I think that most of us know by now that water is essential to our survival. We’ve probably also all heard doctors say that drinking roughly eight glasses a day is ideal. However, what most people don’t know is that warm water and hot water have some exclusive benefits of their own that you just can’t get when you drink water cold. Here are 12 benefits of drinking hot water:
1. Weight Loss
Hot water is great for maintaining a healthy metabolism, which is
what you want if you’re trying to shed a few kilos. The best way to
do this is to kick start your metabolism early in the morning with
a glass of hot water and lemon. As an added bonus, hot water will
help to break down the adipose tissue (aka body fat) in your
body.
2. Assists with Nasal and Throat Congestion
Drinking hot water is an excellent natural remedy for colds, coughs
and a sore throat. It dissolves phlegm and also helps to remove it
from your respiratory tract. As such, it can provide relief from a
sore throat. It also helps in clearing nasal congestion.
3. Menstrual Cramps
Hot water can also aid in diminishing menstrual cramps. The heat of
the water has a calming and soothing effect on the abdominal
muscles, which eventually can help to cure cramps and spasms.
4. Body Detoxification
Hot water is fantastic for helping your body to detox. When you
drink hot water, your body temperature begins to rise, which
results in sweat. You want this to happen because it helps to
release toxins from your body and cleanse it properly. For optimal
results, add a squeeze of lemon before drinking.
5. Prevents Premature Aging
There’s a reason you should want to clear your body of toxins: they
make you age faster. Also, drinking hot water helps to repair the
skin cells that increase the elasticity of your skin and are
affected by harmful free radicals. Subsequently, your damaged skin
becomes smoother.
6. Prevents Acne and Pimples
The benefits for your skin just keep on coming. Hot water deep
cleanses your body and eliminates the root causes of acne-related
infections.
7. Hair Health and Vitality
Drinking hot water is also good for obtaining soft, shiny hair. It
energizes the nerve endings in your hair roots and makes them
active. This is beneficial for getting back the natural vitality of
your hair and keeping it healthy.
8. Promotes Hair Growth
Activating the roots of your hair has another added benefit—growth!
The hot water promotes the regular activity of the roots and
subsequently accelerates the growth of your hair.
9. Prevents Dandruff
Hot water keeps your scalp hydrated and helps fight against dry
scalp or dandruff.
10. Enhances Blood Circulation and Promotes A Healthy Nervous
System
Another important benefit of drinking hot water is that it enhances
your blood circulation, which is important for proper muscle and
nerve activity. In addition, it keeps your nervous system healthy
by breaking down the fat deposits around it.
11. Digestion
Hot water is particularly beneficial for digestion. Studies have
shown that drinking cold water during or after a meal can harden
the oil present in the consumed foods. This can create a fat
deposit on the inner wall of your intestine, which can eventually
result in intestinal cancer. However, if you replace the glass of
cold water with hot, you can avoid this problem. In addition, hot
water is beneficial to digestion, which is what you want after a
meal.
12. Bowel Movements
Speaking of digestion, hot water can help to keep you regular, as
well as make your bowel movements healthy and pain free.
Dehydration can result in chronic problems with constipation. As
the stool gets accumulated inside your intestine, the movement of
the bowel becomes slower. It is always recommended that you consume
a glassful of hot or warm water every morning when your stomach is
empty. It decomposes any remnant foodstuffs and makes the movement
of the particles smooth and less painful through the intestine.
via lifehacker.org