Temperature Tenacity: The Health Benefits of Hot & Cold Water
A broken water heater is nothing to take lightly! Though it may seem like a minor inconvenience, being unable to choose between warm and cold water can have a serious impact on your health. If you cannot heat your water, it will not only be harder to bathe, cook or perform other daily functions; you also won’t be able to access many of the medical benefits of warm water. Likewise, water heater problems that render your water too warm prevent you from using cold water, which has its own set of physiological advantages. By purchasing water heater maintenance and other plumbing services as soon as you notice a problem, you can continue to benefit from:
Hot Water Highlights
Deft Digestion
Hot water makes it easier for your body to digest food. By breaking up the contents of your stomach, it reduces the amount of energy you need to fully absorb all the nutrients and wash down the food. In contrast, cold water increases the time and energy it takes for digestion. It is for this reason that many restaurants offer hot drinks when you finish eating.
Clearing Constipation
Drinking water, in general, helps to deal with constipation, but warm water is especially effective because of its stimulating properties. Warmer substances spark bowel movements while simultaneously breaking up foods that are in your intestines, helping your excretory system function more effectively. Drinking warm water thus makes you less likely to be constipated, and if you do experience constipation, it will be less painful and will end more quickly.
Savvy Sweating
Sweating has a variety of benefits for your body. In addition to relieving excess moisture and regulating internal temperatures, it also flushes toxins out of your system, which would otherwise build up and cause health issues. Drinking hot water is one of the most reliable ways to get yourself to sweat, especially on cold days when your sweat glands are less likely to be triggered. Regular water heater replacement and repair are thus necessary to keep your body free of toxins throughout the year.
Motivated Metabolism
Detoxification isn’t the only benefit of raising your body temperature and generating more sweat. Hot water also boosts your metabolism, causing your body to burn more calories throughout the day. This makes it easier to lose weight or to maintain the same level of weight while eating more. Combining your water with lemon will enhance the effect, as the pectin fiber in lemon helps you feel less hungry. Drinking a glass of hot water with lemon in the morning sets the stage for a healthy, active day.
Protection From Pain
When you ingest hot water, the warmth soothes your abdominal muscles, calming the effects of muscle spasms. It also helps more blood reaches the skin, relaxing any muscles that have become cramped. Thus, whether you are suffering from headaches, menstrual cramps, abdominal pain, or any number of other ailments, hot water will quickly relieve your suffering.
Arresting Aging
Between relaxing the body, flushing out toxins, and increasing blood circulation, consuming warm water can help keep your skin young and elastic as you age. These effects are most potent if you drink water that is comfortably warm; excessively hot water can damage tissue and make aging worse. Thus, after boiling water, you should leave it for a few minutes to cool before drinking it. This will leave you looking young and healthy for years to come.
Cold Water Considerations
Maintaining Moisture
While drinking hot water keeps your skin healthy, when it comes to taking a shower, cold water is more beneficial. Unlike a hot shower, cold water does not dry out your skin, allowing it to maintain more elasticity and hold more nutrients. This makes cold showering an effective treatment for dry skin. Cold showers also help moisturize your hair, reducing the risk of split ends.
Mental Health Marvels
Recent research into hydrotherapy suggests that cold water may aid in the treatment of mental health disorders. According to Peter Bongiorno, taking a two- or three-minute shower in water that is 68 degrees Fahrenheit can relieve many of the symptoms of depression and anxiety. The occasional cold shower may thus be a powerful supplement to counseling and pharmaceuticals. Just make sure to consult your doctor before you begin, as taking such a cold shower does carry some risks.
Astute Awakening
Besides promoting skin, hair, and mental health, cold water also makes it easier to get up in the morning and start your day. Taking a cold shower for five minutes will raise your heart rate and direct fresh blood throughout the body. This reduces fatigue and improves concentration, helping you to complete your daily tasks more effectively.
Hot and cold water each do wonders for your health, but they are only available if you have effective affordable plumbing. Met Plumbing & Air Conditioning provides water heater installation, water heater leaking solutions, bathtub drain and shower faucet repair, and other plumbing services throughout the Houston area. For more information or to request a service call, visit our website today.