Benefits

The benefits of drinking enough water

Everyone knows that drinking a lot of water is essential for a healthy lifestyle but how much water should we drink every day? This is a question that is not easy to answer. It depends on many factors, including how old, how tall and how active you are. I am sure that everyone has heard about the advice "Drink eight glasses of water a day" but is this really the quantity of water an adult should consume?

The institute of medicine determined that an adequate intake for men is about three liters a day and for women approximately two point two liters of total beverages a day.

Why should we drink water?

Water helps to keep you hydrated, which is important because every single cell in your body needs it in order to absorb nutrients and expel waste products. Water is your body most important chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Even our tissues and organs are mainly made up of water, for instance, our brain consists of 90 percent of water, our muscles of 75 percent and our blood of 83 percent. Every day you lose water and if you want your body to function properly, you must take in enough fluid by consuming beverages and foods that contain water. Every cell in your body needs water from head to toe and if you don't supply enough of it to your body you might even get ill. Lack of water can lead to dehydrations, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can cause tiredness, migraine, constipation, muscle cramps, dry skin, kidney problems and much more.  

What are some of the benefits of drinking enough water?

• Helps you lose weight

The body finds it difficult to differentiate between hunger and thirst so if you mistake the signals it is giving when dehydrated, you might eat more than you actually need. If you drink one to two glasses before a meal you will feel less hungry, consume fewer calories and ultimately lose weight. Water reduces hunger by suppressing your appetite and removes the by-products of fat and keeps you fresh and healthy. Another crucial feature of water is that it literally contains no calories.

• Better productivity at work

Water is an essential component required for the effective working of our body parts (since many body parts including our brain and the various tissues are mostly composed of water). Considering this, water can significantly improve our ability to think, be more alert and more concentrated.

• Skin looks younger and healthier

The body releases sweat to cool and regulate the body temperature therefore you have to drink an adequate amount of water to keep your skin hydrated and moisturized. It is also necessary to prevent wrinkles and combat skin disorder and to give the skin a healthy color. 

• Natural remedy for headache

Headache is an often symbol of dehydration and therefore water is the first thing to be recommended when someone complains about a headache. Drinking water is a natural remedy with no side effects that eliminates the pain without the intake of tablets.

• Prevention of cancer

Dehydration can cause the buildup of toxin in the cells which can cause these to behave unpredictably and to multiply out of control. It is thought that drinking substantial amounts of water may reduce the risk of bladder cancer and colon cancer.

• Maintaining eye health 

The cornea is made 80 percent of water and as you might guess, drinking enough water is therefore necessary to maintain good eye health. If you are working on the computer or you are doing close work for a longer time, you should make sure to take regular breaks or focus on something in the distance; otherwise you might get dry eyes. Blinking can also facilitate moisture from the tear glands to hydrate the eye.

• The best known thirst quencher

As the weather gets warmer every day we need more fluids to satisfy our considerable thirst. Water is, as is generally known, the best thirst quencher especially in summer. 

These are just a few important facts about why you should drink more water but if you still have problems with drinking the healthy amount of water a day and you think you need to drink more here are some tips that might help you:

1. Have a glass of water before and after every snack or meal.

2. Choose beverages you enjoy; if you don't like pure water add a dash of lemon or orange juice. (Make sure that you use only freshly squeezed juice)

3. Always keep a bottle of water with you no matter where you are going.

4. Eat more fruits and vegetables as they are high in water content. 

Given all these facts that dehydration can be the major source of attacking humans health, it seems obvious that water is of great importance for a healthy lifestyle. Water determines the right functioning of our body and a healthier body means a happier life!

So, if you haven't already go to the nearest faucet and poor yourself a large cold glass of water and enjoy a happy and healthy life!