Do you know how to use boiled water properly?

The best types of water to use are clean water (filtered and sterilized) or boiled water that has been cooled. In addition, we should also drink fruit juices, milk without added sugar, vegetable juice and soup. Limit drinking carbonated drinks, soft drinks and drinks high in sugar.

Boiled water should not be left to cool for too long. (Illustration: Uno casa) .

Many families often boil water, let it cool, pour it into a filter and store it from day to day. However, this is not a good habit because the water can be contaminated with bacteria, no longer clean or the water has gone bad.

Boiling water at 100 degrees Celsius kills bacteria, but if left to cool for more than 2 hours, bacteria will reappear. After 24 hours, the amount of bacteria has increased significantly.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh, former lecturer at the Institute of Biotechnology and Food, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, said that natural water is often contaminated with microorganisms and insects, mainly worms and parasites. People use boiling to destroy these components, to ensure biological safety. Boiling cannot ensure chemical safety.

“If water is contaminated with substances, boiling it will not work. Therefore, from ancient times until now, if water is not contaminated, we just need to boil it and let it cool down, then we can drink it normally, because the water has been sterilized,” said Dr. Thinh.

However, we need to note that boiled water that has been left to cool for too long can be harmful to our health. Specifically, if the water is clean and does not contain organic impurities such as moss, garbage, algae, animal waste, etc., it is very good and will not spoil. However, boiled water containing many organic impurities such as many microorganisms, insects, etc. is different.

“Boiling will kill those microorganisms, so there is no problem with us drinking this water. However, the microorganisms in the water decompose, creating organic compounds in the water. When bacteria in the environment “jump” into the water, there is food (organic compounds in the water) and they will grow and develop,” Associate Professor Thinh said.

That means the water is spoiled. The dead microorganisms and insects become prey for bacteria, making the water spoiled. Because microorganisms are everywhere, in the air, water, soil, household objects, on clothes and even on human skin. Therefore, they can penetrate into boiled water that has been cooled.

According to the National Institute of Nutrition (Ministry of Health), people should not use boiled water to rinse bowls, plates or utensils because it does not have antibacterial properties. Boiled water is best used within the day and should not be used after 72 hours.

The body needs about 2 - 2.5 liters of water from food and drinks every day to compensate for the amount of water lost through different ways. Two-thirds of the water is provided by drinks, the rest is provided by other foods. People need to note, do not wait until thirsty to drink water. Note that water must be supplied slowly, not drinking a cup of 150-200ml at once, but drinking small sips of 20-30ml.

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