The possible benefits of drinking water range from keeping the kidneys healthy to weight loss.
It is common to hear that water is essential for your health. But why is this so? To function properly, all cells and organs in the body need water. Furthermore, this substance constitutes the majority of your weight and participates in many important functions, including:
- Eliminate waste from your body
- Regulation of body temperature
- Help your brain to function
Most of the water we get daily is from drinking beverages. However, you can also get it through food.
Read on to learn more ways water can improve your well-being. But first, let us look at some facts.
Table of Contents
The Facts
Here are some facts about water:
- Babies and children have a higher percentage of water than adults. At birth, babies have about 78% water, but this proportion drops to 65% after one year.
- Fatty tissues contain less water than lean tissue.
- Men have more water than women, in percentage.
Do We Drink Enough Water?
A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2013 analyzed data from the 2007 Survey of Attitudes and Eating Behaviors of the National Cancer Institute.
Researchers discovered from a sample of 3,397 adults:
- 7% of adults reported that they do not consume drinking water daily
- 36% of adults reported that they drank 1 to 3 cups of water per day.
- 35% of adults reported that they drank between 4 and 7 cups of water a day.
- 22% of adults reported that they drank 8 or more cups a day
People were more likely to drink less than 4 cups of drinking water a day if they ate 1 cup or less of fruits or vegetables a day.
The study only measured drinking water consumption. The liquid may come from other drinks, but the water is better because it has no calories, caffeine, and alcohol.
Seven percent of respondents reported not drinking water daily, and those who drank only a small amount of water also consumed fewer fruits and vegetables. This suggests that several people risk their health by not getting enough water.
Even if respondents who report low levels of water absorption absorb enough fluid, they are likely to obtain it from sources that could compromise their health in other ways.
“The biological needs of water can be met with ordinary water or through food and other beverages,” the study authors write. “The results of previous epidemiological studies indicate that water consumption may be inversely proportional to the volume of sugary drinks and the consumption of liquids.”
Having stated these facts let go over to the benefits drinking water can bring.
Benefits of Drinking Water
Below are some benefits of drinking water.
1. Lubricates the Joints
The cartilage, which is found in the joints and disks of the spine, contains about 80% water. Furthermore, water consumption helps lubricate and cushion the joints, spinal cord, and tissues. Therefore, this will help improve physical activity and reduce discomfort caused by conditions such as arthritis. Long-term dehydration can reduce the ability to absorb joint impacts and cause joint pain.
2. It Forms Saliva and Mucus
Water is a main component of saliva. Saliva also includes small amounts of electrolytes, mucus, and enzymes. Also, It is essential to break down solid foods and keep your mouth healthy. Furthermore, Saliva helps keep the nose and eyes moist. This avoids friction and damage. Your body usually produces saliva with regular fluid intake. However, your saliva production may decrease because of your age, certain medications or certain treatments.
Drinking water also keeps your mouth clean. Also, when it is used instead of sugary drinks, it can also reduce tooth decay.
If your mouth is drier than normal and your increased water intake is not helping you, talk to your doctor.
3. It Improves Blood Oxygen Circulation in the Body.
Blood contains over 90% water. Water helps to carry helpful nutrients and oxygen to your body. Reaching your daily water intake will improve your circulation and have a positive impact on your overall health.
4. Increases Health and Beauty.
With dehydration, the skin may become more vulnerable to skin disorders and premature wrinkles. Proper intake of water helps keep the skin hydrated and can promote collagen production. However, water intake alone is not enough to reduce the effects of aging. This process is also affected by genes and general sun protection.
5. It Moisturizes the Brain, Spinal Cord, and Other Sensitive Tissues.
Dehydration can affect the structure and function of the brain. Also, water is involved in the production of hormones and neurotransmitters. Prolonged dehydration can cause thinking and reasoning problems. Good hydration is the key to staying in good shape. ResearchTrusted Source says that not drinking enough water can negatively affect your concentration, alertness and short-term memory.
6. It Regulates Body Temperature.
Staying hydrated is crucial to maintain body temperature. Water that is stored in the intermediate layers of the skin reaches the surface of the skin in the form of sweat as the body heats up. That is, the body loses water when you sweat during physical activity and in hot environments.
Your perspiration keeps your body cool, but your body temperature will increase if you don’t fill the lost water. This is because your body loses electrolytes and plasma when it becomes dehydrated.
Some scientists have suggested that when the body contains little water, the heat storage capacity increases and the individual is less able to tolerate heat strain.
Having a lot of water in the body can reduce physical exertion if heat stress occurs during exercise. However, more research is needed on these effects.
If you sweat more than normal, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
7. It Facilitates Digestion
The intestine needs water to function properly. Contrary to what some people think, experts confirm that drinking water before, during and after a meal will help your body break down the food you eat more easily. This will help you digest food more efficiently and make the most of your meals. Dehydration can cause digestive problems, constipation and a stomach that is too acidic. This increases the risk of heartburn and stomach ulcers.
8. Eliminate Body Waste.
Sweating and elimination of urine and feces require water.
Sweat regulates body temperature when you exercise or when it’s hot. You need water to replenish the lost fluid from perspiration.
You also need enough water in your system to have healthy bowel movements and avoid constipation.
Your kidneys are also important to filter out waste when you urinate. Adequate water intake helps your kidneys function more effectively and prevents kidney stones.
