Drinking has become an art form. Instead of straight water, we have carbonated drinks, flavored water, juices, punches, soda, coffee, tea and so on. While all of these beverage options can be quite tasty, none of them does as good of a job as just plain old water to get your body running at optimal efficiency.
Water is one of the significant life sources available to us. Without out we would die in just a matter of days. And with lower than adequate water levels, our bodies falter. Although you may not notice dehydration at first, it will creep into your body’s ability to function optimally, lowering energy levels, leaving you feeling sluggish and down.
Almost every primary body system is affected when you experience less than ideal water consumption. Digestive, cardiovascular, immune, nervous, and lymphatic systems are all easily affected by dehydration, to name a few. Your ability to think clearly, work efficiently, and maintain high energy levels is significantly degraded when you deprive your body of the water it needs.
Does It Have To Be Water?
Not all liquids are adequate substitutes for water. Caffeinated beverages to include coffee, tea, and soda cause you to draw water out of your body as you’re putting water in. Salty and sugary beverages also do not do much good because of the adverse effects they have on your digestion, your kidneys, and your ability to keep your body flushing properly without retaining water. Alcoholic beverages dehydrate your body. The only replacement for water is water.
20 Physiological and Psychological Benefits Of Water
So what exactly does water do for us? Since our bodies are primarily composed of water, drinking water does a whole lot. Here is a list of the 20 most essential advantages of drinking plenty of water each day.
1. Water Keeps Energy Levels High And Sustained
Have you ever noticed some days you feel sluggish, and that sluggish feeling just doesn’t go away? Next time you feel that way, pay attention to how much water you’ve taken in that day, pure water. Chances are you didn’t drink nearly enough.
Drinking plenty of water throughout the day, each day maintains your body’s ability to deliver essential nutrients throughout the body and to the brain. A high functioning body translates to more efficient energy output, allowing you to operate on the right level to get through the day without feeling sluggish.
Drinking plenty of water will put a boost in your step. Combined with sleep and a healthy diet, water will keep you moving through the entirety of the day, with less chance of hitting a wall of exhaustion. You can have the best eating regimen in the world, and get eight hours of sleep every night, but without water there too, your body will not operate as efficiently as it could be.
2. Plenty of Water Boosts The Immune System
Your body cannot fight off viruses and infections if it can’t produce and deliver antibodies effectively. A dehydrated body is one that invites cold and flu viruses in and allows them to flourish. Drinking plenty of water gives your body the fuel it needs to produce antibodies and attack harmful pathogens, flushing them out along with other unwanted toxins.
3. More Water Means Healthy, More Radiant Skin
Drinking more water hydrates the skin, leaving it appearing more luminous and moisturized, and eliminating unwanted dryness. Wrinkles are less apparent in the skin that’s properly hydrated.
Drinking plenty of water each day also improves skin’s elasticity, which begins to decrease as we age. While we can’t naturally reverse the signs of age loss, keeping our skin hydrated can undoubtedly delay the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
4. Proper Hydration Promotes Weight Loss
Dehydration can lead to water retention, particularly if your salt contains a lot of sodium (a major component of processed foods). By hydrating adequately, you can cut out the risk of water retention, and you may notice a drop in weight as a result.
Drinking more water also decreases the amount of hunger you may experience since we often feel hungry when in actuality our bodies are just dehydrated. Next time you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water first. You may find you don’t feel quite as hungry after you’ve hydrated a bit.
Adequate water consumption also boosts metabolism and helps it to operate efficiently, thereby increasing the body’s ability to burn off energy, helping to keep weight at healthy levels.
5. Adequate Water Intake Improves Kidney Function
Kidneys are an essential organ that needs water to work. Kidneys maintain the body’s fluid balance, it filters minerals from the blood, extracts waste from food, and produces hormones essential to bone health and blood pressure. Within kidneys are nephrons, tiny units that remove waste from the blood. Without proper amounts of water, nephrons do not work as efficiently.
Drinking more water gives your kidneys a break from working overtime to flush toxins. With sufficient quantities of water, the kidneys can work efficiently, flushing toxins out of the body and reducing the risk of kidney stones due to inadequate water intake.
6. Drinking Plenty Of Water Aids Digestion
The more water your body has, the better it can digest the food you intake. Drinking plenty of water before, during, and after meals, helps digestion take place more quickly and efficiently. It lessens the chances of acid reflux and indigestion.
Drinking plenty of water allows your body to give the digestion system adequate amounts of fluid to aid in regularity and reduce the risk of constipation caused by dehydration. One of the first functions to suffer from dehydration is digestion, which can result in significant discomfort.
7. Water Prevents Headaches
One of the biggest culprits of headaches is dehydration. Since your brain is almost 70% water, when there’s not enough of it, your brain may start to suffer, causing your head to ache.
