HEALING POWER OF CLAY POT WATER
Water is the universal elixir of life. It makes up more than 70 percent of our total body mass and covers the same proportion of the Earth’s surface. We can live without food for a month or more; but we will perish in a matter of days without water. We imbibe this vital power or Prâna from water that gives more energy, health and immunity.
Water is essential for our existence and we should have access to clean water for our daily activities. When you talk about drinking water, you need to be extra cautious. Nowadays most of us drink mineral water or the one from the RO purifier and store it in plastic bottles. In olden times everybody used to drink from the clay pot or earthen pot and they were a way lot healthier than us. Can you believe that by just changing the way the water is stored, you can make it healthy!
In this virtual world, where everyone is behind technology and advancement, there are people who still rely on the traditional methods of water purification. This makes earthen pot sustainable. It has the values and believes attached to its form and function. Moreover, the material decomposes back to nature without polluting the environment.
Functionality causes zero percent exploitation of resources indeed! It is a refrigerator which doesn’t require electricity.
It’s widely known that drinking enough water each day is an essential key to health. The quality of the water we drink, however, often gets overlooked.
Today, we are blessed with remarkable convenience in obtaining the water we drink. While some people still hike for miles to find fresh water, we simply turn on a faucet or run to the nearest store. Such convenience, however, also breeds less care regarding the quality of water we drink.
HOW COOLING TAKES PLACE IN THE POT?
As per the science behind the way of cooling water in a clay pot, the clay pot absorbs some of the water that is poured into it, which makes the clay pot well moist. The outside temperature evaporates the humidity on the pot and this cools the kept water at a comfortable temperature, whose effect lasts until the wall of the pot is moist.
This earthen pot (used for storing water in the olden days), that we have so merrily traded for plastic, stainless steel and other synthetically manufactured materials, has tiny pores all over its body that gives it passive cooling properties. It allows water to evaporate from its surface, similar to the way a human body functions, keeping the stored water cool.
Have you ever had water from clay pot? Well, if you haven’t, then you are missing out on countless health benefits. Using a clay pot for water is not just a traditional alternative to the steel, glass and plastic containers, but it’s a healthy alternative as well.
BENEFITS OF DRINKING CLAY POT WATER
• When it comes to storing water, the earthen pots occupy the primary position. Storing water in an earthen pot is the best method. Earthen pot not only makes the water chilled during summer but also provides healing elements of Earth. More importantly the earthen pot transfers the coolness to the water according to the climatic conditions; which is the special quality of earthen pot that no other container has. The chilled water of earthen pots during summer has no other replacement in quenching the thirst and satisfaction of drinking water.
• Naturally cooled water from clay pots is readily absorbed by the body and is brimming with micro-nutrients that it soaks up from the kiln fired earthen pot.
• In the scorching summer heat the clay pot water is good as compared to fridge water to avoid sunstroke also 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. It is assumed that people, who drink water from an earthen pot, have less chances of developing throat infection compared to those, who drink chilled water from the fridge.
• Storing water in plastic containers is not safe as harmful chemicals such as BPA in plastic, pose a health hazard by clinging to the water molecules. The traditional clay pot is the best way of storing water. Drinking water from the clay pot helps in improving the body’s metabolism and is devoid of harmful chemicals like BPA. Clay pot water tastes very natural, is pleasantly chilled and is good for health.
• 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.
• Clay pot water drinking can very well improve the level of testosterone in your body when compared water stored in plastic. After breaking the clay pot it depletes into the ground. Indeed it can be reused and recycled. The design value of earthen pots makes it hundred percent Eco- friendly.
• Earthen pots can cool water without electricity. In fact, most of the people in Rural India rely on earthen pots as natural refrigerators as it doesn’t require electricity as electricity isn’t available in these places and the temperature is just apt for the throat.
• Drinking water from natural filtration is better than chemically treated water as human body would need few bacteria to develop immunity within the body.
• Earthen pots results in no harmful by-products during the production of pottery. Clay scraps and imperfect pieces produced off the jiggering machine or from slip casting may be re-mixed and re-used.
• There are health risks involved with consumption of demineralized water such as it direct effects on the intestinal mucous membrane, metabolism and mineral homeostasis or other body functions. Little or no intake of calcium can lead to weaker bones and frequent tooth bleeding. Moreover, it may also lead to loss of body immunity to fight against diseases. Earthen pot sustains these minerals in the water and makes it healthy for drinking as compared to distilled water.
