Detox Water: What is Detox Water, Types, How to Make and its Benefits

Have you ever wondered how you could be so energetic and full of vigour one day and feeble the next, even if you have been quenching your bodily systems with water? The solution might not simply lie in hydration but also in the kind of fluid you are hydrating yourself with.

Detoxification has become a popular trend in health and fitness lately. Hence, detox water is a simple, refreshing, nutrient-packed twist on your regular glass of water that will make you feel revitalised, energised, and glowing from the inside out.

What is Detox Water?

Detox water is essentially water infused with a variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices, which enhances its nutritional profile. Plain water primarily serves the purpose of hydration, maintaining body temperature, PH balance, and digestion, while detox water may help with the body’s natural detoxification processes ^[1].

Unlike sugary beverages or artificial carbonated beverages, detox water leverages the natural properties of ingredients like lemon, ginger, mint, or amla to create a healthy, functional drink.

How Does Detox Water Differ from Regular Water? ^[2]

The primary distinction between detox water and regular water lies in its composition. Thus, detox water may have other advantages associated with the substances included in it.

It has been shown that fruits, vegetables, and herbs consist of various bioactive compounds, such as:

• Flavonoids
• Phenolic acids
• Carotenoids
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Fibres

Therefore, detox water made from different types of fruits, vegetables, and herbs may help:

• Remove toxins from the body
• Enhance skin health
• Boost energy levels
• Enhance well-being through mental and physical fitness
• Maintaining liver function and detoxification.
• Regular digestion and gut health
• Improve metabolism
• The antioxidants and vitamins in detox water may help boost immunity

How to Make Detox Water at Home?

Preparation of detox water is easy, and as you read through this write-up, you will notice that it can be prepared in a practically endless variety according to your desired flavour or health requirement. This also means you can use any fruit, vegetables, and herbs you think of. Below are seven recipes you can easily try at home:

 1. Raspberry Chia Water

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1-litre water

Recipe:

• Mix raspberries and chia seeds in water
• Let them sit for an hour to allow the chia seeds to expand.

Raspberries are an excellent source of antioxidants ^[3], while chia seeds contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, along with good-quality protein, essential minerals, and antioxidants ^[4]. This drink may help boost digestion due to the fibre in chia seeds.

But how do you know where your overall gut health stands currently? The Aashirvaad Digestive Quotient test offers a quick and easy way to understand how your current habits, like fibre intake, might be affecting your digestive health. It’s a helpful tool to assess your fibre intake and make personalised changes for a healthier gut.

2. Grapefruit and Lemon Detox Water

Ingredients:

• 1/2 grapefruit, sliced
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1-litre water

Recipe:

• Add the sliced grapefruit and lemon to a pitcher of water.
• Let it sit for 1-2 hours to allow the flavours to infuse.

This combination may help support metabolism and is rich in vitamin C ^[5].

3. Green Tea, Lemon, and Raw Manuka Honey

Ingredients:

• 1 green tea bag
• 1 tbsp raw Manuka honey
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1-litre water

Recipe:

• Keep green tea bags in hot water for around five minutes.
• Remove tea bags, and then add lemon juice and honey.

4. Cucumber, Lemon, and Mint Water

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cucumber, sliced
• 1 lemon, sliced
• A handful of fresh mint leaves
• 1-litre water

Recipe:

• Combine cucumber, lemon, and mint in a pitcher of water.
• Allow to steep for at least an hour.

This cooling and hydrating option is perfect for hot days. Moreover, this refreshing and energising drink is loaded with vitamin C (found in lemon) and vitamin A (found in mint), both powerful antioxidants ^[6].

5. Ginger, Cumin, and Fennel Water

Ingredients:

• 1-inch piece of ginger, sliced
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1-litre water

Recipe:

• Add ginger, cumin, and fennel seeds to water and let it boil for 10 minutes or until the water comes in half.
• Strain and drink.

This detox water is a well-known Ayurvedic remedy that might be effective in digestion and may help you fight bloating.

6. Tulsi-Cucumber Detox Water

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cucumber, sliced
• Few fresh tulsi leaves (holy basil)
• 1-litre water

Recipe:

• Stir in the tulsi and the cucumber into the water.
• Put it in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavours meld.

7. Amla-Mint Detox Water

Ingredients:

• 2 amlas (Indian gooseberries), crushed
• A handful of mint leaves
• 1-litre water

Recipe:

• Pour the crushed amla and mint leaves into the water.
• It is best if left for a couple of hours or, even better, overnight.

Why is Detox Necessary? ^[7]

Detoxing your liver is essential for good liver health and general well-being. The liver is the primary detox system of the body, which means it detoxifies substances that can build up and cause harm. So here is the breakdown of why detoxing is a must:

• The liver metabolises drugs, viruses, bacteria, artificial chemicals, pesticides, and hormones. These processes, over time, may cause the liver to become congested, which may reflect in other areas of health.
• A detox plan often includes the elimination of carbonated beverages, alcohol, and packaged food. It decreases free stored fat-soluble toxins in adipose tissue, causing the body to use these fats for energy.
• During the detox process, it is commonly recommended not to have any fruits (as they are another form of sugar). This can temporarily make the body use stored fats as energy instead of sugar, which you get from eating fruits. This change stimulates the liver to metabolise fats more effectively.
• One reason stems from the fact that the liver prefers to burn sugar for energy instead of burning fat. Cutting off the supply of sugar to the liver triggers it to break down stored fat for energy and, in the process, releases toxins from your tissues along with the fat.
• Detoxing often includes physical activities like exercise and massage to help stimulate lymphatic drainage and, therefore, further support the breakdown of fat stores.

