Most people associate copper cups with trendy bars and the classic Moscow Mule drink. A copper vessel/mug/cup/canister (whichever one you choose to get) is much more than its aesthetic appeal. Drinking water from a copper vessel has been documented as beneficial in Ayurvedic texts, and is presently supported by a few scientific studies.
When you store water in a copper vessel overnight, or at least for 4 hours, a natural purification process occurs. The copper actually kills microorganisms and you consume a little bit of copper when you drink the water. Most people are deficient in copper, which is an essential trace mineral that has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-carcinogenic properties.
Normally, the best way to get copper in your diet is by eating lentils, nuts, seeds, peas, potatoes, and dark leafy green vegetables. What you don’t want to do is have entirely copper cookware. The acidity in certain produce items can cause too much copper to leak into your food, which can lead to copper poisoning. Most copper cookware has a copper bottom with a stainless steel cooking surface, which is great and much better than regular pans.
The best reasons to drink water from a copper vessel are below. It is always best to drink a glass of water from a copper vessel on an empty stomach every morning. You can drink another glass later in the day.
#1: Promotes Healthy Digestion
If your body is acidic, gassy, or you have trouble digesting certain foods, copper has properties that stimulate peristalsis, which is the contraction and relaxation of the stomach when it digests food. Copper actually helps to cleanse your entire digestive system.
#2: Aids Weight Loss
In addition to improving your digestive health, copper also helps to break down and eliminate fat cells. By eliminating fat cells and having proper digestion, you body learns to keep what it needs and it eliminates the rest.
#3: Prevents Water-Borne Diseases
Copper has been proven to kill microorganisms like E. coli and S. aureus, which can lead to diarrhea, dysentery, and jaundice. Putting water in a copper vessel also reduces your risk of cross contamination, but a copper vessel wouldn’t be able to filter the pathogens out of dirty pond water. A copper vessel can help purify tap water, though.
#4: Helps Fight Cancer
Because of copper’s health properties, it can help fight off free radicals in the body, the ill effects of which can lead to the development of cancer. How copper exactly fights cancer is still unclear to scientists, but the belief is that it does has considerable anti-cancer effects.
#5: Regulates Thyroid Gland
Your thyroid gland actually needs copper to function properly. Having a lack of copper can lead to improper function of the thyroid, which plays a major role in the body. Additionally, many people with thyroid issues, including hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, may have lower levels of copper in the body. Try drinking water out of a copper vessel for improved thyroid health.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.