Once a dehydration headache forms, getting rid of it is hard to do. You can catch up on your hydration with copious amounts of water consumption, but your headache may nag you for the remainder of the day. Drinking water at a steady pace will help reduce occurrences of headaches and head them off before they begin.
8. Drinking More Water Reduces Back Pain
If your body is prone to back pain, you may be well aware of the different causes and treatments for this uncomfortable problem. But, did you know dehydration can cause back pain too? The intervertebral discs in your spine do not cushion as well when they are dehydrated, causing your spine discomfort. Drinking plenty of water ensures your body and all of its components have adequate water levels to provide the support and cushion it needs.
9. Proper Hydration Gets Rid Of Stinky Breath
The best way to fight bad breath is through adequate hydration. Without sufficient amounts of water, your body shortchanges the systems that are not as essential such as the mouth’s ability to wash away bacteria that cause bad breath. Drinking water also helps flush away food hanging around in your mouth that can also create bad breath.
10. More Water Makes You Feel Good
Drinking water makes every part of your body run well. Your mind is sharp, you have a good level of energy, and your digestion is on point. When your body is working effectively, you’ll notice it, and that will surely put you in a good mood.
11. Drinking Enough Water Regulates Body Temperature
Our bodies use sweat to maintain constant internal temperature. The more we sweat, the more we need water to replenish our supply. If we don’t drink adequate amounts of water, we won’t be able to regulate our temperature as well, causing our bodies to operate inefficiently.
12. Proper Water Intake Helps Prevent Injury
Just like the spine needs soft cushiony intervertebral discs to keep it healthy and functioning comfortably, muscles, tendons, and ligaments need water to keep your body parts, specifically your joints more flexible and less rigid.
13. Drinking Plenty Of Water Maintains Optimal Heart Health
Without the proper amount of water in the cardiovascular system to maintain adequate blood and plasma viscosity, you can be at risk of developing coronary heart disease. Drink plenty of water to keep this vital organ healthy and operating efficiently.
14. Drink A Lot Of Water To Recover More Quickly
Whether you’re recovering from a cold, or a hangover, your body needs extra water during these periods to fight off all the toxins in your blood and get your body systems back up to speed. Increase your water intake whenever you feel a cold coming on, or if you plan on consuming alcohol in the next 24 hours.
15. Flush Out Toxins By Drinking Water
There is no better way to “cleanse” your system than by drinking water. You don’t need to jump on any particular diet bandwagon. All you need to do is eat healthy, vitamin and nutrient-rich minimally processed foods, and drink plenty of crisp, clean filtered water.
16. Drinking More Water Clears The Mind
Just as your body operates more efficiently with a high level of water consumption, so does your mind. You will find that by increasing your water intake your thoughts will be sharper, and your mind will be more focused and clear.
17. Drinking Water Lowers Blood Pressure
Anyone with high blood pressure can appreciate any natural method for keeping blood pressure low. While water is not a cure-all for high blood pressure, it can certainly lower it a bit. Blood vessels relax when more water is available to keep fluids moving. When your body is dehydrated, your blood vessels have to work harder to get fluids moving, causing an increase in blood pressure.
18. Proper Hydration Reduces Cholesterol
Likewise, cholesterol management can be significantly aided by drinking plenty of water. The more water you drink, the more easily fluids can pass through the cardiovascular system, decreasing negative build up and potential blockage. Drinking more water will help keep your cholesterol levels manageable.
19. Water Can Help Fight Acne
Water is a natural detoxifier. It also helps your body recover faster from injuries, sicknesses, or infections. Drinking more water can help fight toxins caused by acne. It can also help your body recover from acne before severe scars form.
20. Drinking More Water Can Help Control Diabetes
Water is by no means a cure for diabetes, but it can help keep sugars in check by giving your body extra water to make up for the water that’s lost with the kidneys working overtime to try and process sugar being eliminated.
Water effects almost every part of the body, from the appearance and elasticity of the skin to the strength of the bones and the tissue connecting them. Drinking plenty of water on a regular basis will increase energy levels, boost your mood, decrease your appetite, reduce the risk of sickness and disease, and get rid of that familiar sluggish feeling.
Drink between 10 and 18 cups of water a day depending on your height, weight, age, and activity level, and you’ll be well on your way to feeling healthy and energetic. To further aid in the benefits water brings, pay attention to what’s in your water.
A simple water testing kit will provide you with a list of possible water contaminants and substances that are not ideal for drinking water such as microorganisms, metals, chemicals, and minerals. Some of these components are harmful to your health, while others affect the quality and flavor of your water.
Even if you get water from a trusted municipal water source, installing or purchasing a personal water filtration system can give you added peace of mind that the water you’re drinking is free from toxins.
If you’re not one for drinking water, plenty of recipes are available that help makes water a little more appealing. Consider throwing citrus fruits or herbs in your water such as orange, lime, or lemon slices; basil, mint, berries, etc.
