We’ve seen prebiotic sodas for gut health, the “sleepy girl mocktail” for sleep and lemon water for immunity and weight loss. Now, the latest beverage riding the online wellness wave is hot water.
The trend is part of a wider online phenomenon of people adopting elements of Eastern medicine and Chinese culture and documenting their experiences on social media.
A popular example is drinking hot or warm water in the morning before breakfast. Many claim it improves digestion, leaving them feeling thinner and less bloated — and occasionally running for the bathroom. Some also say it improves the skin, helps with weight loss and even “detoxifies” the body.
All this from water? We asked experts to help us boil it down.
A Kick-Start to the Gut
For thousands of years, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine and ayurveda — a holistic medical system from India — have encouraged drinking hot or warm water in the morning (and throughout the day), in part to keep the digestive system operating at its best. When food and drinks are consumed cold, the thinking goes, digestion worsens, leading to gastrointestinal discomfort like bloating, said Jeff Gould, an acupuncturist at Johns Hopkins Medicine who is trained in traditional Chinese medicine.
Few scientific studies have explored the digestive benefits of hot or warm water. One, published in 2016, looked at 60 patients who had just come out of gallbladder surgery and found that those who drank warm water a few hours after the procedure passed gas sooner than those who didn’t drink anything. The water didn’t significantly hasten their first bowel movement, however. (Other research suggests that coffee is better for that.)
There are a few small studies that have suggested that cold drinks or meals might cause the stomach to empty its contents more slowly than warm or hot ones. But those studies are limited, experts say. And it’s not clear how (or if) that would affect the way you feel, Dr. Linda A. Lee, a gastroenterologist at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, N.Y., said via email.
Despite the lack of scientific evidence, sipping warm water to stimulate a No. 2 first thing in the morning does make physiological sense, said Dr. Lisa Ganjhu, a gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Health. Your digestion slows while you sleep, she said. Anything you eat or drink — at any temperature — upon waking spurs waves of contraction and relaxation in the muscles of the esophagus, stomach and intestines. “It’s basically telling everyone, ‘OK, get up. We’ve got to get moving,’” Dr. Ganjhu said.
Dr. Folasade May, a gastroenterologist and associate professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, said she was unfamiliar with hot water’s star turn on social media. Many of her patients have mentioned that they have an easier time passing bowel movements after drinking warm water (often with lemon) first thing in the morning. Some, she said, may feel an almost immediate urge to use the toilet, though she added that the temperature of the water may not be important; it’s possible they’d have the same experience if the water were lukewarm or cold.
Whether prompted by water, coffee, juice or food, any forward motion of the gastrointestinal tract moves not only stool but gas, Dr. May said, which can make you “feel less distended, less bloated.”
As for claims that drinking hot water has “detoxifying” properties, Kristen Smith, a dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, said that water doesn’t remove toxins — the liver and kidneys do.
And when it comes to weight loss, some people may notice a temporary drop on the scale right after a substantial bowel movement, Dr. Ganjhu said. If the water is replacing sugary, high-calorie drinks, Dr. May said, it could lead to more permanent weight loss.
The Advantages of Hydration
It’s possible that the main benefit of drinking warm water in the morning is simply that it’s hydrating, Ms. Smith said.
When you wake up, you’re a little dehydrated, Dr. Ganjhu added, so drinking water can help with any of the symptoms that may come along with that, like hunger, headaches and grogginess. Over time, she said, staying hydrated makes stool softer and easier to pass, helping to keep you regular and feel less bloated.
There’s also evidence that drinking more water can improve the appearance of the skin by reducing dryness. If you don’t drink enough during the day, Dr. May said, regularly having some in the morning can help “close the gap.”
The hot water trend is proving what we already know, she said: “Water is really good for you all around.”
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