Approximately 70% of your body is made up of water and it is essential to life. It is involved in several important bodily functions such as absorbing nutrients and fighting off infections. Drinking enough water can also help support skin, muscle, and joint health. You get most of your water from drinking beverages, but food likewise contributes a small amount to your daily intake.
For a long time too, drinking water has been thought to aid weight loss. In fact, 30-59% of adults in the US who try to lose excess weight increase their water intake (1, 2). Several studies show that drinking more water can help you benefit from weight loss and maintenance (3).
Trending ideas suggest that drinking a few glasses of hot water can improve your health more. However, you may wonder whether the temperature of the water really makes a difference when it comes to some health benefits. In this article, we look at the evidence.
How Drinking Water Can Aid Weight Loss?
Drinking water of any temperature can support overall wellbeing. It can promote weight loss by doing the following:
1. Burns More Calories
Most of the studies listed below checked on the effect of drinking one, 0.5 liter serving of water. Results showed that drinking water increases the number of calories you burn, which is more popularly known as resting energy expenditure (4). This has been shown to increase by 24-30% in adults within 10 minutes of drinking water. The effect lasted for at least an hour (5, 6). Impressive, isn’t it?
Another study supported this claim. Experts found a 25% increase in resting energy expenditure among overweight and obese kids after drinking water (7). Overweight women who also increased their water intake to over 1 liter daily were found to have lost an extra 2 kg for over 12 months (8). Considering that these women didn’t make any lifestyle changes except to increase their water intake, these results are really amazing.
Additionally, both of these researches indicate that drinking 0.5 liters of water can burn an extra 23 calories. On a yearly basis, that sums up to approximately 17,000 calories or more than 2 kg of fat. Other studies also observed that drinking 1 to 1.5 liters of water daily for a few weeks can lead to a significant weight loss as well as a reduction in body fat, BMI, and waist circumference (8, 9, 10).
2. Reduces Appetite
Drinking water before a meal can help reduce your appetite. However, this seems to be almost exclusive in middle-aged and older people (11). Studies of older adults showed that drinking water before each meal can increase weight loss by 2 kg over 12 weeks (4, 11). Middle-aged people who drank water before every meal lost 44% more weight (4).
Another evidence showed that drinking water before breakfast can help you decrease the number of calories you consume during a meal by as much as 13% (12). However, these studies involved middle-aged or older people, studies in younger individuals have not shown the same impressive results.
3. Decreases Calorie Intake and Lowers Risk of Weight Gain
Water is calorie-free! It is generally associated with reduced calorie intake because you substitute it on other beverages, which often contain high amounts of sugar and calories (13, 14, 15). Studies have shown that those who drink mostly water have a 9% less calorie intake (16, 17).
Drinking water can also reduce your risk of long-term weight gain. Generally, an average individual gains approximately 1.45 kg every 4 years (18). This amount can be decreased by:
- Increasing your water consumption by 1 cup daily to help reduce your weight by 0.13 kg
- Replacing other sugar-sweetened drinks with 1 cup of water to reduce the 4-year weight gain by 0.5 kg
Kids are highly advised to drink water to help prevent them from becoming overweight or obese. Experts who aim to decrease obesity rates have installed water fountains in more than 15 schools and provided classroom lessons about water consumption for grades 2 and 3.
After a year, the risk of obesity was decreased to a whopping 31% in the schools where water intake was improved (19).
Does Temperature Make A Huge Difference?
Evidence showed that switching from drinking cold water to hot water can increase weight loss (20). Experts found that drinking 500 ml of water before a meal can boost your metabolism by as much as 30%.
Increasing water temperature to 98.6 degrees accounted for 40% of the increase in metabolism. This metabolic step-up can last for 30-40 minutes after drinking water.
Other Health Benefits of Drinking Hot Water
Drinking hot water can provide you with enough fluids for replenishment. Many people who drink hot water as a holistic health remedy do so every morning or right before bedtime for optimal health. Aside from weight loss, here are 18 ways that drinking hot water may benefit you.
1. Keeps You Hydrated
Hot water is no different than cold water when it comes to keeping you hydrated. A common recommendation from health experts is that an adult must drink at least 8 glasses or about 2 liters of water daily for hydration and as part of a weight-loss diet (21). That’s not very easy to achieve for most people.
