“Don’t drink warm water on an empty stomach,” jokes influencer Krystal in a viral video to her 265K followers, before quickly adding the punchline, “unless you want toxins flushed out of your body.”
She then explains how the habit changed her mornings. “I started drinking it and realised I feel warmer, my face isn’t puffy anymore, and my skin is glowing.”
The clip quickly took off online, with thousands in the comments vowing to try the habit themselves. In an Internet landscape already obsessed with lemon water for immunity, prebiotic sodas for gut health and the so-called “sleepy girl mocktail” for better rest, the newest wellness beverage making waves in the West is surprisingly simple: warm water.
But while social media may be treating it as the latest discovery, for much of Asia, the idea is anything but new.
An Ancient Habit In Eastern Traditions
For centuries, both traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda have recommended drinking warm water, particularly in the morning.
The reasoning is simple: warmth is believed to help stimulate the digestive system and keep bodily processes running smoothly.
According to Debjani Gupta, functional nutritionist and founder of Wellness For All, the habit has long been tied to gut health.
“Water has a lot of benefits. It helps clear toxins from the body and supports digestion,” she explains. “In Ayurveda it is said to stimulate the digestive fire, which is why having a glass of warm water first thing in the morning or before meals can be helpful.”
However, Gupta stresses that temperature matters. “We don’t want boiling hot water because that can damage internal organs. It should always be lukewarm.”
In many Indian homes, the practice often goes a step further. Warm water may be infused with spices such as jeera, ajwain, methi or dhania seeds, each believed to play a different role in supporting digestion and gut health.
“You can soak jeera overnight or boil spices in water and let it cool to a warm temperature. Each of these ingredients has a different function in supporting the gut, and together they can offer multiple health benefits,” Gupta says.
Why The Morning Glass Matters
Health experts say there may be some logic behind starting the day with water. After hours of sleep, the body wakes up mildly dehydrated. Drinking fluids helps restore hydration and activates the digestive tract.
“When you wake up, digestion has slowed overnight,” gastroenterologists often explain. Drinking or eating anything in the morning signals the digestive system to begin working again, triggering contractions in the stomach and intestines that move food, gas and stool along.
That’s one reason many people say they feel less bloated or more comfortable after their morning glass of water.
Gupta adds that warm water may also help ease digestive discomfort. “If someone feels heavy or bloated after a meal, a glass of warm water with crushed ajwain can provide relief fairly quickly,” she says.
From Gut Health To Glowing Skin
Beyond digestion, the Internet credits warm water with a long list of benefits, from weight loss and detoxification to clearer skin.
Some of these claims are overstated, experts say, but hydration itself plays a major role in overall health.
Dr Ridhima Khamesra, Clinical Dietician says Warm water can stimulate gastrointestinal activity that aids digestion, counteracts bloating and helps with easier bowel movements, as water is requisite for various chemical and enzymatic reactions that are catalysts for various metabolic processes, nutrient absorption and digestion.
It has a mild effect on smooth muscles but promotes peripheral vasodilation. Infact it also helps in mucus discharge, thereby beneficial in cough and cold.
“Hydration is very important. I have been emphasising it need since long. 60 per cent of your body is made of water and staying hydrated is essential for all major metabolic processes of the body. Early morning warm water kick-starts your metabolism and at the same time replenishes the fluid lost over the night,” she adds.
In cases of constipation, Gupta adds, the drink may also help. “Warm water with a teaspoon of ghee morning and evening is traditionally used to reduce dryness and ease constipation.”
Regular hydration can also affect the skin. When the body receives enough fluids, dryness reduces and the skin often appears clearer and healthier.
“Because the gut clears better, you may also notice improvements in the skin when warm water becomes a regular habit,” Gupta says.
What Science Actually Says
Despite the popularity of the trend, scientific research specifically on warm water remains limited.
Some small studies have explored how temperature affects digestion. One study involving patients recovering from gallbladder surgery found that those who drank warm water passed gas sooner than those who did not drink anything, though the effect on bowel movements was less clear.
Other research suggests that cold drinks may slow stomach emptying slightly compared with warmer liquids, though experts say the evidence is still limited.
In practical terms, what matters most may simply be the act of drinking water itself.
Hydration softens stool, supports circulation and helps maintain normal bodily functions. Starting the day with a glass of water, regardless of temperature, may therefore make people feel better simply because it restores fluids after sleep.
When Warm Water Can Help
There are also situations where warm water may genuinely feel more comforting than cold.
During colds or throat irritation, warm liquids can soothe the throat and loosen mucus. In colder climates or during winter months, many people also find warm beverages easier to drink regularly.
“Warm water is a fantastic addition to the daily routine,” Gupta says.
Even if the weather is hot, having a few glasses of warm water throughout the day can still be beneficial.”
A Word Of Caution
Experts, however, caution against extremes.
Dr Pratyaksha Bhardwaj, dietitian and weight management expert, notes that excessively hot water can irritate or damage tissues in the mouth, throat and food pipe.
“People should drink lukewarm or comfortably warm water. Extremely high temperatures can irritate the throat and even damage tissues,” he explains.
He also emphasises that hot water should not replace regular hydration throughout the day. The goal, he says, is balance.
“The correct temperature, together with moderate consumption, allows people to gain health benefits without negative effects,” he adds.
The Bottomline
What social media now calls a wellness trend is, in reality, an ancient habit that has quietly existed in Asian households for generations.
The science may not support every viral claim about detoxification or rapid weight loss, but one fact remains clear: drinking water, warm or otherwise, is good for the body.