Water is the very gist of life and our bodies are 60% water. Since we are mostly made up of water, it forms an integral part of us. Health experts usually recommend drinking at least 8 glasses of water every day. There’s science behind why you should stay hydrated throughout the day. Here in this article, we will discuss the major health benefits, backed by the science of course, of drinking plenty of water.
Water can help treat headaches and prevent them
Drinking less water leading to dehydration is linked to headaches and migraines in some people. Studies have shown that drinking enough water every day can provide relief from headaches in people who are dehydrated.
Helps in treating kidney stones and prevents them
Stones that form in urinary system are painful lumps of mineral crystal and kidney stones are most common among these. Studies have proved that increasing your water intake can actually lower the risk of the occurrence of kidney stones.
Drinking enough water increases physical performance
Drinking plenty of water is linked to increased physical performance. If we do not keep ourselves hydrated, our physical performance is bound to suffer. Increasing water intake becomes even crucial during intense exercise and high-temperature weather conditions. A noticeable effect can be seen if a person loses even 2% of the body’s water content. In athletes, it is common to lose as much as 6-10% of body water but they recover it by drinking enough water.
Reduction in body water level can cause a change in body temperature control, reduced motivation, increase in fatigue, and makes any kind of physical task difficult. However, if you keep yourself well hydrated, these effects can be easily prevented. Drinking more water can also reduce the oxidative stress that results from the high-intensity exercise. This happens because our muscles are 80% water. Therefore, for people who exercise or do any kind of physical task and tend to sweat a lot, it is very important for them to keep hydrated to be able to perform well.
Increases brain function and energy levels
Interestingly, our brain’s working is greatly affected by our hydration status. Studies suggest that even as little dehydration as 1-3% can cause the brain to function improperly. Fluid loss of a little above 1% can affect the mood and concentration of young women and may trigger headaches. Another study has suggested that fluid loss of about 1.59% in young men can adversely affect their working memory and lead to increase in feelings of anxiety and fatigue. Similar adverse effects on mood, memory, and brain performance have been noted among the children who don’t stay hydrated.
The bottom line is that water intake is crucial to brain function and should be taken seriously.
Provides relief from constipation
Drinking enough water is linked to improvement in constipation. As a matter of fact, constipation is one of the common problems where a person suffers infrequent bowel movements or faces difficulty in passing the stool.
Increase in fluid intake in one of the important steps that you can take in a bid to solve the problem of constipation. Also, this is recommended as a part of constipation treatment protocol. Carbonated water has been noted to show promising results in constipation relief.
Constipation can become a real problem in people who don’t drink enough water. Drinking plenty of water can prevent and relieve constipation.
Prevents Hangovers
Hangovers are ugly. It refers to symptoms that you experience after drinking alcohol. Being diuretic in nature, alcohol causes you to lose more water than you take in. This can cause severe dehydration. During a hangover, you can experience thirst, fatigue, dry mouth, and headache.
To prevent this, you should consider taking plain water between the drinks. Also, before you go to sleep drink a lot of water.
Drinking more water is linked to weight loss
Research suggests that drinking more water can help you lose weight. This happens because increased water intake increases satiety and gives a push to your metabolism. Drinking half a liter of water can increase your metabolism by up to 24-30% for near one and a half hour. Drinking water half an hour before meals is really effective measure. It can make you feel more full and you end up eating less.