Starting your day with a serving of hot water and ending it with another can help you get much closer to being adequately hydrated. Your body needs enough fluids to perform basically every essential function, so the value of that cannot be overstated.
2. Aids in Digestion
When you don’t drink enough water, you’ll be dehydrated, making it more difficult for you to have a good bowel movement. Chronic dehydration may also cause constipation. This may lead to bloating, and in the worst cases, hemorrhoids.
Drinking hot water can help break down food faster as compared to cold water. It decreases your risk of constipation by promoting regular bowel movements.
3. Detoxifies Your Body
Natural health advocates argue that hot water can help your body detoxify. When water is hot enough to raise your body temperature, you sweat more. And while sweating may be a little uncomfortable, it is an essential part of removing toxins and irritants from your body.
4. Improves Circulation
Hot water can act as a vasodilator. It helps expands your blood vessels to improve your circulation. This also relaxes your muscles and helps control pain.
Although there have been no direct studies linking hot water to sustained improvements in circulation, increases in blood flow can help support healthier muscles and organs. Healthy blood flow can affect everything from your blood pressure to your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. As a bonus, the warmth you get from drinking hot water or bathing at nighttime can help you relax and enjoy a restful sleep.
5. Reduces Pain
As mentioned above, hot water improves circulation and blood flow, including injured muscles. While there has been no research associating hot water consumption to pain relief, people have routinely used a warm compress to reduce pain. Drinking hot water may offer some internal pain relief, however, it is important to note that heat can also exacerbate swelling when done excessively.
6. Fights Colds and Nasal Congestion
The warmth of hot water will produce steam. Inhaling this gentle vapor can help loosen clogged sinuses and relieve headaches. You have mucous membranes throughout your upper body and drinking hot water can help warm your neck and upper torso and soothe a sore throat caused by mucus buildup.
7. Calms the Nervous System
Drinking hot water can calm your nervous system and lubricate your body. When your nervous system is primed for healthy and controlled reactions, you will feel more relaxed with fewer pains, as well as less anxiety and panic attacks throughout your day. People with arthritis can get an extra benefit from using hot water; it calms their central nervous system.
8. Prevents Constipation
Drinking hot water will help your intestines to contract. During contraction, old wastes trapped in your gut will be excreted from your body. Drinking hot water can do this regularly. But drinking it occasionally, especially when you are constipated is a good idea too.
9. Decreases Stress Levels
A soothing cup of hot water can help you manage stress and anxiety. Evidence showed that consumption of hot liquids, including coffee and tea, can help lower stress and feelings of anxiety (22). The study argues that some of these effects are due to their caffeine content, but its warmth also played a role in enhancing mood.
If you add some warm milk, you may find that even more calming than after drinking plain hot water (22).
10. Encourages the Consumption of Coffee and Tea
Adding tea or coffee to your hot water may offer extra health benefits. These caffeinated drinks can help rehydrate your body, especially at high doses, as well as other health benefits in moderation.
Evidence has linked coffee drinking to longevity (23). Another study found an association between moderate coffee consumption and a decreased risk of Parkinson’s disease, type 2 DM, liver disease, cancers, and heart problems (24). Tea may also have the same benefit, but results vary (25).
11. Relieves Symptoms of Achalasia
Achalasia is a condition during which your esophagus has difficulty propelling food to your stomach. People with this condition have trouble swallowing. Experts aren’t sure why, but drinking hot water appears to help with digestion among patients with achalasia, especially with meat-heavy meals or oily foods (26).
12. Makes Your Skin Bright
Increase water intake can help keep your skin hydrated, thus promoting collagen production. However, you must remember that other factors may also play a role when it comes to aging. Genetics and overall sun protection are also very important.
13. Enhances Cognitive Function
Hydration is key to staying in tip-top mental health. Evidence showed that not drinking enough water can negatively affect your focus, alertness, and short-term memory (27).
14. Boosts Energy
Drinking water, hot or cold, can help activate your metabolism. A boost in metabolism is almost always associated with a positive impact on energy levels. As mentioned earlier, drinking 500 ml of water can help boost metabolic rate by as much as 30% in both men and women. These effects can last for more than an hour (28).
