises your body's temperature and helps release toxins. This detoxification, is great for glowing skin and unclogged pores.

Pain relief from menstrual cramps

Menstrual cramps can be quite painful for some. A warm water bottle pressed against your belly may be your favourite way to deal with period pain, but did you know that drinking warm water can help too? Studies suggest that drinking warm water increases blood circulation, which works as a pain reliving mechanism.