Water is an essential aspect of daily life and is used by the body in several ways. Water accounts for about 60 percent of your body weight. Humans cannot survive for more than a week without it. Many people overlook the value of drinking water regularly and do not fully comprehend what water does for their bodies.
Not drinking enough water may cause various physical symptoms, such as:
Dehydration may negatively affect your general health and well-being in more ways. It may lead to urinary tract infections, digestive problems, and even renal problems.
Water can be the solution to numerous common ailments, yet some individuals still struggle to drink enough water.
10 benefits of drinking water
- Promotes weight loss:
- Water consumption is linked to enhancing the feeling of satisfaction or fullness while eating less.
- Water may help you feel content in between meals instead of snacking.
- A glass of water 30 minutes before eating might help with digestion.
- A study done on overweight women discovered that consuming more glasses of water before each meal significantly decreased body weight, body mass index (BMI), and body composition.
- Another study reported that those who increased their water intake by only one percent consumed fewer calories. This lowered their total sugar, cholesterol, salt, and saturated fat consumption.
- More fluid consumption 15 to 20 minutes before meals may result in lower insulin needs in people with diabetes.
- Drinking water on an empty stomach raises metabolic rate by roughly 25 percent.
- Boosts energy:
- Some people get drowsy in the afternoon and would rather drink a soda or a cup of coffee than a glass of water.
- Others have grogginess from the minute they wake up.
- Better hydration may help you in this situation, regardless of your usual energy level.
- Tiredness and poor energy are two of the most obvious indicators of dehydration.
- Drinking sufficient water every day may help you maintain your energy and sleep better at night.
- Maintains your brain performance:
- Hydration influences every aspect of your being, including your mental function.
- Drinking a tall glass of water while feeling dull or hazy helps you focus and feel more refreshed.
- Even a little dehydration increases the chances of headaches, weariness, poor memory, and subpar mental function.
- Water helps remove toxins and metabolic waste, as well as the delivery of nutrients to cells, including those in the brain.
- You must get enough water each day for the proper functioning of the brain.
- Enhances physical performance:
- Water is required to keep you hydrated and maintain an optimum level of fluid in your body.
- Water, in the form of perspiration, keeps you cool as you work out.
- Excess heat from your body is lost to the atmosphere through evaporation when you perspire, keeping your body at an ideal temperature.
- Water keeps your muscles from tiring quickly and enables you to recover faster post-workout.
- Your muscles create lactic acid while you exercise, which causes them to feel sore.
- Staying hydrated assists your body to eliminate lactic acid from your muscles more quickly.
- Improves skin health:
- Dehydration creates early wrinkles and enlarges skin pores.
- Drinking sufficient water helps normalize blood flow and enhances skin condition.
- By removing toxins, water makes the skin glow.
- Eliminates toxins from the body:
- Water keeps the body’s waste flowing by softening and loosening the hardened stool.
- Water aids in the proper functioning of the kidneys, allowing you to eliminate toxins from the blood and urine through the bladder.
- Improves digestion:
- Dehydration typically leads to many digestive disorders, such as:
- Diarrhea
- Gas formation
- Constipation
- Bloating
- Gaining inches around the waist
- Fatigue
- Nutrients in your digestive system must dissolve to be easily absorbed into your circulation, and water is essential for this process.
- Furthermore, if you are not adequately hydrated, digestion may slow down, which can contribute to constipation.
- A lack of water consumption or other liquids is thought to be a major factor in chronic constipation.
- Dehydration typically leads to many digestive disorders, such as:
- Metabolizes fats and carbs:
- Water is required by the body to efficiently digest stored fat and carbs.
- Lipolysis (fat breakdown) begins with hydrolysis, which happens when water molecules combine with triglycerides (fats) to produce glycerol and fatty acids.
- Drinking water improves lipolysis and is essential to burn fat from your food and drink.
- Promotes healthy hair:
- Water aids in the deep nourishment and hydration of your hair roots and scalp.
- Drinking enough water can help you get rid of dandruff and itchy scalp, boosting hair growth and assuring healthy, shiny hair.
- Regulates blood pressure:
- Water is important for healthy blood flow.
