Drinking enough water each
day is crucial for many reasons: to regulate body temperature, keep joints
lubricated, prevent infections, deliver nutrients to cells, and keep organs
functioning properly. Being well-hydrated also improves sleep quality,
cognition, and mood.
Experts recommend
drinking roughly 11 cups of water per day for the average woman and 16 for men.
And not all of those cups have to come from plain water; for example, some can
come from water flavored with fruit or vegetables (lemons, berries, or orange
or cucumber slices), or from coffee or tea.
But it’s best to stay
away from sugar-sweetened beverages when trying to
stay hydrated, says Walter Willett, professor of
epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In a
September 28, 2017 CNN article, Willett said that Americans are “conditioned to
expect high levels of sweetness in everything…. You might say we are
malhydrated, because we drink so much soda and fruit juice and other sugar-sweetened
beverages, and by that I mean we drink beverages that harm our health. Even
energy drinks and vitamin waters, most are loaded with sugar and not worth the
use.”
10 Reasons
Why Hydration is
Important
1. Improved brain performance
Even
mild dehydration—as little as 2% fluid loss—can affect memory,
mood, concentration, and reaction time. Adding just a few glasses of water to
your daily intake can have a positive effect on cognition,
stabilize your emotions, and even combat feelings of anxiety. This is
especially important for older adults who are at higher risk for both
dehydration and impaired cognitive function.
2. Digestive harmony
Your
body needs water in order to digest food properly. Without enough, you may
experience irregular bowel movements, gas, bloating, heartburn, and other
discomforts that can hurt your quality of life. When you make it a point to
stay hydrated, it can help get things moving in the right direction again.
Water aids in breaking down soluble fiber from your diet to keep your digestion
process on track. Mineral water is especially beneficial—look for products
enriched with sodium and magnesium.
3. More energy
Dehydration
can slow down circulation and affect the flow of oxygen to your brain. A lack
of fluids can also cause your heart to work harder to
pump oxygen all throughout your body. All of that expended energy can make you
feel tired, sluggish, and less focused. When you stay hydrated by drinking more
H2O, you’ll prevent dehydration and have more pep to get you through the day.
4. Weight loss and weight management
Since
it provides a sense of fullness, water can help you feel satisfied in between
meals—instead of heading to the snack cupboard. It can also help boost your
metabolism. Consider this:
·
One study of
women with excess weight found that drinking additional glasses of water before
each meal resulted in substantial reductions in body weight, body mass index,
and body composition.2
·
According to another study,
adults who upped their water intake by just 1% consumed fewer calories. They
also reduced their overall intake of sugar, cholesterol, sodium, and saturated
fat.3
·
Another analysis
found that increasing daily water intake, replacing caloric beverages with
water, and drinking water before a meal all led to weight loss averaging
5%.4/li>
5. Decreased joint pain
Did
you know the cartilage in our joints contains approximately 80% water? Staying
hydrated helps your joints stay
well-lubricated, which helps reduce friction by creating more of a
"cushion" between the bones. Less friction means smoother-moving
joints and fewer aches and pains.
6. Better temperature regulation
Research
shows that when you're dehydrated, your body stores more heat. This in
turn lowers your ability to
tolerate hot temperatures. Hydrating with plenty of water helps you produce
sweat when you're overheated during activity, which in turn cools your body
down. This built-in cooling mechanism is critical in preventing heat stroke and
other potentially deadly heat-related conditions.
7. Kidney stone prevention
Kidney
stones are clumps of mineral crystals that form in the urinary tract. If you've
ever experienced one, you know how painful they can be. Staying hydrated with
plenty of water can help dilute the concentration of minerals in your
urinary tract and make
stones less likely. Water also helps flush harmful
bacteria from your bladder and can aid in preventing urinary tract infections
(UTIs).
8. Healthier heart
Your
blood is made up largely of H2O. When you don't drink enough glasses of water,
it becomes concentrated, which can cause an imbalance of vital minerals
(electrolytes). These minerals, like potassium and sodium, are key to the
proper functioning of your heart.
9. Improved detoxification
Sufficient
water intake supports your body’s natural detoxification systems, which remove waste and
harmful substances through urination, breathing, perspiration, and bowel
movements. Hydrating with plenty of water supports your own powerful,
built-in detox processes and can help enhance your overall health.
10. Fewer headaches
Even
a mild fluid loss can cause the brain to contract away from the skull, leading
to headaches and
migraines in some people. Staying hydrated may help keep head pain in check.
5 tips on how to stay hydrated
If
you want to prevent dehydration,
it’s as easy as incorporating more water and water-rich foods into your diet.
Here are some tips:
·
Eight glasses a
day is an easy rule to remember and a good general target. You can also use the
body weight formula: take one-third of your body’s weight and drink that number
of ounces in fluids. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, aim to drink 50
ounces of water each day.
·
When you feel thirsty
(if not before), drink. Make it a point to drink a big glass of water with every
meal.
·
Focus your hydration
strategy on water or low-calorie beverages like sparkling water, plain coffee
or tea, or flavored water.
·
Carry a large,
reusable water bottle with you throughout the day and refill it as needed with
clean drinking water.
·
Certain situations will
require you to drink more water to maintain good hydration. These include
physical activity and exercise, hot and/or humid weather, and occasions
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