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Start Your Day With Warm Water: 5 Amazing Health Benefits You Can Reap

While staying hydrated might be your ultimate goal, drinking warm or hot water in the morning provides additional health benefits as well. Read on to know more.
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Start Your Day With Warm Water: 5 Amazing Health Benefits You Can Reap


We’ve grown up listening to our elders emphasise the importance of staying hydrated. Regardless of our health issues, we’ve regularly been told to drink water for some compelling reasons. Not only does it help prevent dehydration, but it also boosts our immune system, protecting us from harmful viruses and bacteria. Additionally, even though most people prefer drinking cold water, there are numerous benefits to drinking warm water, particularly early in the morning, as explained by Vedika Premani, Clinical Dietician, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, Mumbai, to the OnlyMyHealth team. Here’s a list of advantages she mentioned…

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Aids Digestive System

The ancient practice of Ayurvedic medicine advocates starting your day with warm water. Warm water has numerous gastrointestinal benefits, including improved digestion, reduced metabolic waste, tightening the intestines, and providing essential minerals, according to a study published in the World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research.

In addition, drinking warm water in the morning can be helpful for individuals who often experience digestive discomfort, gas, flatulence, or bloating, said Premani, adding that it also helps relieve constipation by increasing gut motility, which refers to the movement of food from the mouth through the oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, and out of the body.

A research paper presented at the 2019 Abstract Proceedings International Scholars Conference found that drinking 500 ml of warm water daily for 3 days helped treat constipation in 25 people with infrequent bowel movements. On the first day, 56% had a bowel movement, rising to 76% and 80% on the following days.

 

Supports Nutrient Transport

Following digestion and the absorption of nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, in the gastrointestinal tract, they enter the bloodstream and are carried throughout the body. Drinking warm water helps support this process by dilating the blood vessels and increasing circulation. It ensures that all of the essential nutrients are delivered to the cells and organs for proper functioning and maintenance of overall health.

Regulates Body Temperature

Given that warm water acts as a vasodilator, which means that it widens blood vessels and enhances blood flow, it also helps regulate body temperature. Ideally, a normal body temperature is maintained at around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, or 37 degrees Celsius. It is regulated by the hypothalamus in the brain, which triggers responses such as sweating or shivering to adjust and maintain the internal temperature.

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Detoxification

The benefits of drinking warm water in the morning extend beyond the metabolic and digestive realms, said Premani.

According to the dietician, it may also assist in detoxification, a process by which the body eliminates harmful substances, often through the liver and other organs. She added that it can help flush out toxins and waste products from the body by increasing gut motility, and that the detoxifying effect may contribute to healthier skin and improved overall well-being.

Drinking Water Offers Weight Loss Benefits

Regardless of whether it is warm or cold, drinking water in general provides several benefits, including weight loss. It is said to promote a feeling of fullness, reduce calorie intake, and boost metabolism while supporting optimal bodily functions, including fat metabolism.

According to a 2010 study published in the journal Obesity, researchers found that people who drank 500 ml of water before each meal lost about 2 kg more weight over 12 weeks than people who did not drink water before meals.

An earlier study (2003) published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism also found that drinking 500 ml of plain water (at room temperature) increased both men and women's metabolic rate by 30%, leading to increased calorie burning for about an hour.

Conclusion

Staying hydrated is of utmost importance. While starting your day with a warm glass of water may have its own set of additional benefits, the key is to be adequately hydrated. Most people require about four to six cups of plain water each day, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. However, the health body suggests that the range can vary depending on the individual’s intake of water from other beverages and food sources, while also taking into consideration their activity levels, whether or not they suffer from certain health conditions, and/or if they take certain medications.

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