Water; Cleans Away the Bodily Fluid, Prevents the Disease

Long time ago, a woman, who offered water in a bowl filled with leaves to a stranger, seemed to know the `wisdom of drinking water’. If one is a little bit more careful about the drinking water, it can be helpful to health. Let’s take a look at the `health method through water`, as the summer is at near.

- To drink fast is harmful to the body: To drink water slowly mixed with saliva is good for the heart and kidney. If one gulps down water, one may lose appetite and feel bloated along with indigestion because of the stretched stomach.

- A cup of cold water in the morning is remedy for constipation: If one drinks one or two cups of cold water as soon as after waking up, one’s constipation can be cured. Drinking water in the morning helps the bowel movements by stimulating the stomach and the intestines.

- One should drink alcohol with water: The amount of alcohol decreases since water dilutes the alcohol. Especially, if one drinks alcohol with the cold water, it decreases the alcohol absorption amount by letting alcohol pass through the small intestines quickly through the stimulation of the peristaltic movements of intestines. Also, if one drinks lots of water, liver is less damaged since alcohol in blood is eliminated through the urination.

- Don’t drink water too much while eating: One should avoid drinking too much water while eating. If one drinks too much water during eating, one cannot chew the food properly. This may cause indigestion. Drinking too much water may also cause problems in digestion by diluting the gastric fluid or digestive enzyme. However, drinking a half-cup of water before and after the meal is good for the digestion since it stimulates the peristaltic movements.

- Drink water with a little bit of salt in the summer season: During the summer, sodium (natrium) is eliminated from the body along with perspiration. When one does not have enough sodium within the body, one can be affected by heat-spasm or heatstroke.

Yun Sang-Ho ysh1005@donga.com