In other words, detoxification is crucial to protect liver functioning by removing toxic overload and maintaining regular metabolic processes. Caring for your liver with dietary strategies and supporting practices will provide you with a route to a healthy, strong liver and better health.

Benefits of Detox Water

Beyond its function of providing a form of hydration, detox water might have many other qualities that may effectively address certain health conditions within the body naturally.

1. Appetite Control

• Drinking adequate water might help with appetite control and maintaining satiety value ^[8].
• Also, sipping detox water, especially with ingredients like chia seeds ^[9], which expand and help you feel fuller, may help curb cravings.

This might be a simple step towards better appetite control, but understanding your overall diet is vital to long-term success. If you’re curious whether your meals meet your daily fibre needs, try the Aashirvaad My Meal Plan test.

By answering what you typically eat, you’ll receive a personalised meal plan that balances complete nutrition and ensures you’re hitting your recommended fibre intake. This will help you stay full and nourished throughout the day.

2. May Help Manage Weight

• A study found that overweight adults who consumed 500 ml of water before meals while on low-calorie diets lost more weight than the same dieters who took the low-calorie diets alone ^[10].
• One reason could be the immediate decrease in energy intake during meals after drinking water.
• In general, various forms of detox water may help regulate metabolism and could indirectly help manage weight. However, we need more clinical trials to provide strong evidence that detox water directly leads to weight management ^[11].

3. Improved Cognitive Function and Sleep

• Adequate water levels in the body may affect the sleep cycle ^[12] and cognitive process ^[13].
• Hence, detox water prepared with ingredients like tulsi may help improve focus and neurocognitive abilities ^[14]. It might also help promote better sleep quality by regulating the body’s natural sleep cycles ^[15].

4. Antioxidant Properties

• Fruit-infused or detox water might have antioxidant properties that improve with longer immersion times. This allows beneficial compounds like polyphenols and vitamin C to diffuse into the water. Combining different varieties of fruits may enhance the water’s ability to scavenge harmful free radicals and remove toxins from the body ^[16].
• Many detox water ingredients, like amla ^[17], cucumber ^{[18] [19]}, and Manuka honey ^[20], are loaded with antioxidants, which may help to combat oxidative stress and support overall health.

5. Digestive and Gut Health Benefits

• Inadequate water intake can lead to skin dryness and constipation in both adults and children. Dehydration is also linked to increased rates of mortality, morbidity, and disability. Thus, staying hydrated is crucial for overall well-being ^[21].
• High water intake may help maintain kidney health ^[22] and also manage constipation.
• Therefore, the combination of ingredients like ginger ^[23], cumin ^[24], and fennel ^[25] in detox water may support digestion by stimulating the secretion of digestive enzymes, reducing bloating, and helping regulate bowel movements.

Adding nutrient-dense grains to your diet might be beneficial to further support your digestive health alongside hydration. Aashirvaad Multi Millets Mix Aata might be an excellent choice for this. It combines the goodness of five millet, which is naturally high in fibre, supporting gut health and digestion while providing sustained energy.

Paired with your detox water routine, this wholesome mix can help you maintain regularity while ensuring a nutritious, balanced approach to digestive wellness.

6. Skin Health

• Optimum hydration levels benefit the skin’s surface and deeper layers, making it feel healthier and more moisturised, much like a topical moisturiser ^[26].
• Hence, detox water, particularly with vitamin C-rich ingredients like lemon ^[27] and amla  ^[28], may promote healthier skin.

7. Adequate Hydration and Health Conditions

The emergence of chronic health conditions is often due to lifestyle choices and environmental factors, and hydration is an important cornerstone for overall well-being. We have known for some time about the impacts of severe levels of dehydration; the indication is that mild dehydration may also be associated with a range of health issues ^[29]. For example, 

• More fluid intake increases urine volume, which may help manage the risk of developing certain urinary conditions ^[30].
• While the kidneys work to get rid of waste from our bodies, drinking plenty of water may help because it allows the kidneys to have a more favourable environment ^[31].
• Keeping well-hydrated may help with respiratory health, especially when doing physical activities ^[32].
• In addition, keeping infants with gastroenteritis well-hydrated could alleviate concerns about dehydration risks ^[33].
• Similarly, hydration could be important for the general health of diabetic individuals, as it has been found that dehydration might be related to hyperglycemia ^[34].
• Optimal hydration has been linked to a broad array of cardiovascular outcomes and brain health, reinforcing the importance of being well-hydrated ^[35]. 

Nutritional Benefits of the Common Ingredients Used in Detox Water

Tips to Incorporate Detox Water into Your Daily Routine

• Start your day with warm lemon juice and water to kickstart your metabolism. This simple recipe is quick to prepare and delivers a refreshing boost of vitamin C to strengthen immunity.
• For variety, rotate between recipes, such as ginger-cumin-fennel water for mornings and amla-mint for afternoons.
• Always prepare detox water using fresh, filtered water to avoid contaminants and impurities.
• Allow the ingredients to absorb for at least 1-2 hours or overnight for maximised benefits without extra calories.
• Remember to hydrate throughout the day to stay refreshed, especially during hot Indian summers.

Final Say

Detox water can be a refreshing addition to your routine, but it’s important to understand that it doesn’t magically flush out toxins from your body. The human body’s natural detox system is primarily driven by the liver and kidneys ^[49].

While detox water may support hydration and provide many health benefits, it’s not a quick fix for weight management, detoxification, or a replacement for a healthy diet. True health comes from a balanced diet filled with cereals, legumes, vegetables, fruits, and natural fluids.

Factors like pH levels, blood sugar, and individual health conditions must be considered for optimum results. Everyone’s body is different, so for the best results, consult a dietician for personalised advice that aligns with your body’s needs. Detox water is one step towards overall wellness, not the whole journey!

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