At times, we wake up in the middle of the night feeling thirsty. As soon as this happens we reach out to the water that might have been sitting all night. Even in the morning, we sometimes have the same water that has been kept overnight. Have you ever questioned whether one should be drinking that water or not? Here is what experts have to say about the same.
What happens when you drink the water that has been sitting overnight?
The first concern is that the water sitting overnight is not ideally sanitary. Even if the water container is covered, there could be problems. Once you drink the water from the container and it makes contact with your mouth, the saliva stays on it. This can lead to bacteria, and dust accumulating on the water container. If the container is open, then water is mixed with carbon dioxide, which reduces its pH level.
From Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Delhi, Dr. Gaurav Jain who is a consultant in internal medicine, has conducted that it might not beharmful to a healthy person to drink that water.He told The Indian Express, “If this water is consumed by an already ill or unhealthy person, it may make them prone to catching another infection through contamination since their immunity is low. But, there is no harm in drinking stale water if it is stored properly.”
Another health expert Dr. Ashit Bhagwati, consultant, internal medicine, and honorary academic director, ICU at Bhatia Hospital Mumbai, concluded that there are chances of contamination occurring if the water was left uncovered.
People also tend to have water that has been kept in a closed space for days. “Water kept for long in plastic bottles or closed containers in a car is not safe as it heats up in sunlight and allows bacteria to breed,” Dr. Jain said.
With these recommendations from the health experts, it can be concluded that drinking water that has been kept overnight might not be dangerous to health, but it is not ideal for sanitary reasons.
