70% of the Earth's surface and 70% of the human body are composed of water. This astonishing coincidence fully illustrates how important water is to humanity. But in daily life, you might rack your brains for a meal, yet give little thought to drinking a glass of water. Most people think drinking water is the simplest thing—just pick up a glass and gulp it down, right? In fact, the science of drinking water goes far beyond that. The timing and quantity of your water intake can have a significant impact on your health. Recently, the Mayo Clinic website published an article revealing 11 little-known secrets about drinking water.
How to drink health-boosting water
Obesity: Drink a glass of water before and after meals. Many chemical reactions in the human body must take place in water. With sufficient water, the body's metabolic mechanisms can function normally. For people who are overweight, drinking a small glass of water about half an hour before a meal can increase satiety; drinking another small glass half an hour after a meal can enhance the body's digestive function and help maintain a healthy figure.
Colds: Drink more water. The New York Times, in an article on January 21, 2011, pointed out that drinking more water or pure juice when you have a cold is very helpful for recovery, as it helps flush mucus from the respiratory tract, making breathing easier. Furthermore, if you have a fever, the body's self-protective mechanism responds by lowering its temperature, which manifests as accelerated metabolism, including increased sweating, rapid breathing, and greater moisture evaporation from the skin. This requires replenishing a large amount of water. Drinking plenty of water not only promotes sweating and urination but also helps regulate body temperature, rapidly expelling pathogens from the body.
Constipation: Drink water in large gulps. The causes of constipation can be simply explained in two ways: one is the presence of old feces in the body due to a lack of water; the other is that organs like the intestines have lost their ability to expel waste. Drinking water in large gulps and swallowing quickly allows the water to reach the intestines faster, stimulating intestinal peristalsis and promoting bowel movements. Jiang Liangduo, a professor of internal medicine at Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, told reporters that in Traditional Chinese Medicine, one of the causes of constipation is the lack of body fluids, and drinking water in large gulps can quickly replenish these fluids, thereby stimulating intestinal peristalsis and promoting bowel movements. Chen Xiafei, a chief nutritionist at the Department of Nutrition of Huadong Hospital in Shanghai, suggests that for people with constipation, the effect is better when supplementing with dietary fiber while hydrating, so it's best to drink a high-fiber vegetable juice daily.
Vomiting: Drink some light salt water. Vomiting is the body's self-protective response after consuming contaminated food. To avoid dehydration symptoms caused by severe vomiting or diarrhea, you can drink some light salt water to replenish your energy and alleviate a weak state.
Four types of water for office workers
Detoxification: A glass of water in the morning. Many people know that drinking a glass of water in the morning is good for the body. After a night of metabolism, the body's waste needs external help to be expelled, and water is the best "cleansing agent." At this time, cells are like a dry sponge, absorbing the water you drink and expelling it in about 40 minutes. This is an important detoxification process. Light salt water, honey water, and plain water are all suitable for drinking in the morning. Jiang Liangduo reminds everyone not to drink water that is too cold or too hot in the morning; the temperature should be around 40°C.
Irritability: Drink plenty of water. Endorphins produced by the brain are called "happy hormones," while adrenaline is often called the "stress hormone." When a person is in pain or agitation, adrenaline surges, but like other toxins, it can be expelled from the body. One way to do this is to drink more water. If you engage in physical labor, adrenaline will be expelled with sweat, or if you have a good cry, it will be expelled with tears.
Stress relief: Drink a glass of water before making a decision. A study by the University of East London in the UK found that students who drank a glass of water before an exam could improve their cognitive abilities and perform better. For office workers, drinking a glass of water when under too much pressure or before making a decision can help clear the mind.
Don't wait until you're thirsty: You still need to drink water. The Hong Kong Department of Health once conducted a survey and found that one-third of adults drink less than 6 glasses of water a day. Office workers are busy and often go half a day without a sip of water. The US "Water Health" website points out that when people feel thirsty, their bodies have already lost at least 1% of their water. Therefore, office workers should develop good habits for drinking water and urinating—drink water once every hour and urinate every 2-3 hours.
Seniors should sip their water
Before bed: Sip two mouthfuls of water. When a person is in deep sleep, moisture loss in the body causes a decrease in water content in the blood, increasing blood viscosity. Drinking a small amount of water before bed can reduce blood viscosity, thereby lowering the risk of cerebral thrombosis. Additionally, in the dry autumn and winter, water can moisten the respiratory tract and help one fall asleep better. However, be careful not to drink too much water before bed, as elderly people tend to wake up at night, and if drinking water disrupts sleep, it may be counterproductive.
After a bath: Drink water slowly. Many people feel thirsty after a shower and will grab a glass and drink it all at once. Shen Jin, chief physician of the Department of Cardiology at Beijing Hospital, says that the elderly have weaker constitutions and their hearts cannot handle stress as well as younger people's. Especially after a hot bath, the body is heated, blood vessels dilate, blood flow increases, and the heart beats faster than usual, so drinking water requires special care. It's best to slowly sip a glass of warm water; otherwise, it can easily increase the burden on the heart.
After exercise: Drink in sync with your heartbeat. Shen Jin also says that the elderly should not drink a large amount of water at once after exercise. At this time, the gastrointestinal blood vessels are in a contracted state and need time to recover. If you drink a large amount of water immediately, it will accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to bloating and affecting digestion. It's best to wait a few minutes for the heart rate to stabilize a bit, then continue to sip some warm water slowly. Try to maintain a steady pace, and the frequency of drinking should be close to your heart rate, drinking intermittently in small amounts. This way, the heart can absorb the water in a regular and stable manner.