9. Help to Maintain the Arterial Pressure
Lack of water can cause thickening of the blood and increase blood pressure. Therefore drinking water benefits you by making the blood not to be thick, thereby reducing blood pressure.
10. It Helps Fight the Disease
Drinking enough water can help prevent some medical conditions. These include:
- constipation
- kidney stones
- Exercise-induced asthma.
- urinary tract infection
- hypertension
One of the many other striking benefits of drinking water is that it also helps you absorb important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from your food, which increases your chances of staying healthy.
11. It Makes Minerals and Nutrients Accessible.
Drinking water benefits you in the sense that it helps in the absorption of nutrients. These nutrients dissolve in water, which allows them to reach different parts of the body. Then provides these vitamin components to the rest of your body for use.
12. Prevents Kidney Damage
Water helps dissolve minerals and nutrients, making them more accessible to the body. It also helps eliminate waste. The kidneys regulate and balance fluid levels in the body. These two functions make water vital to the kidneys.
again, the kidneys filter between 120 and 150 liters of fluid each day. Of these, approximately 1 to 2 liters are removed from the body in the form of urine and the rest is recovered through the bloodstream.
Moreover, water is essential for the functioning of the kidneys. Lack of water can cause kidney stones and other problems.
If the kidneys do not work properly, waste and excess fluid can accumulate in the body.
13. Increase Performance During Exercise
Dehydration during exercise can affect performance. Drinking plenty of water during physical activity is essential. Athletes can sweat from 6 to 10%. You are more likely to suffer from dehydration if you participate in endurance training or high-intensity sports such as basketball.
Hydration also affects your strength, power, and stamina. Some scientists have suggested that increased water consumption could improve performance during intense activities.
Further research is needed to confirm this, but a review showed that dehydration reduced performance in activities longer than 30 minutes.
The negative effects of exercise in the heat without water can cause serious medical problems, such as reduced blood pressure and hyperthermia. Extreme dehydration can cause convulsions and even death.
14. Weightloss
Drinking water benefits you by also helping you to lose weight if it is consumed instead of sweet juices and soft drinks. “Preloading” with water before meals can help to avoid overeating by creating a feeling of satiety.
Studies have found a link between body fat and weight loss and drinking water in girls and overweight women. Drinking more water while dieting or exercising can help you lose weight.
15. It can Help to Prevent Constipation
Fiber consumption is not the only way to prevent constipation. It is also important to maintain your water intake so that your bowel movements can contain a lot of water.
If you do not consume enough water, magnesium, and fiber, you are more likely to suffer from constipation.
If you are already constipated, you may find that you drinking water benefits you by easing the symptoms. Also, carbonated water can help.
16. It Helps to Increase Energy.
Drinking water can activate your metabolism. An increase in metabolism has been associated with a positive impact on the energy level.
One study found that drinking 500 ml of water increased the metabolic rate by 30% in men and women. These effects seemed to last more than an hour.
Therefore, the release of energy is one of the several benefits of drinking water.
17. It Helps to Improve Mood.
Not having enough water can also affect your mood. Dehydration can cause fatigue and confusion.
18. Prevents General Dehydration
Dehydration is the result of the lack of water in your body. And since water is essential for many body functions, dehydration can be very dangerous.
Severe dehydration can lead to serious complications, including:
- Swelling in the brain
- Kidney failure
- Seizures
Make sure you drink enough water to compensate for sweating, urination, and bowel movements to avoid dehydration.
How Much Water Should We Drink?
The amount of water each person needs, depends on their physical activity, how much they sweat, etc.
There is no fixed amount of water consumed each day, but there is general agreement on what is a healthy water intake.
According to the United States National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, the average daily intake of food and drink is:
- For men: about 3.7 liters or 125 ounces
- For women: about 2.7 liters or 91 ounces
That would be about 15.5 cups for men and just over 11 cups for women. However, about 80% of this should come from drinks, including water, and the rest will be food.
This means that:
- Men should drink about 100 ounces or 12.5 cups of fluid.
- Women should drink about 73 ounces or just over 9 cups.
Fresh fruits and vegetables and non-alcoholic liquids are included in this recommendation.
It is recommended that it is very important to drink plenty of water when you have a fever, when it is warm, if you have diarrhea and vomiting and when you sweat a lot, for example, because of physical activity.
Whenever you become thirsty or notice the change in the color of your urine, this can be another medium to evaluate hydration. To be thirsty means you are not adequately hydrated. Furthermore, dark or pale-colored urine often indicates proper hydration.
Summary and Conclusion
Drinking water benefits all parts of your body. The benefits of drinking water are not only that it helps you maintain your current state of health but it can help improve it.
To help you reach the daily recommendation of water intake, bring a bottle of water wherever you go. This way, you can drink when you need it. Also, keep a record of your consumption. Try to take optimal amounts every day, a minimum of half your weight in ounces. Finally, dare to approach half of your recommended consumption at noon. You can always finish an hour before planning to sleep.
Does this article meet your immediate needs? If yes, leave us a response in the comment box below letting us know how we were able to help.
If no, also leave a response on the comment box to express your concern or ask a question and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Regards,
Just Health Care Tips.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND:
Lemon Water- Facts, Nutrition, Health Benefits and Risks
Lime Water – Nutrition, Dosage, Uses, Benefits, and Risks
Uses and Benefits of Lime Water
Lime-Facts, Nutrition, Health Benefits and Risks
Lemon – Facts, Nutrition, Benefits and Risks
Discussion about this post