Can drinking hot water cure epilepsy, high blood pressure?
Social media users are sharing a post claiming that drinking warm water will cure many health conditions, including epilepsy and high blood pressure.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 30 July 2022 1:53 PM IST
Hyderabad: Social media users are sharing a post claiming that drinking warm water will cure many health conditions, including epilepsy and high blood pressure. It reads, "A group of Japanese doctors have confirmed that hot water is 100% effective in solving certain health problems."
The post claims that epilepsy and paralysis can be cured in nine months and high blood pressure in 30 days by drinking two glasses of warm water daily.
"Get up early in the morning and drink approximately 4 glasses of warm water when the stomach is empty. You may not be able to make 4 glasses at first, but over time you will get there. NOTE: Do not eat anything for 45 mins after taking water," the message doing the rounds of WhatsApp reads.
It further claims that cold water is bad for health and can lead to diseases, including cancer and heart attack.
Fact Check:
The claim is false.
NewsMeter found that the post has been viral since 2017 and was widely shared on blogs and social media.
Japanese water therapy is the practice of drinking several glasses of water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Drinking warm water has several advantages, including improved digestion, body detoxification, improved blood circulation, pain relief, nasal congestion relief, muscle relaxation, and stress reduction. However, there is no scientific evidence to support a direct link between drinking warm water and curing of the ailments mentioned in the WhatsApp message.
While certain health conditions thrive on dehydration, such as migraines, asthma, blood pressure, cough, and so on, this does not mean that hydration or drinking warm water will cure these ailments. Warm water, for example, does not affect ailments such as cholesterol because cholesterol does not dissolve in water. (Read here, here, and here)
Applying a hot compress or soaking in warm water, on the other hand, is one of the oldest and safest complementary therapies for migraines, joint pains, and discomfort, among other physical ailments. While warm water may provide temporary relief from some ailments, there is no evidence to support the claim that it can cure any of the ailments listed in the post, including cancer.
Drinking cold water is not listed as a cause of stomach lining or intestine damage in most medical sources, nor is it listed as a risk factor for cancer.
Drinking cold water has its own set of advantages, such as lowering the core temperature during physical activity, improving performance, and staying cool in hot environments. However, there is no scientific evidence that drinking cold water is harmful to people, except that it may aggravate the common cold or flu.
NewsMeter spoke to Dr. Laxmikant Reddy, a general physician at Medicover Hospitals, who said the viral post is bogus and that drinking normal water is good for the skin and overall health but it cannot cure diseases as claimed in the viral post. Drinking water should be nothing more or nothing less; it should be taken as it is required for an individual. Drinking four glasses of water in the morning will not resolve our health conditions. Hence, the claim is false.