- When you are dehydrated, the plasma to blood cell ratio changes, making the blood thicker and more viscous.
- Changes in the viscosity make it more difficult for blood to flow and increase the stress on the heart.
- Furthermore, when the body's cells are dehydrated, the brain secretes a substance that constricts the blood vessels, leading to hypertension or high blood pressure.
- High blood pressure may increase the risk of stroke and heart disease.
SLIDESHOW
Foods That Aren't as Healthy as You Think See SlideshowMedically Reviewed on 9/22/2022
References
Image Source: iStock images
Water and Healthier Drinks. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/water-and-healthier-drinks.html
6 Reasons to Drink Water7. https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-drink-water
Are There Any Health Benefits to Drinking a Gallon of Water a Day? https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-there-any-health-benefits-to-drinking-a-gallon-of-water-a-day/
Water and Healthier Drinks. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/water-and-healthier-drinks.html
6 Reasons to Drink Water7. https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-drink-water
Are There Any Health Benefits to Drinking a Gallon of Water a Day? https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-there-any-health-benefits-to-drinking-a-gallon-of-water-a-day/
Complete List
Top Benefits of Drinking Water Related Articles
Can Drinking Water Help Prevent a Stroke?
Many studies have proven that proper hydration at the time of a stroke is linked to better stroke recovery. It is possible that dehydration causes blood to be thicker. Viscous blood causes the body to retain sodium and increases blood pressure. Drinking enough water regularly prevents dehydration. This may play a role in keeping the blood less viscous, which in turn prevents a stroke.
Can Drinking Water Lower Your Blood Pressure?
Keeping well hydrated by drinking six to eight glasses of water daily (even more if working in hot and humid conditions) is beneficial for the blood pressure. High blood pressure (BP) or hypertension is a condition caused by the persistent high pressure of blood against the walls of arteries. It is also called systolic pressure (constantly greater than 139 mmHg) or diastolic pressure (constantly more than 89 mmHg).
Can Drinking Water Stop Kidney Failure?
While drinking more water can help boost kidney function, there is no evidence that suggests that it can prevent the progress of kidney failure.
Can You Flush Out a UTI With Water?
Patients with urinary tract infection (UTI) are usually advised to drink six to eight glasses (1.5 to 2 liters) of water every day to flush the infection out of the urinary system.
Can You Get Rid of a UTI By Drinking Water?
UTI stands for urinary tract infection and it describes when your urinary system gets infected. While the effects of drinking water to flush out or get rid of UTIs is not proven, there has been a link between drinking over 2.2 liters of water daily and a decreased risk for UTIs.
Diet and Nutrition: Foods That Are Good Sources of Water
Drinking water is one way to stay hydrated, but you can get a lot of water from food as well. Learn more from this WebMD slideshow.
Does Drinking Water Help Diverticulitis?
Yes, drinking water may help resolve diverticulitis. However, the overall management of diverticulitis depends on the extent of the disease. Only hydration may not help in all cases. It is advised to maintain a liquid diet, such as clear liquids or broths, during the first few days of the diverticulitis attack. This is because constipation is a major cause of diverticulitis.
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In the water-versus-tea battle, water still wins. Because water doesn't contain caffeine, sugar, or other additives, it's the purest form of hydration.Does Drinking Water Flush Nicotine Out of Your System?
Nicotine is water-soluble, so drinking water will help flush out any lingering traces. Water helps flush nicotine and other chemicals out of your body.
Hydration Quiz
Do you know how much water you should be drinking on a daily basis? It may not be what you think. Take this quiz to learn how to stay hydrated.Is Drinking Cold Water Bad?
About 60 percent of the body is made up of water. It forms a major part of the blood. The cells and the body cannot function right if the water levels go down. Drinking cold water often causes “cold stress” in the body.
The Best Times to Drink Water
Benefits of drinking water: general hydration, as an aid in brain function, to promote weight loss, to replace sweat loss after exercise, when you’re sick, and more.
What Happens to Your Body When You Drink Enough Water?
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What Is the Healthiest Water to Drink?
Mineral water and alkaline water may be some of the healthiest types of water because they provide your body with essential nutrients
Water Safety: What's Inside Your Drinking Water?`
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