In Ayurveda, the WHO-recognized traditional Indian system of medicine, drinking hot water is recommended for good health.
If we try to understand the recommendation to drink hot or boiled water from the perspective of classical Ayurveda, then the aspect of hygiene, which is very important for Ayurveda as a whole, naturally arises first and foremost. Boiling uncontrolled drinking water has always been a method of protecting health, which is particularly important in tropical countries such as India. Dr. Ram Manohar, Ayurvedic doctor and research director at the Amrita Centre for Advanced Research in Ayurveda in Kollan (Kerala/India), describes how drinking water is boiled and enriched with herbs in almost every household in Kerala to this day.
Most Ayurveda experts refer to the Sushruta Samhita (sutra 43/39-40) in their statements on water, which describes the qualities of hot or boiled water as "light" and kapha/vata-reducing. In the Ayurvedic context, the perceptible properties of food and remedies are used to describe the effect on the organism. In this sense, light means "easier to digest". The property "hot" is used to compensate for cold. We are also familiar with this from our classic home remedies, e.g. warming lime blossom tea for colds.
The recommendation to boil the water for a longer period of time comes from the classic Ayurveda texts. Likewise, the instructions to boil the water at different intensities are generally known in traditional Ayurvedic medicine and have been practiced for centuries. Prof. S.N. Gupta of J.S. Ayurveda College, Nadiad quotes Ashtangasamgraha sutra 6/9: "The water after boiling may be reduced 1/4th, half or 1/3rd, it is light, useful in hiccup, abdominal distension, thirst, dyspnoea, cough, cold, chest pain, ama, fevers."
We find no explanation for this classic recommendation in the ancient Ayurvedic scriptures and there is hardly anything in modern research either. Dr. Ram Manohar agrees: "There is not much research in this line in modern medicine. Boiling water is considered to be beneficial in killing bacteria and other microbes."
Traditionally, boiling is used in Ayurveda for the preparation of remedies. When the decoction loses liquid through prolonged boiling, the concentration of the herbs is increased. This method is pharmacologically plausible and scientifically verifiable and has been used traditionally for more than 2000 years. It is conceivable that the boiling down of pure water was also recommended on the basis of this experience. In any case, this ensures hygienically perfect preparation.
Another recommendation of Ayurvedic medicine for hot water is a drinking cure. Regularly drinking plenty of fluids, especially in the form of pure water, is a basic recommendation to ensure that the fluid balance is maintained. It is well known that water ensures the transportation of nutrients, supports the regulation of body temperature and, of course, the excretion processes via the kidneys and intestines. If too little fluid is consumed, metabolic processes can slow down. These are just some of the important aspects of fluid intake that are known today. Traditional Ayurveda has described this importance of water in its own words.
Drinking cures are also used in Ayurveda in the context of weight reduction. Prof. Tanuja Nesari from the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), the new top institute for Ayurveda of the Indian government in Delhi, reports on a study on a hot water drinking cure that is currently being carried out with 30 obese patients at her institute.
Many "hot water drinkers" can certainly also confirm the digestive effect from their own experience, when it is easier to go to the toilet in the morning after the obligatory drink of water. From my own years of practical experience, I can only confirm the Ayurvedic descriptions of the different properties and qualities of water.
Article by Kerstin Rosenberg
