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Explainer | Why you should drink water stored in a copper jug or pot – Ayurvedic experts explain its multiple health benefits, some backed up by science

  • Storing water in a copper bottle, mug, jug or pitcher infuses it with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, according to Ayurveda
  • Drinking it helps with digestion, healing wounds and weight loss, and boosts your energy and immune system, experts on the traditional Indian medicine say

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Storing water in a copper container infuses it with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, say Ayurvedic scholars, and drinking it has multiple health benefits. Photo: Shutterstock
Neeta Lal

Copper mugs, cups, water bottles and jugs are in demand as health-conscious consumers learn of the health benefits from drinking copper-infused water.

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Indian grannies have been drinking water like this for centuries. My own paternal grandmother, who lived to the age of 89, slept with a copper jug of water on her bedside table, from which she drank first thing in the morning on waking up. She encouraged her children and grandchildren to do the same.

This was a means to bolster one’s immunity. According to the 5,000-year-old practice of Ayurveda, water stored in copper vessels is infused with antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties.
Ayurvedic practitioners say that drinking copper-enriched water first thing in the morning helps balance all three doshas – kapha, vata and pitta – the body’s natural energies. The metal also helps ensure the proper functioning of different organs and metabolic processes, they say.
Ayurvedic scholar Bharti Raghav drinks water from a copper bowl. Photo: Bharti Raghav
Ayurvedic scholar Bharti Raghav drinks water from a copper bowl. Photo: Bharti Raghav

Experts interviewed by the Post say drinking copper-infused water:

  • Improves thyroid gland functioning

  • Prevents anaemia

  • Strengthens bones

  • Accelerates weight loss

  • Helps the body break down fat and eliminate it

  • Helps break down food in the gut and improves digestion

  • May help optimise the body’s absorption of nutrients from food

  • May help regulate kidney function

  • Provides a natural detox

  • Kills microorganisms, mould, fungi, algae and bacteria

  • Bolsters the immune system

  • Aids recovery from injuries

  • Helps wounds heal

  • Aids the body’s production of new cells

  • Aids the production of melanin that determines hair and skin colour

  • Helps keep the skin supple and elastic

  • May help reduce the appearance of fine lines on the face

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