When you think of drinking water, the first thing that probably comes to your mind is having a glass of water with your meals. But drinking water on an empty stomach, that too in the morning, has many benefits. Do you know that drinking water on an empty stomach helps in digestion and also increases your metabolism?
The body has its mechanism for storing and replenishing nutrients. Drinking water on an empty stomach helps the body process the nutrients faster. There are numerous health benefits of drinking water on an empty stomach. It improves mental performance, increases blood flow, stimulates the production of blood cells and many more. Here are some of the amazing benefits of drinking water.
Important Health Benefits of Drinking Water on an Empty Stomach
1. Increases Metabolism
When you drink water on an empty stomach, it travels to your liver to get broken down and flushed out of the body. This process increases the metabolic rate, and it helps in the breakdown of fat cells. When the metabolism is increased, your body uses fat for metabolic functions instead of carbohydrates. So, you get the energy you need from the fat that has already been stored in your body instead of from the food you eat. This can help you in weight loss.
2. Repair and Maintain Your Body
Healthy cells are essential for the maintenance and repair of your body. When you have a healthy body, you are less prone to diseases, and you can easily fight them if they occur. But when your body is dehydrated, it cannot produce new cells or repair old ones properly. This can lead to several health issues, including headaches, joint pain, and high blood pressure.
When you start your day with 2-3 glasses of water, your body stays hydrated throughout the day. This keeps your metabolism running smoothly and gives you enough energy to get through your daily routine.
3. Help in Digestion
Drinking water on an empty stomach helps in digestion since when you are drinking water, you are usually not eating. The water travels down to the stomach and gets it ready for the digestion process. When you are eating a meal, your stomach starts to produce hydrochloric acid and pancreatic enzymes much before you actually start eating.
These substances are essential for the digestion of proteins and carbohydrates. When you drink water before eating a meal, your stomach already has the acid and enzymes ready for digestion. This makes the process much easier and less time-consuming for your body.
4. Boost Your Weight Loss Efforts
When you drink water on an empty stomach, it helps speed up your metabolism. Metabolism is the process of how your body releases energy from the food you eat so that you remain active throughout the day. When your metabolism is increased, you burn fat easily, and your weight loss efforts will be much more effective. When you drink water on an empty stomach, it is absorbed easily by the body.
Since the water travels through the stomach and the intestines, it helps push the food that you ate the previous day through your system and gets it out of your body. The faster the food gets out of the body, the less likely you are to gain weight. Drinking water on an empty stomach is a great way to help you lose weight.
5. Maintain a Healthy Skin
The digestive system is closely connected with your skin and the rest of your body. When you have an unhealthy gut, it can lead to acne breakouts, redness, and dryness in your skin. The water that you drink on an empty stomach travels to your digestive tract, where it helps in the removal of toxins from your body. This process also removes toxins from your skin, so you can have healthy and glowing skin.
6. Be More Productive at Work
You will find yourself more productive at work when you are hydrated throughout the day. You will have enough energy to get through the day without having to take breaks to get a cup of coffee. Drinking water on an empty stomach may help your body to absorb more water and stay hydrated throughout the day. This can also help you avoid getting headaches that can be caused due to dehydration.
If you don’t drink enough water throughout the day, you can experience headaches, a drop in productivity, and an increase in stress levels. By drinking water before starting your day, you can avoid these problems and feel more energized during your work day.
7. Recover Faster after Exercise
Exercising is essential for your body, but it can also take a toll on your body and make you feel drained. Drinking water on an empty stomach gets the water to your system quickly and helps you recover faster from the exercise. It also helps you rehydrate after a long workout session. When you sweat while exercising, you lose out on the water that is stored in your body.
Drinking water before and after a workout helps your body get the water it needs and prevents dehydration. Drinking water also helps your body flush out the toxins released while exercising so that you can feel energized and fresh after a long workout session.
8. Remove Toxins from Your Body
The process of digestion releases toxins from your body and into the digestive tract. The toxins can be released into your body in many ways, like impure drinking water or eating food with preservatives. When you are hydrated, your body can easily flush out these toxins. If you are not drinking enough water, your body won’t be able to flush out all the toxins. This can lead to an increased risk of diseases such as cancer.
