The benefits of water for health are so much that about 60-70 percent of the human body is made up of water. These include regulating body temperature and blood level, lubrication of joints, elimination of toxins, and transportation of nutrients around the body.
When you do not drink water, you often experience dehydration because your body loses its water components when you sweat, breathe, and digest food. It is essential to note this because dehydration is harmful and may be fatal.
Whether you drink water in the morning, before food, or after a strenuous workout session, you are sure to enjoy several benefits of water. This article will examine these benefits, myths about water, recommended water intake, and how to prevent dehydration.
Benefits of Water for Healthy Living
Here are 5 evidence-backed benefits of water for healthy living:
Water flushes toxins
Your body needs water to flush waste and harmful substances. It does this by sweating, urinating, and passing feces. Studies show that water helps your kidneys remove waste from the blood as urine and keep your blood vessels open and clean. That way, you can prevent infections, kidney stones, and other kidney-related conditions.
Improved physical performance
Not drinking enough water will reduce your body's ability to function. It's especially true in hot conditions or during strenuous activities. Your body's water levels drop, so you feel dehydrated. You experience fatigue, difficulty breathing, and elevated temperature levels. Drinking water will keep you hydrated.
Weight loss
One of the benefits of drinking water is that it may aid in shedding excess weight and body fat. This is because water can make you feel fuller while improving your digestion and metabolism, making you burn more calories daily.
A study shows that drinking water at least an hour before food is most effective because it makes you feel full and reduces your food intake.
Increased nutrient absorption
In addition to aiding digestion and the breakdown of food, drinking water helps the body absorb the nutrients in your food. When your body breaks food down, water carries nutrients like minerals and vitamins to the rest of your body for use.
It also improves the transportation of oxygen to body parts that need it. All these significantly enhance overall body health.
Relieves headaches
If you do not drink enough water, you will likely experience headaches a lot. Your body is dehydrated and experiencing a drop in oxidation levels. Be sure to drink enough water to prevent and relieve headaches.
Nutritional facts about water
According to the US Department of Agriculture, a single 8-ounce cup of water contains 0 calories, 0 grams of protein, 0 grams of carbohydrates, and 0 grams of fat.
However, depending on the water source, it may contain minerals like calcium, fluoride, iron, and potassium. This may be true of filtered or distilled water. Vitamins and electrolytes are sometimes included in flavored or flavored water products.
Myths about drinking water
Here are some myths about the benefits of water for healthy living:
- You should drink 6-8 glasses of water daily. Almost everyone has heard this recommendation, but they probably couldn't tell you why. Many people believe they should drink a lot since drinking water is excellent for the kidney. However, this is not true. Studies show that it is okay only to drink water when you are thirsty or get a cue from your body. You can get all the water you need from your diet if you're not thirsty.
- Clear urine means you drink enough water. This is a myth; clear urine may mean you have too much water to drink. Also, your urine may be yellow if you take certain drugs like multivitamins. So, you should aim for a light yellow urine shade instead of clear urine.
- Drinking water is the only way to hydrate. Although drinking water is good, it is not the only way to hydrate as other foods have high water content. These include strawberries, grapefruits, and spinach. Soups, broths, and stews are other water sources and are great for winter.
How much water should you drink a day?
Your water need depends on various factors, including sex, age, health status, activity level, and body weight. For instance, pregnant and lactating women have different water needs from other women.
Although there is no strict guide on the amount of water to drink daily, you should increase your water intake significantly if you perform physically intense activities or live in a hot environment. Look for your body's water cues like feeling thirsty and dark-colored urine.
It's best to speak to a licensed professional for a personalized recommendation of how much water to drink daily. You can find a licensed professional on the Kounsel app.
How to avoid dehydration
You are dehydrated when your body uses or loses more fluid than you take in. When this happens, your body does not have enough water to perform normal bodily functions. So, you experience dehydration.
Dehydration causes reduced energy, tiredness, muscle weakness, headache, dizziness, and dry mouth. These may be caused by diarrhea, vomiting, fever, excessive sweating, and increased urination.
Dehydration can be avoided by drinking fluids with high water content and eating foods like fruits and vegetables that contain water. Most healthy people can get by daily by paying attention to their thirst.
You must listen to your thirst cues so that you do not drink more water than your body needs to function.
Can you drink too much water?
Yes, you can drink too much water. Although several body functions depend on water to work correctly, drinking too much water can lead to overhydration.
When you are overhydrated, you begin to experience water intoxication. Water intoxication is when your body's salt and electrolyte levels dilute excessively. In that condition, your salt (sodium) levels are deficient, so your brain does not function properly.
This occurs due to the body cells, including brain cells, swelling because of excess water in the body. When the brain's cells swell, they pressure the brain, resulting in headaches. Confusion, sleepiness, and headaches are all possible side effects. Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) and bradycardia could happen if this pressure rises (Low Heart Rate).
A drastic drop in your electrolyte level can be fatal. Although rare, it is possible to die from overhydration.
Urine is a reliable measure of hydration in healthy individuals. It's a good idea to aim for lemonade-colored urine. Colorless urine may mean you've had too much to drink.
Healthy sources of water
Foods with high water content may provide some of the body's water needs. These include foods like soups, tomatoes, and oranges. However, water and beverages are significant sources of water for the body.
A more direct way to keep your body hydrated is by drinking water, whether it is from a tap or a bottle of packaged water.
Caffeinated drinks like soda, coffee, and beer aren't the best because they often contain empty calories. Milk and juices, on the other hand, are excellent fluid sources.
