Dry weather in winter often leads to excessive internal heat, constipation and indigestion. There is a saying in traditional Chinese medicine that "drink salt water early and honey late", which is especially suitable for this season.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that salt has the functions of clearing heat, cooling blood and detoxifying. According to Compendium of Materia Medica, salt can "harmonize viscera, eliminate lodging and make people strong". Therefore, drinking a cup of light salt water on an empty stomach after getting up in the morning is conducive to reducing fire and benefiting the kidney, keeping the stool unobstructed and improving the digestion and absorption function of the stomach.

Honey has the functions of tonifying middle warmer, moistening dryness, relieving pain and detoxifying, and is often used to treat diseases such as spleen and stomach weakness, dyspepsia, lung dryness and dry cough, intestinal dryness and constipation. Modern medical research has proved that substances such as glucose, vitamins, phosphorus and calcium contained in honey can regulate nervous system dysfunction, thus increasing appetite and promoting sleep. Therefore, taking 10-20 ml of honey before going to bed every day and taking it with warm boiled water can not only strengthen the spleen and stomach, replenish qi and blood, but also calm the nerves and relieve boredom.

But when drinking salt water and honey, we should also pay attention to it: salt contains a lot of sodium, which will lead to an increase in blood pressure. Therefore, the concentration of saline should be low, and the salt content in 100 ml water should not exceed 0.9 g. Patients with acute nephritis, liver cirrhosis, ascites and edema had better use boiled water instead, so as not to increase the burden on kidneys and hearts. Honey is not suitable for diabetics because of its high sugar content.

In addition, salt water and honey must be drunk together, because they complement each other. The content of potassium in honey is high, which helps to excrete excess sodium in the body.