Be aware of four types of water not to drink in the morning
A healthy body must maintain a water balance. A person should drink 7-8 glasses of water a day. For women, drinking enough water daily can also moisturize the skin, making it smoother. "A good start to the day is in the morning," and the first glass of water in the morning is particularly important. However, ladies, note that while drinking water in the morning is good, not all water is good to drink. These four types of water should not be consumed upon waking.
Stale boiled water
When boiled water is left standing for a long time, the nitrogen-containing organic matter in it continuously breaks down into nitrites. Especially for boiled water that has been stored for a long time, bacterial contamination is inevitable. This accelerates the decomposition of nitrogen-containing organic matter, leading to more nitrite production. After drinking such water, nitrites combine with hemoglobin, affecting the blood's oxygen transport function.
Therefore, boiled water that has been in a thermos for days, the remaining water from multiple boilings, or water that has been boiling on a stove for a long time has already had its composition altered and should not be consumed. You should drink water that has been boiled once and is not older than 24 hours. Additionally, bottled or桶装 (barreled) purified water and mineral water should not be stored for too long. Large bottles or barrels of purified water and mineral water should not be consumed after 3 days.
Salt water
Some people believe that drinking light salt water is beneficial to health, so they drink it upon waking. This understanding is incorrect. It is true that light salt water is good for health, which is necessary for replenishing fluids after sweating in the summer. However, for replenishing fluids in the morning, it is not only beneficial but also a harmful and unhealthy practice.
Physiological research suggests that during a full night's sleep, a person does not drink any water, but breathing, sweating, and urination continue. These physiological activities consume and lose a lot of water. Upon waking in the morning, the blood is in a concentrated state. Drinking a certain amount of plain water can quickly dilute the blood, correcting the hyperosmolar dehydration that occurs at night. Drinking salt water instead will worsen the hyperosmolar dehydration, making one feel even more thirsty. Moreover, morning is the first peak of elevated blood pressure in the body. Drinking salt water will push the blood pressure even higher, which is harmful to health.
Beverages
The first glass of water in the morning should preferably not be commercially available juices, colas, sodas, coffee, milk, or other beverages. Most carbonated drinks like sodas and colas contain citric acid, which accelerates the excretion of calcium and lowers the calcium content in the blood. Long-term consumption can lead to calcium deficiency. Other beverages have a diuretic effect; drinking them in the morning cannot effectively replenish the body's needed fluids but will instead increase the body's demand for water, leading to dehydration.
Juices, milk, and coffee are also not suitable as the first drink in the morning because these substances cannot provide the water the body needs most at that time. They also cause the digestive and absorption systems to work when the body is dehydrated, which is not good for your health.
Tap water
Some people are in the habit of turning on the tap first thing in the morning and drinking a glass of tap water. This is wrong. The tap water that has been stagnant overnight in the pipes and faucet undergoes a hydration reaction with the metal pipe walls and faucet chambers, creating metal-contaminated water. Furthermore, residual microorganisms in the tap water can multiply. This water contains a large amount of substances harmful to the human body and may even harbor Legionella, a bacterium that poses a threat to human health as an acute respiratory infectious disease. Therefore, the tap water that first flows out in the morning is undrinkable stagnant water. So, if you have this habit, please correct it immediately to avoid harming your health.