The Health Benefits of Drinking Water

They say that the human body is around 60% water. It’s important to get plenty of water to maintain the fluid balance in the body but what are the other health benefits of drinking water? We all know that it’s good for us, but why?

Here’s a look at why you should be getting your eight glasses of water a day.

Water Boosts Physical Performance

Nothing damages physical performance quite like being dehydrated. Losing even just 2% of the water in your body can have a noticeable effect, and athletes are known to lose up to 10% of their water weight through sweat. Staying hydrated regulates temperature control, motivation, and fatigue. It also reduces the stress of high intensity exercise. If you like to sweat then you must also enjoy drinking water.

Water Boosts Energy Levels and Brain Function

Much like muscles, the brain can be affected by even minor levels of dehydration. Several studies have shown that losing just a little bit of fluid can impair working memory, cause fatigue, anxiety, and even headaches. Given that people can lose 1-2% of their water supply through regular daily activities, even those living a sedentary lifestyle should stay hydrated to keep their brain in top shape.

Water Helps Prevent Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are the most common form of urinary stones and anyone that has had them knows how painful they can be. There is some evidence that suggests drinking enough water helps to prevent people developing kidney stones. Getting plenty of water means that more urine is passing through the kidneys, which dilutes the minerals inside them and reduces the chances they will clump together to form stones.

Water Prevents Hangovers

The worst part about having a great night out and drinks with friends is the unpleasant feeling of a hangover in the morning. As a diuretic, alcohol causes you to lose more water than you take in. That’s why drinking alcohol makes you thirstier. While dehydration isn’t the root cause of hangovers, it does cause some of the problems associated with them like dry mouth, thirst, headaches, and fatigue. Have some water between alcoholic drinks and have some more water before going to bed to wake up feeling refreshed.

Water Boosts Weight Loss

Here’s an article on using water to lose weight.

Forgot those fad diets and magical tablets. If you want to lose weight then you need to be drinking plenty of water. Water helps to lose weight because it boosts satiety (makes you feel full) and boosts metabolic rates. Drinking half a liter of water has been shown to boost metabolism by up to 30% for an hour and a half. The best time to drink water is half an hour before a meal because it makes you fuller and reduces overall calorie intake. It’s a double whammy for weight loss!

Summary

There’s plenty of evidence to show just why we need to drink more water. The real question isn’t whether we should drink water, but how much. Too much of anything can be a bad thing, and that includes water. Get plenty of water for sure, but be careful to not overdo it.