Clay Water Pot – 5 Amazing Health Benefits
1. Cooling Water
We all remember the good old days when we would drink water stored in the Matkas. Scientists claim that storing water in a clay water pot is the best way. Clay pots not only cool the water down, they also provide healing with the elements of earth. Most significantly, clay pots transfer the chill to the water based on the climate. This quality of a clay pot is unique, and no other container has the same quality (1).
2. Porous
Clay is porous. In the same way, a clay pot is also porous. When you store water in a clay pot, the evaporation happens. This process causes cooling as water particles gain energy in the form of heat, then change to gas and get mixed with air. A clay pot has small holes visible at the microscopic level through which water seeps out and gains energy to become gas and gets evaporated causing cooling. Heat and moisture circulate throughout the pot, quite opposite to the metal or enamel-lined crockery that we use today. Some pots are made of a special type of clay containing speckles of mica, colloquially known as ‘micaceous’ clay. Mica is a natural insulator.
3. Alkaline
Another benefit of clay water pots is the alkaline nature of clay. The alkaline clay interacts with the acidity of water and provides the proper pH balance. This water can help curb acidity and in turn provides relief from gastronomic pains. This nature of clay is quite useful and is one of the few well-documented benefits of drinking water from an earthen pot. When acidic food like meat or milk is cooked in an earthen pot, the clay helps to neutralize the overly acidic qualities of food as well (2).
4. Improves Metabolism And Virility
Drinking the right amount of water everyday can help us boost metabolism. We usually store water in plastic containers, without realizing that there are harmful chemicals like BPA (Bisphenol A) in plastic that cling onto the water molecules and pose a health hazard. Alternatively, drinking water from a clay pot can help improve metabolism without dangerous chemicals like BPA added to the fray. Drinking water from a clay pot can also help maintain a level of testosterone in your body, as opposed to plastic, which in turn reduces the amount of testosterone in our body. Clay water tastes natural, pleasantly chilled and also helps improve metabolism and virility (3).
5. Gentle On The Throat
Remember the summer vacations, when we came back from the park after a nice game of football or hopscotch. Mum or Grandma would insist on drinking water from the Matka rather than the fridge. Although we never knew why, one of the reasons could have been to avoid sunstroke. And the other reason could have been that the sudden temperature change could make us sick. What we did not realize though, is that the water stored in an earthen pot is gentle on the throat. It is an ideal drink for people suffering from cough or cold (4). These are some of the benefits of drinking water from clay pots. The only important thing to remember is to clean these pots every three days and change the water regularly. The ‘surahi’ or narrow-neck jug-shaped water pot and the ‘matka’ or traditional water pot are the two types of clay pots available. Are clay pots good for health? Yes, clay pots are good for your health. They enrich the stored water with many nutrients. Also, the alkaline properties of clay neutralize the acidity of the food and ease digestion. Are clay pots toxic? No, clay pots are not toxic. They are known for their water-enriching properties and are suitable for cooking. Moreover, they are eco-friendly. Can clay pots go in the fridge? Yes, clay pots can be placed in the fridge. However, do not place these pots for longer hours in the refrigerator. Do clay pots purify water? Yes, clay pots can purify water. Their porous micro-texture helps filter the contaminants. Can we pour hot water into a clay pot? Yes, you can pour hot water into a clay pot.
