What Are The Benefits Of Drinking Hot Water

In the more wellness-focused corners of TikTok, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has never been more popular. Even if you’re not religiously following #ChineseBaddies, there’s one TCM practice you’ll definitely be familiar with: sipping hot or warm water.

Pasu Harisadee, a traditional Chinese medicine educator at RAKxa Integrative Wellness, says that sipping warm water supports the digestive system and helps to balance the flow of energy. Warm water, she explains, is the “fuel” to the digestive fire, and can help the body break down nutrients. “Heat is a vasodilator,” says Harisadee. “Drinking warm water helps relax the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract and encourages the flow of Qi (vital energy) and blood.”

“We can think of this digestive fire as a metaphor for our stomach and spleen, the organs responsible for digestion in TCM. They thrive on warmth, which allows food to be properly broken down, nutrients to be absorbed, and healthy, strong Qi to circulate throughout the body,” adds Saher Hussaini, an acupuncturist and herbalist and the founder of Set Your Intention Acupuncture. “In contrast, ice cold water weakens our digestive functioning, by forcing the body to expend additional energy to warm the contents of the stomach before digestion can even begin. Over time, this can lead to symptoms of bloating, sluggish digestion and that pesky feeling of post-meal fatigue.”

From a Western medicine perspective, Zulia Frost, co-founder and clinical director of Recharge Health, says that drinking warm water sends a “rest and digest” signal to the nervous system. It may also support digestion, reduce bloating and help to stimulate bowel movement, she says, though she notes that studies may be limited in their ability to assess warm water’s effects on our metabolism, and that the benefits are mostly indirect.

Hot water benefits

Boosting gut health

“Warmth helps the body metabolise fluids more efficiently,” says Harisadee. “[It can] help the body expel excess dampness and cold that causes sluggish digestion (and can keep the internal flow clear and light).” Dr Frost adds that warm liquids can help relax our gastrointestinal tract to support in pushing food through our digestive system, and encourage slower and more mindful drinking and eating.

Flushing out toxins

According to Harisadee, the stomach’s energy is supposed to move downward to eliminate waste products in our bodies – warm water helps the body do that more efficiently.

Easing abdominal pain

Because warm water helps move waste products more easily, Harisadee says that drinking warm water can help with abdominal pain, such as period cramps, bloating, and any other forms of discomfort.

Hydration

Adding a cup of warm water to your morning routine is a first step towards ensuring you’re drinking enough water during the day and hitting your hydration goals.

Promotes calm

Because warm water promotes a parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) nervous system, Dr Frost says that warm water can help support relaxation and thus potentially reduce stress-related digestive issues. She says it can also give you respiratory comfort should you feel congested, and has a calming ritual effect.

Are there any downsides?

Not really, but there are a couple of things you should take note of. Dr Frost says that sipping very hot water in between meals may release gastric juice prematurely, which could potentially cause digestive issues for those already dealing with a sensitive gut.

Following TCM means considering whether hot water might cause disharmony in your body and energy. For example, if your body is already “overheating” – whether from a fever or if you’re just naturally warm-blooded – adding a hot liquid into the mix will just make you feel even warmer, says Harisadee. If you have a yin deficiency (meaning that your body is lacking in moisture and cooling properties), drinking warm water may make your dehydration worse. And if you’re suffering from inflammation or “damp heat”, she says that hot water can make that worse, too.

When to drink hot water

Hussaini advises her clients to drink hot water before and after their meals, to activate and support their digestive system. In TCM, she says, the stomach Qi is most active in the morning between 7am and 9am. “I have found that mornings are also an ideal window of time for increasing our hydration, as it becomes much harder to drink enough water once the workday gets busy,” she says. “It seems simple, but this has really made the biggest difference for so many of my patients’ wellbeing.”