One of the most important building blocks of our lives is water. There are important reasons why all doctors and dietitians say we should drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. We owe many of our vital functions such as balancing our body temperature, eliminating toxins and healthy digestion to water. As for how water should be drunk, there are different opinions on this. The temperature at which water should be drunk is an issue that dieters especially emphasize.
There is a belief that cold water burns more calories. The idea is that our body expends energy to bring cold water to its own temperature (37 degrees), which burns calories. However, a study found that there is no significant difference in calorie burn between those who drink cold water and those who drink hot water. But does the temperature of the water we drink really have anything to do with weight loss? Is it healthier to drink hot or cold water? So what are the benefits of drinking water?
- Prevents Bad Breath: The amount of saliva produced by our body decreases due to low food consumption and insufficient fluid intake during the day. Due to reduced saliva production, the amount of fluid needed for oral hygiene is insufficient if we do not drink enough water. This causes bad breath. Reduced salivation leads to dry mouth as well as odor. Dry mouth affects swallowing, chewing and even speech.
- Adds Health to Hair: Insufficient water consumption causes hair dryness, breakage, dandruff and hair loss. Water not only moisturizes our hair, but also cleanses the body and provides us with healthy, silky and shiny hair. It will help you to renew the amount of oil in your scalp, get rid of excess oil and have stronger hair.
- It Allows You to Maintain Your Muscle Mass: In order to maintain our health while practicing sports, we need to pay attention to regular exercise, regular nutrition, regular sleep and adequate water consumption. These four rules are key, especially for those doing muscle-building workouts. It should be taken into account that as the muscle mass in the body increases, the need for water will also increase. Drinking water both before and after training and exercise is also an effective way to deal with contractions and cramps.
- Essential for Your Memory: Since the brain is the center of forgetfulness, we need to protect this organ. For this, we need to consume enough water for our health. Dehydration negatively affects attention span and mobility as well as forgetfulness. In order to strengthen memory and think fast, especially natural mineralized water with high pH should be preferred. Water, which makes up 70-75 percent of the brain, is also necessary for memory. Water accelerates brain functions as a whole. Without water, the brain works more slowly. The capacity of the dehydrated brain to retain information and form memory is negatively affected, which is reflected negatively on brain function and memory.Water containing calcium and magnesium is considered “hard water.” Most of us do not pay enough attention to the benefits of calcium and magnesium for our body. Milk and dairy products provide 70 percent of the daily recommended calcium requirement, dried fruits and vegetables 16 percent, and natural mineral waters 6-7 percent. However, it is difficult to determine a precise figure for calcium intake with water, because there are waters containing 400 mg of calcium per liter and waters containing only a few mg of calcium per liter. The ideal is to drink calcium-rich, natural mineralized water with a high pH.
- Prevents constipation: Fiber foods play an active role in regulating the digestive system. However, no matter how much fibrous food is consumed, if you do not drink enough water, the fiber intake is not used effectively in the body. Insufficient water consumption leads to a reduced functioning of the digestive system and consequently to constipation.
- It fights stress: 85 percent of brain tissue is made up of water. If you don’t have enough water in your body, you will feel stressed both mentally and physically. This is the reason why we cannot stand thirst. Dehydrated brain tissues cause us to have a constant desire to drink water, and we feel tense without access to water.
- Reduces the risk of kidney stones: The kidneys, which keep foreign and harmful substances away from our body, have difficulty in performing this process if not enough fluid is taken. This can lead to a number of kidney diseases, and the accumulation of minerals can also cause kidney stones.
- It is heart friendly: Our blood carries oxygen and other substances needed for cells faster with water. When water consumption is insufficient, blood volume can decrease, which negatively affects the circulatory system and increases the load on the heart.
- It is the most natural treatment for reflux: It is very important to drink enough and good water for reflux, which significantly reduces our quality of life and can turn into esophageal cancer if left untreated. While drinking water reduces the effect of reflux in some patients, some patients even experience complete recovery.
Benefits of Drinking Water in the Morning
Drinking water in the morning is a beneficial habit for our body and health. But we should drink the water slowly and calmly. If we drink too much water at once, we may face health problems instead of seeing the benefits. Keep these tips in mind when drinking water on an empty stomach in the morning:
- If you want to drink two liters of water (or four glasses of water), it is best to divide it and drink it four times a day. Drink one glass on an empty stomach before breakfast, the second after breakfast and the remaining two before other meals.
- We recommend that you start drinking water in small amounts in the morning. You can start by drinking a glass of water on an empty stomach, gradually increasing this amount to 2 or 3 glasses.
- The water you drink must be clean and of good quality. If you drink tap water, make sure it meets drinking water standards.
- If you want to increase the benefits of water a little more, you can add a little lemon juice to a glass of water you drink on an empty stomach in the morning.
BENEFITS OF DRINKING HOT WATER
- Hot water helps the digestive system to work properly and is good for constipation. Drinking a glass of hot water on an empty stomach, especially in the morning, speeds up digestion. (What is good for constipation? We also recommend you to read our article titled.
- Hot water helps to remove toxins from the body faster. It is also good for skin problems such as acne.
- Hot water helps to open the upper respiratory tract.
- One of the most important benefits of hot water is that it reduces pain by accelerating blood flow in the body. Hot water is especially good for joint pain.
BENEFITS OF DRINKING COLD WATER
- Cold water protects against heart attacks. Especially in hot summer months, drinking cold water relaxes the body and is also good for heat stroke.
- Cold water stays in the stomach less than hot water and is absorbed faster by the body.
- The body has a balancing (homeostasis) system. The body tries to bring the temperature of the water closer to its own temperature. It expends energy for that. This will help burn fat.
- Cold water speeds up the metabolism more than hot water, so it especially helps to lose weight.