A doctor went viral recommending warm water as a morning drink. He claimed the drink can kickstart the metabolism and help people meet their weight loss goals. Dr. Kunal Sood’s video on TikTok claimed people should drink warm water as soon as they get out of bed.
“There are three reasons you should start drinking more water on an empty stomach,” said Dr. Sood. “Number one, it will improve your digestion. The theory is warm water will help you dissolve foods that you normally have a hard time digesting. There's also research that warm water can help constipation. Warm water can temporarily boost your body's metabolism. This is because your body will work to bring the warm water in your body temperature, this slight increase in metabolic rate in aid when you're trying to burn calories. And lastly, it will improve circulation and blood flow. This is because drinking warm water will dilate your blood vessels.”
There is some science behind Dr. Sood’s advice. But warm water is not a miracle drink. “Drinking hot or warm water can feel good — and that matters — but its benefits are often overstated,” said registered dietician Diane Lindsay-Adler of New York Medical College.
Prof. Lindsay-Adler said warm water can be excellent for a sore throat or to ease nasal congestion. She also said that warm water can fight constipation. “This is why warm beverages are commonly recommended by gastroenterologists as the first drink in the morning, when you’re sick or constipated. The effect is neurological and muscular: Warmth promotes relaxation and increases comfort, which may indirectly support digestion.”
But the argument that warm water will aid metabolism and boost weight loss doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. “If something cold or hot enters our body and it’s not the temperature of our body, we will immediately adjust the temperature of that substance within milliseconds,” said Allison Miner, assistant professor of nutrition and food studies at George Mason Univ. “There is a metabolic cost when things are not at the temperature of our body, very slight metabolic cost…but it does not change our body weight.”
There is also a myth that warm water is a detox that “flushes out toxins.” Just like all the other detoxes we have written about, this is a myth. Your liver breaks down toxins, and your kidneys remove the waste from your body. Being hydrated helps your liver and kidneys perform their function. But the temperature of the water doesn’t make an impact.
Staying hydrated is essential for good health. Starting your day off with a glass of water is a great way to ensure you begin your day hydrated. But the temperature of the water isn’t important, and the water won’t fix big problems.