You can avoid toxins by drinking clean water and having mineral or spring water. When you drink water on an empty stomach, it helps your body flush out the toxins from the digestive tract and keeps your body hydrated. This helps you avoid the buildup of toxins in your body and stay healthy.
9. Cleanses the Bowels
When we drink warm water on an empty stomach, then there is an increase in the regular bowel movement, and thus it helps to regulate the digestive system. In case anyone feels constipated at any time, then try to drink plenty of water as it helps in clearing the waste from the body, and thus we feel relieved, fresh and ready for the day.
10. Increases the Hunger and Good for Appetite
Drinking lukewarm water early in the morning on an empty stomach clears all the waste from the body and makes us feel hungry, and we can proceed to have a good breakfast.
11. Can Help to Prevent Headaches
Dehydration is one of the reasons for headaches. Drinking water in the morning ensures that our body remains hydrated and thus can help in avoiding headaches.
12. Helps to Avoid Bad Breath
In addition to preventing headaches, drinking water can also help to avoid bad breath and other dental problems.
13. Helps to Strengthen the Immune System
Plenty of water intake flushes out all the toxins and thus can help the body to avoid various kinds of infections. Thus plenty of water consumption every day ultimately strengthens the immune system.
What is the Correct Way of Drinking Water?
Drinking water while sitting retains the water for long enough in our body since the body absorbs the water efficiently. Whereas when drinking water while standing, the body does not absorb water, letting it flow quickly down the colon. This causes various health issues like GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), Kidney problems, Arthritis and colic pain.
Don’t gulp water quickly; instead, drink in sips. Next time you drink water, make sure you drink the ideal way to be healthy.
What are the Symptoms of Lack of Water in the Body?
There is nothing more refreshing than a glass of cold water in this world. However, more than half the world’s population suffers from dehydration without even realizing that this can lead to serious health problems. Dehydration can have negative effects on the human body. Here are some symptoms of lack of water in the body.
- Your mouth is very dry
- Your skin is dry
- You are very thirsty
- Your eyes are dry
- You have joint pain
- You stay sick longer
- You suffer hunger pangs
- You have digestive problems
- You experience premature aging
How Much Water Should You Drink Per Day?
The average adult is made up of about 65% of bodily fluid. And all your body’s major systems depend on water to function. Water regulates your body and skin temperature and dissolves minerals and essential nutrients to help carry oxygen to your cells. A person should drink 2 to 4 liters of water per day.
Your body is what scientists call an aqueous solution. Your age, weight, diet and level of activity and even what kind of climate you live in all affect your hydration requirement. According to the Institute of Medicine, a female should drink 2.7 liters of water, and men should drink 3.7 liters of water.
FAQ related to Drinking Water on an Empty Stomach
When should I not drink water?
There is no wrong time to drink water, as we all know how important it is to keep your body hydrated; therefore, one can drink water anytime. At the same time, one should not consume more water before going to bed as it may disrupt sleep.
What happens when I drink water on an empty stomach?
If you drink water on an empty stomach then, it helps you to flush toxins from your body. According to medical experts, if you drink water, when there is nothing in the stomach helps your body to work more effectively.
How much water should I drink on an empty stomach?
It is suggested that one should drink at least 2 to 3 glasses of water on an empty stomach. This will helps you to reduce acidity in the stomach and also reduce the frequency of cramps.
What is the correct way of drinking water?
There is one correct way to drink water. You should sit down with your glass of water and drink it slowly, sip by sip.
Why do Chinese people drink hot water?
According to Ancient Chinese medicine, drinking warm water or hot water helps you to balance humidity and cold. Hot water also helps your digestive function work better, and it completely detoxifies your body.
Bottom Line:
When you drink water on an empty stomach, it travels to your body and breaks down the toxins from your body. It also helps the body rehydrate and promotes weight loss and a healthy metabolism. Drinking water on an empty stomach helps in digestion and maintains healthy skin. It can also help you stay hydrated all day long and flush out toxins from your body. These are just some of the benefits of the consumption of water on an empty stomach.