15. Helps Maximize Physical Performance
Drinking more water during physical activity is very important. People, especially athletes, may sweat up to 6-10% of their body weight during exercise (29). Aside from affecting your power, strength, and endurance, you can be susceptible to the effects of dehydration if you participate in sports without drinking enough water.
Negative effects of exercise without enough water can include serious medical conditions such as low blood pressure. Extreme dehydration may lead to seizures or even death.
16. Promotes Nutrient Absorption
Aside from helping you break down food products, water also dissolves vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from your food. It then delivers them to the rest of your body for good use.
17. Protects Your Tissues, Joints, and Spinal Cord
Water consumption, regardless of temperature, can help lubricate and cushion your tissues, joints, and spinal cord. This will help you enjoy more activities and lessen the discomfort you may feel if you have arthritis or other related conditions.
18. Creates Saliva
Water is a main component of saliva, which also includes small amounts of mucus, electrolytes, and other enzymes. It is important for breaking down solid foods and keeping your oral cavity healthy.
You can produce enough saliva with regular fluid intake. However, production may be reduced by aging, medications, or therapies.
How Much Should You Drink?
Being mindful of the amount of water you consume daily, hot or cold, is important for optimal health. Many people drink when they are thirsty, which helps regulate intake. While many would estimate 8 glasses of water as the ideal number, experts think that to meet everyone’s needs, water intake from all beverages and foods must be (30):
- 15.5 cups of water daily for men
- 11.5 cups of water daily for women
People often get approximately 20% of their daily water intake from food. The rest depends on drinking water and other beverages. So, ideally, men and women should consume approximately 3 liters and 2.12 liters of water from drinks, respectively (30).
Other ways to assess hydration aside from thirst is the color of your urine. Dark-colored urine indicates dehydration.
Do Other Fluids Count Toward Your Total Water Intake?
Yes, of course! As mentioned above, plain water is not the only drink that contributes to your fluid balance; foods and other beverages have a significant effect too!
Most foods are loaded with water. Eggs, fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables all contain significant amounts of water.
Are There Risks Involved?
Drinking hot water definitely has plenty of benefits, but it is not a magical cure-all. Drinking water that is too hot can also damage your taste buds, tongue, and esophagus. Be very careful when drinking hot water and pay close attention to the temperature.
What Is The Ideal Temperature?
Hot beverages like coffee and tea are often served at near-boiling temperatures. Again, it is not necessary for you to risk a burn to gain the benefits of hot water. Evidence found that the optimal drinking temperature for coffee is 136 °F or 57.8°C (31). This is enough to avoid burns, but still, give the pleasant sensations of a warm drink.
Key Takeaway
Making it a habit to drink hot water will not require too much effort. Starting your day with water that has been boiled and left to cool is a very easy way to switch out your morning juice.
Add a light session of stretching to your daily routine, and you will feel more energized and equipped to work throughout the day. If the taste of warm or hot water does not appeal to you, add some citrus such as lemon or lime.
Drinking warm water before you go to bed is also an excellent way to relax after a long, busy day. Knowing about how it can help you lose weight and its other health benefits will have you sleeping soundly too!
References:
(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16777538
(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21767723
(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23803882
(4) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19661958
(5) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14671205
(6) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17519319
(7) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16822824
(8) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18787524
(9) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24179891
(10) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25097411
(11) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17228036
(12) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18589036
(13) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25928232
(14) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20646222
(15) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25746935
(16) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16421349
(17) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20796216
(18) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23318721
(19) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19336356
(20) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14671205
(21) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5530362/
(22) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs002130050438?LI=true
(23) https://annals.org/aim/article-abstract/2643433/association-coffee-consumption-total-cause-specific-mortality-among-nonwhite-populations
(24) https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-latest-scoop-on-the-health-benefits-of-coffee-2017092512429
(25) https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/06/upshot/what-the-evidence-tells-us-about-tea.html?mcubz=1
(26) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23105999
(27) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22855911
(28) https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/88/12/6015/2661518
(29) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/
(30) http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=10925
(31) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18226454
