We all know that boiled water is the healthiest. Boiling water can kill bacteria and remove substances harmful to the human body. Because tap water is treated with chlorine, chlorine interacts with residual organic matter in the water to form toxic and carcinogenic compounds such as trihalomethanes.
When the water temperature reaches 90℃, the content of halogenated hydrocarbons rises to 191 micrograms per liter and 177 micrograms per liter, both exceeding the national standard by more than double. When the water temperature just reaches 100℃, the content of halogenated hydrocarbons and halogenated ions is 110 micrograms and 99 micrograms per liter, respectively. If boiling continues for 3 minutes, these two substances rapidly decrease to 9.2 micrograms and 8.3 micrograms per liter, respectively, meeting drinking water standards. Therefore, boiling water for about 3 minutes is optimal. Furthermore, it's best not to boil water for too long, otherwise, health risks may arise.
Some people reheat leftover boiled water to save water, which is a bad habit. Repeated boiling causes water to age, resulting in the loss of beneficial minerals and potentially producing harmful substances like nitrites. Large amounts of nitrites can impair the oxygen-carrying capacity of red blood cells, leading to tissue hypoxia. Long-term consumption of such water can cause nausea, vomiting, headaches, cyanosis of the nails and lips, palpitations, and in severe cases, even lead to hypoxia and may induce cancer. Saving water is not the most important thing; good health is paramount.
Drinking a glass of cooled boiled water after waking up in the morning is good for your health. Many people like to prepare a glass of boiled water the night before and drink it the next morning. This is fine when the temperature is not high; however, in summer, when the temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celsius and the air humidity is high, bacteria multiply quickly, and the cooled boiled water will lose its biological activity and is easily contaminated, causing diarrhea. You can pour a small half glass of boiled water the night before, cover it, and then dilute it with boiled water to make it warm the next morning.
In addition, boiled water should not be left for too long; it's best to drink it on the same day it's boiled. Boiled water that has been left for more than 3 days should not be consumed.
