Since when did "drink more hot water" become a panacea?

In the eyes of many people, hot water can cure all diseases. Whether it is a cold or a stomachache, friends around you will always remind you to "drink more hot water." Even if you are not sick, people are willing to drink more hot water.

But in foreign countries, hot water does not have such a great therapeutic effect. Even in foreign hotels, to get a cup of hot water, the staff needs to process the warm water again.

So why are Chinese people the only ones who cannot live without hot water?

In fact, Chinese people began drinking hot water as early as 4,000 years ago in the Neolithic Age. However, hot water was a luxury at that time and only the upper class with good economic conditions could drink it.

It was not until the Industrial Revolution, when cholera was rampant in Britain, that water purification technology began to be available in Europe. In order to encourage people to pay attention to hygiene and health, people were strongly encouraged to drink hot water starting in the 1930s.

During the Korean War, the U.S. military launched a germ warfare campaign in Northeast my country, releasing fleas, flies and other poisonous insects infected with plague and cholera. To prevent diseases, the Patriotic Health Campaign was launched across the country.

Boiling water for drinking and using hot water for disinfection are both means of "protecting the home and defending the country". "Drinking more hot water" has also become the simplest way for Chinese people to show care.

The patriotic health campaign after the founding of the People's Republic of China ensured that factories, institutions, and schools had hot water rooms, and every household had a kettle, so people developed the habit of drinking hot water.

So is it good to drink hot water?

In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, people called for drinking hot water because the sanitary conditions were poor. In many places, people washed vegetables, washed rice, and flushed toilets in the same river.

Therefore, my country uses boiling water to disinfect and sterilize. The measures taken by Westerners are to improve water quality and improve purification technology, which is similar to boiling water.

Eliminating the harm of germs, drinking more hot water can help:

1. Improve circulation: Drinking more hot water can improve blood circulation, promote metabolism, and be beneficial to health. It can also promote sweating and urination, and promote the excretion of harmful substances in the human body;

2. Maintain body temperature: Drinking more hot water in the cold winter can make people feel warm and help maintain body temperature;

3. Assist in relieving constipation: If you are constipated, drinking more hot water can help intestinal peristalsis and help relieve constipation;

4. Relieve menstrual pain: For some women, dysmenorrhea may be caused by uterine muscle contraction. In this case, drinking more hot water can help relieve uterine muscle spasms. It can also help relieve stress, relax the mind, and reduce irritability symptoms.

5. Relieve cough symptoms: When you have a cold and cough, cough relief is not necessary, and coughing can help expel respiratory mucus. However, long-term coughing makes people uncomfortable after all, so drinking hot water is the best way to relieve cough.

The hot water mentioned here refers to liquids above 65°C, such as hot water, hot soup, hot porridge, etc., which can make the respiratory tract of children with colds more comfortable [3-4].

However, some studies have shown that drinking colder water can improve exercise endurance compared to drinking warm water (37°C) in hot environments[5].

However, water that is too hot or too cold is not a good thing. Hot water that is too hot (over 65°C) can increase the risk of esophageal cancer[6]. In addition, excessive hot water can cause certain harm to the body, such as:

1. Drinking too much hot water can cause water poisoning, resulting in symptoms such as dizziness, weakness, rapid heartbeat, and even body cramps and coma.

2. Drinking too much hot water will increase the glomerular filtration rate and tubular reabsorption rate, thereby increasing the burden on the kidneys and may also lead to chronic renal insufficiency or chronic renal failure.

3. Drinking too much hot water will cause excessive sodium and water retention in the body, which will then stimulate the renin-angiotensin system in the body, increase blood pressure, and cause stubborn hypertension.

4. For patients who already have heart failure or heart function decline, drinking too much hot water will cause heart failure and increase the burden on the heart, which will lead to heart failure.

Water that is too cold may cause stomach cramps, cold stimulation headaches, etc.

In general, whether you drink hot water or cold water has a lot to do with your lifestyle habits. In addition to drinking the right water temperature, you also need to drink the right amount of water. An adult should drink 7-8 (1500-1700 ml) of water a day[9]. When drinking water, just drink around this amount.

Drinking water is good for the human body. While understanding this, we also need to see through some rumors about drinking water in our lives.

1. Should I drink more hot water for dysmenorrhea?

Dysmenorrhea is divided into primary and secondary dysmenorrhea. Drinking hot water has not been proven to have a therapeutic effect on either type. If you feel comfortable drinking hot water, you can drink more.

2. Drink more hot water during the dog days

No additional benefits have been found for drinking hot water in the summer.

3. Yin and Yang water cannot be drunk

Yin and Yang water refers to the mixture of raw water and hot water. Raw water includes tap water, well water, and river water. Raw water has not been disinfected and sterilized. Whether it is mixed with hot water or not, it is best not to drink it. If you mix boiled water with hot water, it is fine because it is just a simple mixture of water of different temperatures.

References:

【1】Li Dongshang. Comparison of Chinese and Western food culture in the context of Chinese culture "going global" [J]. Journal of Inner Mongolia Radio and Television University, 2020, (1): 55-57, 61.

[2] Zhang Guogang (ed.), Xing Tie (author). Chinese Family History

Song, Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties [M Volume 3]. Beijing: People's Publishing House, 2013: 174-175

【3】Chen Qiu. Research on the Cultural Changes of Folk Almanacs in Modern Times【D】. Henan University, 2018.

【4】The common cold in children: treatment and prevention. UpToDate

【5】Symptomatic treatment of acute pharyngitis in adults. UpToDate Y Grosse et al. Carcinogenicity

[6]D Loomis, KZ Guyton, "Lancet of drinking coffee, mate, and verot beverages.Oncology", 2016,17(7):877

【7】Zhang Haizhen, Wang Yan, Yang Zeqi, et al. Effects of hot and spicy diet on gastrointestinal function in patients with chronic gastritis [J]. Electronic Journal of Clinical Medical Literature, 2018 (25).

【8】Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Public Guidelines for Prevention and Emergency Treatment of Heat Stroke (2014 Edition) [J]. Chinese Journal of Practical Rural Doctors, 2015, (11): 1-3.

【9】Cold stimulation headache.UpToDate

The article is produced by Science Popularization China-Starry Sky Project (Creation and Cultivation). Please indicate the source when reprinting.

Author: Xu Lang Popular Science Creator

Reviewer: Li Nannan Director of Hunan Science Writers Association Deputy Director of Research and Publicity Department of Hunan Science and Technology Association Second-level Researcher Chinese Science Writer (Medical)