Benefits Of Drinking Water: How much water should you drink a day? You probably know that it’s important to drink plenty of fluids when the temperatures soar outside. But staying hydrated is a daily necessity. The human body comprises around 60% water. It’s commonly recommended that you drink eight 8-ounce (237-mL) glasses of water per day (the 8×8 rule).
Although there’s little science behind this specific rule, staying hydrated is important.
Drinking water
Keeping hydrated is crucial for health and well-being, but many people do not consume enough fluids each day. Around 60 percent of the body is made up of water, and around 71 percent of the planet’s surface is covered by water.
Fast facts on drinking water
- Adult humans are 60 percent water, and our blood is 90 percent water.
- There is no universally agreed quantity of water that must be consumed daily.
- Water is essential for the kidneys and other bodily functions.
- When dehydrated, the skin can become more vulnerable to skin disorders and wrinkling.
- Drinking water instead of soda can help with weight loss.
Benefits of drinking water
1. Help prevent and treat headaches
Dehydration can trigger headaches and migraines in some individuals. Research has shown that a headache is one of the most common symptoms of dehydration. For example, a study of 393 people found that 40% of the participants experienced a headache as a result of dehydration.
What’s more, some studies have shown that drinking water can help relieve headaches in those who experience frequent headaches.
2. Helps digestion
One of the greatest benefits of drinking water is avoiding constipation. Much like the cartilage conundrum, if your body is dehydrated, your digestive system is one of the areas that has to sacrifice its fluid levels for the greater good.
Your gut absorbs water from your poo, causing (for want of a better phrase) an uncomfortable backlog. This will only be dislodged by re-hydrating as soon as possible to smooth the digestion journey and returning bowel movements to normal.
3. Keeps your joints moving
Cartilage, found in joints and the disks of the spine, contains around 80 percent water. Long-term dehydration can reduce the joints’ shock-absorbing ability, leading to joint pain.
4. It boosts skin health and beauty
With dehydration, the skin can become more vulnerable to skin disorders and premature wrinkling.
5. Prevents kidney damage
The kidneys regulate fluid in the body. Insufficient water can lead to kidney stones and other problems.
6. Help Control Calories
Dieters have been drinking lots of water as a weight-loss strategy. While water doesn’t have any magical effect on weight loss, substituting it for higher calorie beverages can certainly help.
7. It forms saliva and mucus
Saliva helps us digest our food and keeps the mouth, nose, and eyes moist. This prevents friction and damage. Drinking water also keeps the mouth clean. Consumed instead of sweetened beverages, it can also reduce tooth decay.
8. Helps blood circulation
Over half of your blood consists of a substance called plasma. It carries blood cells around your body to where they’re needed, helps maintain healthy blood pressure, and keeps your body temperature under control. In short, it’s pretty important.
Plasma is around 90% water, so it can’t do its job properly if you’re dehydrated. Without enough water, your blood will become thicker and more concentrated. This means your heart has to work that little bit harder to pump it around your body.
Can water help you lose weight?
Drinking water has been thought to help with weight loss. In fact, 30–59% of US adults who try to lose weight increase their water intake. Many studies support the theory that drinking water is beneficial for weight loss. Also, hydration is key for many factors that play a role in weight loss, including digestion and muscle function.
1. Water increases calorie burning
Drinking water can help to burn calories. Drinking cold water may further enhance water’s calorie-burning benefits, because the body expends energy, or calories, by heating up the water for digestion.
2. Drinking Water Before Meals Can Reduce Appetite
Some people claim that drinking water before a meal reduces appetite. There actually seems to be some truth behind this, but almost exclusively in middle-aged and older adults. Studies of older adults have shown that drinking water before each meal may increase weight loss by 2 kg (4.4 lbs) over a 12-week period.
In one study, middle-aged overweight and obese participants who drank water before each meal lost 44% more weight, compared to a group that did not drink more water.
