Benefits of drinking water in the morning

The most common reason that people tend to drink water in the morning is for its weight loss benefits. People looking for weight loss either have water at room temperature or prefer to have warm water. People also combine warm water with honey and lemon. But, is this claim true? Does drinking water in the morning actually aid in weight loss?

Read more: Benefits of honey water

Let’s have a look at a study conducted on eight healthy women to determine the effects of water on hunger and satiety. These women were given two extra glasses of water along with their breakfast on three days and were abstained from water during breakfast on subsequent three days. The study went on for two weeks and required women to fill forms at repeated intervals before, during and after meals to determine their levels of hunger, satiety and desire to eat. The results of the study concluded that drinking water before breakfast substantially reduced hunger and improved satiety during the meal.

What does this suggest?

This suggests that having 2 glasses of water in the morning may reduce hunger, which will allow you to eat lesser during the meals.

Let’s have a look at another study, which puts forward its specific effects on weight. This study conducted on 50 overweight girls for a duration of 8 weeks found that drinking 500 ml of water half an hour before breakfast, lunch and dinner respectively led to a substantial decrease in body weight. A reduction in the BMI score (body mass index) was also noted in these women.

This emphasises the role of water in the process of weight reduction and gives you a reason to drink water in the morning each day. For best results, it is recommended to drink water half an hour before each meal.

Read more: Weight loss diet chart

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Most individuals suffer from morning breath, which refers to foul breath from the mouth after you wake up. This may be severe or mild, depending on your diet and level of oral hygiene. Morning breath is primarily experienced due to bacterial actions occurring in your mouth and between your teeth overnight, which lead to the release of odour-causing bacteria.

Read more: Oral hygiene tips

Studies have found that drinking water in the morning significantly reduces the incidence of morning breath. This was enabled by a 30-50% reduction in the levels of odour causing substances like hydrogen sulphide gas. The study proposed drinking 200 ml of water within 30 seconds for the best anti-odour effects.

After a recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep, your bodies are usually in a state of mild dehydration in the morning, unless you have the habit of waking up for having water during the night. This practice may avoid dehydration but will lead to ineffective sleep. Both these scenarios, that is dehydration and having disturbed sleep increase the predilection of headaches.

Studies have found that water-deprivation or a state of dehydration is commonly associated with a headache. This type of headaches has been recognised to be primary in its roots, originating within the meninges of the brain.

Studies further state that deprivation of water may have a potential role in migraine attacks, particularly in prolonging their duration. So, if you commonly suffer from headaches, it is recommended to have a glass of water right in the morning to reverse the state of dehydration.

If you suffer from a migraine, you really need to be careful of your condition and have water at the right temperature. Research evidence suggesting that drinking cold water may induce migraine pain, especially in women. This pain has been found to originate in the region of the forehead in these women. Having a glass of lukewarm water is, thus, advisable in the morning. 

Other than being commonly associated with headaches and migraine, water-deprivation has other serious effects on the brain due to the involvement of meninges (outer layers of brain). These effects are often manifested as difficulty in concentration and irritability due to a state of water-deprivation.

This may have critical effects on your daily activities and lifestyle, leading to a poor performance at work or in academics. To prevent this and have a more fruitful and productive day, it is recommended to have a glass of water when you wake up in the morning.

Read more: How to increase brain power

Water has a very important role in the process of digestion. It helps in the digestion of fibres, which are an important component of the diet and aid in better digestion. Other than this, having sufficient water is essential for easy bowel movements, to facilitate the removal of faeces from the body.

A state of dehydration is likely to induce or worsen constipation, depending on your body response. If you suffer from constipation, having a glass of water in the morning may stimulate bowel movements, allowing you to defaecate.

Read more: Home remedies for constipation

Most of us follow a routine of having a cup of strongly brewed coffee or tea in the morning, but is this a good habit? Researchers have found that caffeine (chemical present in tea and coffee) consumption is commonly associated with fatigue and tiredness, and may even lead to insomnia.

In adolescents, consumption of caffeine is strongly related to feelings of tiredness and difficulty in sleeping. High intakes of caffeine aggravate these effects. So, adolescents and young children must specifically refrain from the consumption of caffeine and opt for warm water instead. This will also aid in better concentration and focus during the day.

But, caffeine consumption must not be restricted in just adolescents. Another study conducted to determine the potential side effects of coffee indicated that high consumption of caffeine is likely to have an effect on the coronary health of an individual.

It raises serum cholesterol levels and maybe a possible risk factor for heart attack, stroke and other complications. Another study linked coffee consumption with muscle fatigue. Particular side effects of coffee have been found in pregnant and postmenopausal women. Other than this, caffeine addiction and withdrawal is also a major problem.

Read more: Menopause symptoms

So, it can be said that having a glass of warm water in the morning is a better and safer alternative to coffee. It will raise your energy levels and help in reducing pain, as opposed to the effects of coffee.

Diabetes, a disorder which is marked by raised blood glucose levels, is a chronic condition affecting 8.7% of the Indian population. The condition is more common in the age group of 20 to 70 years, as per statistics from the World Health Organisation. This can be attributed to sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy dietary patterns.

People with diabetes, often in an attempt to cut down on sugar, opt for artificial sweeteners, like aspartame or saccharin. This adds sweetness to tea or coffee and improves its palatability (taste), the safety of which has not been truly studied. So, diabetics can alternatively consume warm water or lemon water in the morning or can opt for herbal teas.

Read more: Green tea benefits

Studies have linked high consumption of milk in infants with an increased risk of diabetes in the future. This occurs due to the formation of antibodies in the body against insulin in children who have a high risk of diabetes.

Read more: Diabetes in children

This suggests that milk may have a role in the development of type 1 diabetes and it is best to opt for an alternative, like warm water, in those who have a risk like a family history of diabetes.

Read more: What is prediabetes

Water is a known anti-toxin, that is, it helps in flushing out toxins from your body. When combined with a wedge of lemon (a powerful anti-oxidising agent), water has immense potential to fight against infections and health disorders. So, it is recommended to have a glass of warm lemon water in the morning to develop a better immune response. It will also help to ease pain and will aid in a better immune function.

Read more: Immunity-boosting foods

Circadian rhythms refer to the biological clocks that regulate sleep, digestion and other biological functions in humans. Circadian rhythms have been found to be related with the intake of water, particularly during mornings.

A recent study demonstrated that restriction of water intake in the morning led to an increase in the level of corticosterone in the body. Corticosterone is a hormone in the body, an increased level of which, is associated with an increase in stress.

Other than this, cortisone also has a role in maintaining the circadian rhythms of the body. So, drinking water in the morning has a possible effect on stress reduction and maintenance of normal sleep and other bodily cycles.

Read more: Home remedies for stress