"Hot food should be eaten hot, and hot soup should be drunk hot." This is a common saying among the people, suggesting that hot food and drinks are better for our bodies. Many people believe that drinking hot water can alleviate stomach pain and improve digestion. Is this scientifically proven or just a slogan? Let's see how experts answer this question!
"Does drinking hot water have any benefits?"
1. Drinking hot water does have certain benefits:
(1) Drinking water at a suitable temperature not only provides heat to the body but also enhances the activity of digestive enzymes and promotes gastrointestinal motility, which is beneficial for digestion and absorption. For most people or those with a cold constitution, drinking warm water aligns with the concept of health maintenance.
Warm foods, not just hot water, can dispel coldness and are especially suitable for people with a cold constitution. They can also assist in the treatment of certain cold-related diseases.
For example, when suffering from a cold due to wind and cold, drinking hot ginger soup can dispel the cold. The classic formula for treating wind-cold external attacks, "Gui Zhi Tang," emphasizes drinking hot rice porridge to assist in sweating and relieving the body's surface.
During menstruation, if women experience coldness and menstrual pain in the lower abdomen, drinking hot soup or hot ginger tea can help alleviate discomfort.
(2) On the contrary, regularly drinking cold or iced water can damage the spleen and stomach yang energy, causing gastrointestinal discomfort. Over time, this can lead to a deficiency-cold constitution, resulting in symptoms such as aversion to cold, cold hands and feet, and coldness in the abdomen.
2. However, hot water is not a cure-all:
When you are sick, timely medical treatment is necessary. There is no one method that can "cure-all diseases," and all health maintenance practices need to be adapted to individual circumstances.
Drinking hot water can be beneficial for people with a cold constitution or a balanced constitution.
3. Drinking hot water doesn't mean boiling hot water:
When we say "drink hot water," it doesn't mean the hotter, the better. Many people like to drink scalding hot water or freshly boiled porridge and soup, but these are unhealthy eating habits.
When drinking water, it needs to pass through our mouth and esophagus before reaching the stomach.
The mucous membranes in the mouth and esophagus are very delicate and can tolerate temperatures of around 50-60 degrees Celsius.
On the other hand, the esophagus is less sensitive to temperature compared to the mouth. When people drink scalding hot water or eat scalding food, they often swallow quickly to avoid burning their mouths. However, this can easily cause burns to the esophageal mucosa.
Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can lead to chronic damage and inflammation of the esophageal mucosa.
Warm reminder:
From the above, we can understand that drinking hot water has its benefits, but it is not a cure-all and depends on individual constitution. It is also important to note that drinking hot water does not mean the hotter the better.