3. Helps to remove waste from the body
When the body is dehydrated, it cannot correctly remove waste as urine or feces. Water helps the kidneys to filter toxins and waste while the organ retains essential nutrients and electrolytes. When the body is dehydrated, the kidneys retain fluid.
Dehydration can also result in hard or lumpy stools and constipation. Water keeps waste moving by softening or loosening hardened stools. Water also helps the body to recover from digestive problems, such as diarrhea and indigestion.
4. It can reduce overall liquid calorie intake
It is easy to accumulate liquid calories by drinking soda, juice, or sweetened coffee or tea.
Most people also ignore how many calories they consume in sports drinks or alcoholic beverages. Replacing even a few high-calorie drinks each day for water or other no-calorie beverages, such as herbal tea, may have long-term weight loss benefits.
5. Drinking water helps you stay in shape
Water ensures that all of your organs stay in shape. It smoothens up the path for digestion, roots and eliminates all waste, toxins from fat, and makes sure any excesses are taken care of. When the digestive system is in clean, good shape, root causes of weight gain can be ruled away.
6. Link between hydration and weight loss
One of the biggest differences hydration does is on your calorie burning. For optimum weight loss, it is important you burn more calories than you consume. Drinking water can actually help you do that. Having 0.5-1 Litres of water every day increases the energy expenditure at rest, simply meaning that you burn calories faster. Even if you don’t make any other changes, this can be a good enough start.
How Much Water Should You Drink?
Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine, and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.
So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is:
- About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men
- About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women
These recommendations cover fluids from water, other beverages, and food. About 20% of daily fluid intake usually comes from food and the rest from drinks.
How do I know if I’m drinking enough?
Your fluid intake is probably adequate if:
- You rarely feel thirsty
- Your urine is colorless or light yellow
Your doctor or dietitian can help you determine the amount of water that’s right for you every day.
To prevent dehydration and make sure your body has the fluids it needs, makes water your beverage of choice. It’s a good idea to drink a glass of water:
- With each meal and between meals
- Before, during, and after exercise
- If you feel thirsty
Should I worry about drinking too much water?
Drinking too much water is rarely a problem for healthy, well-nourished adults. Athletes occasionally may drink too much water in an attempt to prevent dehydration during long or intense exercise. When you drink too much water, your kidneys can’t get rid of the excess water. The sodium content of your blood becomes diluted. This is called hyponatremia and it can be life-threatening.
Does water prevent health problems?
Few health problems are supposed to respond well to increase water intake:
- About 3.5 liters of water for Men
- About 2.5 liters of water for Women
Stay Hydrated
The majority of people apply certain guidelines to keep things simple like:
- When thirsty – drink
- When not thirsty any more – stop
- Sweat due to heat or exercise – drink enough water to compensate for the loss
- Urine is colorless or light yellow – good
Benefits of drinking water for your skin:
1. Prevents Premature Aging
Staying hydrated helps increase elasticity in the skin as it stays moisturized for longer. Heightened elasticity in the skin implies delayed sagging of the skin and no premature appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
2. Reduces Puffiness
When the skin looks puffy, it is actually retaining water to protect you from dehydration. This occurs when you don’t drink enough water. Staying hydrated will reduce swelling and puffiness in your face.
3. No More Itchy Skin On The Face
Dry skin always tends to itch. It can even develop dry flakes and crack due to lack of moisture. Drinking enough water ensures your skin doesn’t get dry enough to itch.
4. Tighter Skin
Due to sudden weight loss, your skin can start to sag. To prevent your skin from sagging and to tighten it in areas where the sagging is prominent, like the upper arms, thighs, waist, and jawline, drinking water helps as it revives the skin’s elasticity.
Also read: How To Get Rid Of Dark Circles Under The Eyes Permanently
5. Improves Skin Tone
Drinking enough water helps the body to flush out toxins while giving you healthier skin. Studies have revealed that drinking just two cups of water [1] can increase blood flow to the skin which gives it an even tone.