Although drinking water of any temperature supports your overall wellbeing, hot water provides a wide range of additional benefits.
While there’s little scientific research on the advantages of drinking hot water, some health experts argue that drinking hot water is one of the best ways to improve your health.
Can you get dehydrated from drinking hot water? Drinking hot water daily will make you less thirsty, which isn’t good, especially if you’re into fitness and working out.
If you are less thirsty, you won’t take enough water (the experts’ 8 glasses per day), and this will lead to dehydration.
Does this mean that you should now stop drinking hot water? Not at all. It has a lot of health benefits that you’d rather not miss enjoying.
What are the Health Benefits of Hot Water?
- Relieves Nasal Congestion
Hot water creates steam. Holding a glass of hot water and inhaling the gentle vapor can help loosen your clogged sinuses. It can even help relieve a sinus headache.
Additionally, drinking hot water can soothe mucous membranes throughout your throat and sinuses.
- Improves the Function of the Central Nervous System
If you aren’t taking enough water, chances are, you’ll suffer from the negative effects of nervous system functioning. It’ll affect your mood and brain function.
Drinking enough water can also improve your central nervous system and mood.
- Can Relieve Constipation
Are you suffering from constipation? How about drinking a cup of hot water? It’s an effective way of relieving and preventing constipation.
Staying hydrated softens stool, making it easier to pass. Take hot water regularly, and you won’t suffer after stepping into the toilet.
- Aids Digestion
Drinking hot water keeps the digestive system busy. The body works better at eliminating waste as the water moves through your system (stomach and intestines).
In fact, some individuals believe that hot water is highly effective at activating the digestive system. They argue that hot water dissolves and dissipates any foods eaten that the body might find hard to digest.
- Reduces Shivering in Cold
Since the body’s natural response to cold conditions is to shiver, drinking hot water can reduce shivering. If working in cold conditions or environments, hot water comes in handy.
- Helps the Body’s Detoxification Systems
Although there’s no definitive evidence, hot water can protect the kidneys when diluting waste materials in your blood.
Drinking hot water is important in flushing toxins out of your body. It can also prevent gout, fight inflammation and keep your joints well lubricated.
- Can Decrease Stress Levels
Now that drinking hot water helps to calm the central nervous system, you’ll most likely end up feeling less anxious after drinking it.
When not properly hydrated, your central nervous system might be thrown off. Drinking enough hot water every day can help keep your stress levels down.
- Aids Weight Loss
Drinking hot water clears your intestines and prevents bloating. This helps eliminate the excess water weight you might be carrying.
Additionally, water makes your stomach feel fuller for longer, preventing overeating. Drinking hot water also helps increase your metabolism to 40%. The higher the metabolism, the more weight you’ll lose.
Are There Side Effects Associated With Drinking Hot Water?
Although hot water has a lot of benefits, there are also disadvantages associated with drinking it every day. They include:
- Causes Sleep Disorder
Consumption of too much hot water can cause an imbalance in your sleep. Drinking a lot of water results in frequent urination visits to the toilet.
The more you visit the toilet at night, the more difficult it’ll be for you to sleep well.
- Can Burn Your Mouth
Hot water can be dangerous. In fact, it’s very likely that you’ve burned your mouth one or more times from drinking hot coffee and eating hot soup, among other hot fluids.
Experts recommend not drinking fluids hotter than 140 degrees F. However, the best trick is to use your common sense, not to burn your mouth.
Note that a drink that burns your mouth will also burn your throat.
- Can Cause Internal Damage
Drinking water that is extremely hot can burn not only your mouth but also your internal organs. In fact, drinking fluids whose temperature exceeds 140 degrees F increases the risk of esophageal cancer.
- May Contain Contaminants
Most individuals presume that any hot water is clean and safe to drink. This isn’t always the case.
If the hot water is from a faucet (without a filter), heat the water using other ways. The plumbing in your home could contain contaminants like lead, which can cause damage to your nervous system.
Is it Safe to Drink Any Type of Water When Hot?
Yes, it’s safe to drink any type of potable hot water. This includes spring water, tap water, well water, distilled water, rainwater, reverse osmosis water, artesian water, and mist water, among others. The keyword here is ‘potable.’
Depending on the type of water, you might be forced to filter it first to ensure it’s safe for consumption.
Can Drinking Hot Water Help You Burn Belly Fat?
Drinking a few glasses of hot water daily can help shed extra fat around your belly. Research has shown that hot water can also help you with weight loss.
Conclusion
Drinking hot water helps reduce complications associated with indigestion and cramps, encourages detoxification, aids weight loss, and alleviates stress and inflammation, among other benefits.
Can you get dehydrated from drinking hot water? Yes. Hot water can disrupt your thirst sensors and cause dehydration. As a result, you need to be completely aware of your hydration needs, especially after exercise.
It would also help if you also familiarized yourself with the risks associated with taking hot water to keep safe.