Drinking plenty of water helps to maintain a better and healthy lifestyle. According to ancient Chinese medicine and Indian culture, starting the day with a glass of hot water helps kick-start the digestive system and provides a range of health benefits. 

However, it’s not a case of the hotter, the better. 

To protect the epithelial cells in your mouth and throat, keep water at a temperature of no lower than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Drinking hot water alone will not help you lose weight, but it will help the process. Experts recommend starting your morning with warm water and lemon to boost your metabolism, allowing your body to burn more calories throughout the day. 

Drinking warm water also cleanses your gut and prevents bloating, helping you shed any extra water weight you may be carrying.

Clears sinuses

Everyone’s looking for home remedies for a stuffy nose – so give a drink of hot water a try. It may help alleviate some of the symptoms of a respiratory tract infection. 

Clinical trials suggest that drinking hot water benefits nasal congestion quicker than drinking cold water does because the higher temperature speeds up the rate at which mucus may travel. “The temperature of fluids we drink may possibly make a difference in the way we manage and deal with certain upper respiratory infection symptoms.

Easier on your teeth

Your teeth may thank you for switching from cold to warm water. Warm water is better for the teeth and restorations, and is more easily absorbed. “Certain white filling materials contract in response to cold water, causing fillings to debond off the tooth. 

Again, make sure your water isn’t too hot. Any extreme temperature on the teeth can be detrimental, so try to drink your water at room temperature to keep your pearly whites happy.

Better for digestion

Warm water has a vasodilator effect, meaning it widens the blood vessels and stimulates the blood flow to rush toward the intestine, aiding the digestive process. “Drinking it on an empty stomach in the morning speeds right through your digestive system to the bowels where it is needed. 

But the digestive health benefits of warm water don’t stop there. It has a faster hydrating effect, so when it is followed by a meal the temperature helps emulsify fats, making them more digestible.

Helps clear out toxins

A drink of hot water raises the core body temperature, stimulating the sweating process, which is one of the way the body eliminates toxins. 

When consumed on a regular basis with lemon added to it, hot water helps balance all the acidic foods we ingest daily. If you’re not a fan of lemon, try green tea, which may decrease free radical activity in the body.

Natural pain relief

While drinking cold water causes muscles to contract, drinking warm water increases blood flow to the tissues, allowing muscles to relax. This can help with all kinds of pain, from joint aches to menstrual cramps. 

Drinking warm water before going to bed also has a soothing effect, which may help you fall asleep faster, and it will make you feel fuller – no midnight cravings! – and more rejuvenated in the morning.

Improves circulation

Just like taking a warm bath can help your circulatory organs carry blood more effectively throughout your body, drinking hot water can improve circulation. That means healthier blood pressure and lowered risk of cardiovascular disease.

Eases constipation

Constipation occurs when there is little or no bowel movement and is often caused by a lack of water in the body. If you start each day with a drink of warm water (before eating anything) you can help improve your bowel movements and reduce the likelihood of constipation. 

The elevated temperature stimulates the intestinal peristalsis and helps with sluggish bowel movements and constipation. If you can stand it, sip warm water throughout the day for even greater benefits.