ILL EFFECTS OF WATER STORED IN PLASTIC, ALUMINIUM CONTAINERS ETC.
• If the water is stored in glass vessels there is no harm; and there is no benefit either. Also, Water should neither be stored nor used from an aluminium vessel. The Aluminium mixes with water, goes in to our intestines and the body leading to various diseases. Water stored in plastic containers contain harmful chemical like Bisphenol A which poses a health hazard.
• The chemicals added to sanitize water have also raised concerns in recent years. These include chlorine, phosphate, lime, soda ash, and fluoride and aluminium phosphate. Chlorine, in particular, has attracted considerable attention. Studies have shown that chlorine forms carcinogenic chemicals when interacting with organic matter commonly found in water. Ingesting small amounts of chlorine over time has also been shown to drop vitamin E levels in the body and destroy beneficial intestinal flora.
• Water is usually stored in plastic bottles in the refrigerator which contains CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons. They are organic compounds that found large scale application in refrigerants few decades ago. However, it was found out that CFCs react with the ozone gas in our atmosphere and leave us vulnerable to harmful effects of ultraviolet radiations of sun.
• As awareness of water quality has increased in recent years, bottled water sales have boomed. Relying solely on bottled water, however, is more costly and less environmentally friendly than investing in a quality filtration system. Chemicals from plastic bottles can also leach into the water, particularly if bottles become hot.
• Bottled water can last only for a couple of days and then starts emitting bad odour. Studies show that the plastics used for bottles contain chemicals having estrogenic activity.
• The new technology based water purifiers are sleek and contemporary. The material used in its construction is unbreakable and assures prolonged storage. The additional filters bring to us more clean and purified water. Since, the water treated can be stored for a couple of days. These purifiers are made from unsustainable materials and are not decomposable. This in turn results in releasing harmful products in nature.
HOW TO STORE WATER IN CLAY POT?
• For generations, earthen pots have been used to store water and keep it cool as water stored in matkas or surahis for a few hours gets cooled at about 10⁰C and 14⁰C. The water kept in clay pot is said to have a refreshing flavor and is just at the right temperature not too warm and not too chilled.
• You can boil water for about 20 minutes, let it cool down to room temperature and then put it in a clay pot.
• If you already have a water purifier you can take filtered water and store in clay pot to make it cool instead of keeping it in fridge.
• Bunch of vetiver roots can be put in the clay pot to enhance the cooling effect of water.
• Some precautions to be used while using clay pot water.
• Keep your earthen pot germ-free, by scrubbing, cleaning and then drying the clay pot after each use prior to restocking it. You should make sure that you change the water stored in it regularly and clean the earthen pot once in 3 days.
• Different types of clay pots are available in the market – a small clay pot is easy to handle while the big one is hard to move around. Select the clay pot which best suit your needs and your comfort.
• The breeze will help keep your water cool, so put the pot on a sturdy table near the window and wrap a clean moist cloth around the clay pot for faster cooling.
• Keep the clay pot covered at all times to prevent insects, dust and other contaminants from falling into it.
• Don’t put a glass directly in clay pot to take out water as it could contaminate the water, instead use a clean, long-handled ladle.
• Check clay pot properly while buying that there is no crack, otherwise water can leak out. A cracked clay pot cannot cool the water effectively.
• Water storage in earthen pots was easy, but soon people realized it’s difficult to pour out water by tuning the heavy water filled pots. Even as the water level goes much deeper, the water cannot be taken out easily .To avoid this problem the earthen pots with attached tap can be used for easy water pouring and saving each drop wisely.
CONCLUSION
A grassroots alternative to hi-tech filtration systems is earthen pots. It is important to understand that the innovation and technology have their roots inspired from the ancient practices and equipment. Like the concept of current water purifiers is nothing put an inverted pot with a stopper. The slight innovation in the design has increased its function multi fold. Even though the current water purifiers can serve the purpose perfectly, there are few moments when human realize that their made technology fails in many situations and the need becomes to switch back to the tried and tested old methods.
Most of us have grown up on soothing coolness and earthy flavor of clay pot water that would quench our thirst on hot summer days, like nothing else could. But with refrigeration taking over, out went this very healthy practice! This article focuses on the unceasing existence and usage of earthen pots despite of the new advancement in technologies. After reading this post you may be tempted to get a clay pot right away!
Well, what are you waiting for! Stay healthy!
Wish You All Blessed Health!!