Hot Springs Benefits – Healing Power of Thermal Water

Soaking in your bathtub has a multitude of benefits for both the mind and body. Peace, serenity, and relaxation you can get are hard to argue with. However, the same benefits increase exponentially when you soak in nature’s healing water, hot springs.

Hot spring water comes out of the Earth from deep underground. Each mineral spring is different from another by its hydrological cycle and resulting characteristics such as temperature, types of minerals, amount of minerals, and pressure it comes out with. All of those factors affect how one or another spring is classified.

Hot springs can be broken down by mineral content, pH level, and temperature. By mineral content, springs can be broken down into 4 different categories: sulfurous, carbonated (soda), saline, and radon.

By temperature, using Japanese classification mineral spring water can be cold (below 25C/77F), tepid (between 25-34C or 77-93F), warm (between 34-42C or 93-108F), or hot (over 42C or 108F).

By pH, spring water can be acidic (pH=6.9 or less), neutral (pH=7 -7.9), or alkaline (pH=8 and higher).

Traditional Chinese philosophy states that mineral springs contain 5 elements:

• “Qi” or life force which comes from the Earth since mineral springs originate from the Earth
• Water, since mineral springs are water
• Fire, from the heat and warmth of the hot spring
• Metal, from all of the minerals contained in the spring water
• Wood, from the beautiful nature surrounding hot springs.

The ancient tradition stated that soaking in the hot mineral water helps to balance and rejuvenate our body and mind. While people of the past didn’t have any scientific proof of those claims and used their experience, nowadays we have plenty of research to agree with ancient wisdom. Here are the numerous benefits you can get from enjoying hot mineral water.

Blood Circulation

Hot mineral water improves blood circulation and oxygen flow by raising an overall body temperature. This helps deliver nourishment to organs and tissues better while increasing the effectiveness of toxin removal.

Immune System

The higher temperature of water increases body temperature which leads to improving the body’s natural ability to fight viruses and bacterial infections. A Japanese study showed hot bathing increases lymphocyte count in the peripheral blood improving body immune system function. In addition, iron and sulfur found in mineral water give an extra boost to the immune system.

Metabolism

Soaking in hot mineral water helps improve digestion, optimizes endocrine function, improves overall function of the liver and intestinal tract. All of those improvements lead to an overall boost in metabolism.

Stress Relief & Relaxation

Heat, as well as some minerals in thermal water, helps in muscle relaxation which is the main component of easing the overall pressure of the body. Initial increase and then decrease of the body temperature helps get a deeper sleep leading to the farther relaxation. High concentration of negative ions in spring water increases serotonin production which is a key hormone in overall mood improvement.

Joint & Muscle Issues

Balneotherapy is a popular European and Japanese method to treat joint issues as well as muscle stiffness and pain. Hot mineral water helps to deal with diseases such as rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, and rheumatism. In addition, an Israeli study has found thermal water to help relieve pain associated with fibromyalgia.

Skin Conditions

Sulfur and silica found in hot mineral water help with a number of skin conditions as well as skin infections, rashes and improve skin smoothness and tightness. Studies showed improvements in people with psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema, and fungal infections, neurodermatitis, and athlete's foot. Hot spring water also helps heal scars as well as peel off dead skin.

Detoxification

With blood circulation accelerated elimination of toxins in the body improves. With negative ions contained in the thermal water, positive ions from heavy metals and UV light as well as free radicals are getting removed. Sweating from heat further promotes detoxification of the body.

Other therapeutic effects

Various organs in the human body get benefits from thermal mineral water through skin absorbing minerals. Minerals such as sulfur, calcium, carbon dioxide, magnesium, and lithium provide healing effects to a variety of body systems.

Drinking mineral water is popular in multiple European countries to treat gastrointestinal problems, liver, kidney, and urinary tract disorders.

Many European countries have standards for mineral water when it comes to its healing properties and mineral content. Just like any other treatment, consumption of mineral water should be advised and supervised by a medical professional.

Be advised that drinking untested water from the spring can be dangerous. It can contain harmful chemicals, pollutants, and bacteria.

In conclusion, hot springs offer tremendous value to people bathing in them. However, use common sense when soaking and always keep in mind some hot springs soaking safety tips and risks. As ancient wisdom states, something can be a poison and a cure at the same time, just in different amounts.