Are You Drinking Enough Water?

Are You Drinking Enough Water?

Oct 27, 2022

Introduction

About 60% of our body is made up of water. Interestingly, we may be compared to ‘the Aquaman’. According to the “8×8 rule”, it is typically advised that an individual should consume 8 ounces or 237 ml of water per day. Despite the limited research supporting it, there are many advantages to maintaining hydration, and it goes without saying that water is excellent for your body.

Advantages of drinking water and staying hydrated include:

  • It aids in controlling our body temperature, lubricates our joints, prevents infections, provide our cells with nutrients, and maintains the health of our organs.
  • Improvements in mood, cognition, and sleep quality.
Health and Hydration

According to reports, dehydration may happen if you don’t drink enough water. Such hydration-related side effects may result in illnesses like renal or urine problems. A person’s urine can serve as a reliable measure of their level of hydration. A person’s health status may be determined just by glancing at their hue. You are well hydrated, for example, if it is white or light yellow.

You could be dehydrated if it’s a dark yellow or amber tint, though. Other symptoms include a headache, intense thirst, exhaustion, dry mouth, etc.

Naturally, some people are more susceptible to dehydration than others, including elite athletes, persons with certain illnesses (such as kidney stones, bladder infections, and diarrhea), women who are pregnant or nursing, as well as older adults. As we get older, it’s possible that our brains stop feeling thirsty or stop telling our bodies to drink water. To prevent dehydration, make sure to actively drink enough of water.

But wait, there’s more. Increasing water consumption has many other advantages as well.

Check them out below.

11 advantages of adequate hydration
  1. Provides energy

By generating energy from food and fuel, the body benefits from increasing regular water consumption. Dehydration slows down our metabolism, causing us to lose energy and fat, which raises our risk of being sick.

  1. Keeps blood levels stable

Dehydration can cause our bodies’ blood to flow excessively thickly, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. You don’t want that, are you sure? So, continue to consume 8 glasses daily.

  1. Joint lubrication

Keeping our bone joints lubricated and supple so that we experience less discomfort is one of the benefits of drinking water.

  1. Transportation of nutrients

It is simpler for our bodies to transport oxygen and nutrients when we are well-hydrated. This transportation system enables us to remain active and healthy for longer.

  1. A healthy electrolyte balance

A hydrated person suffers reduced muscular weariness or exhaustion, maintains healthy muscle mobility, and speeds up their brain’s reaction time, improving their ability to make decisions and maintaining mental fitness.

  1. Eliminates waste

By removing all the waste through body fluids like urine, perspiration, and breath, drinking enough water aids our liver and kidneys. You now understand why going to the bathroom may be so painful and challenging at times, right?

  1. Effective digestion

After meals, drinking water promotes more digestion of the meal. This is because water aids in the production of saliva in our mouths, which contains enzymes that break down food and increase the availability of nutrients and minerals to develop a healthy body. Constipation may also be helped by it. Constipation caused by irregular bowel motions has been linked to lower fluid consumption.

  1. Keeps the skin healthy

Drinking water makes your skin supple and moisturised, which makes it robust enough to function as a barrier to fight off infections and prevent excess fluid loss from the body in crises like anxiety, panic attack, or even being too joyful or euphoric.

  1. Regulates body temperature

Lack of water consumption causes the body temperature to continually change. This is crucial because our bodies sweat to reduce body temperature when they detect an increase in temperature. Now, if we’re dehydrated, this doesn’t happen. Got it?

  1. Minimises the desire to eat

This advice is crucial for those who desire to shed their extra pounds. Before meals, drinking a cup or two of water can help you feel full and eat less calories.

  1. Say No to hangovers

There will always be some hangover if you enjoy going out to parties. Dehydration, dry lips, and that annoying headache are all possible consequences. Alcohol prompts urination, which causes you to lose more water than you take in, leading to dehydration. So what do you do? Drinking a glass of water in between alcoholic beverages and at least one large glass (of water obviously!) before bed is one efficient solution.

Conclusion

Water is incredibly important for maintaining our health and the body’s correct operation. You should be able to lead a healthy life after reading about the causes and consequences of not getting enough water, as well as the advantages of staying hydrated and the benefits of drinking water. If you want to learn more, check out the resources listed below or get in touch with us. Continue consuming (water)!

References
 
  1. Clark, W. F., Huang, S. H. S., Garg, A. X., House, A., Moist, L. M., Weir, M., & Sontrop, J. M. (2013). Drink at least 8 Glasses of Water a Day to Be Healthy???. Nutrition Today, 48(4), S18-S21. https://doi.org/10.1097/NT.0b013e3182978668
  2. Armstrong, L. E., Kavouras, S. A., Walsh, N. P., & Roberts, W. O. (2016). Diagnosing dehydration? Blend evidence with clinical observations. Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care19(6), 434-438. https://doi.org/10.1097/MCO.0000000000000320
  3. Thomas, D. R., Cote, T. R., Lawhorne, L., Levenson, S. A., Rubenstein, L. Z., Smith, D. A., … & Council, D. (2008). Understanding clinical dehydration and its treatment. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association9(5), 292-301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2008.03.006
  4. Popkin, B. M., D’Anci, K. E., & Rosenberg, I. H. (2010). Water, hydration, and health. Nutrition reviews, 68(8), 439-458. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00304.x
  5. Gilchrist, F. J., Samuels, M., Klafkowski, G., Watson, N. A., & Lenney, W. (2013). Pneumomediastinum and hyponatremia dehydration as presenting features of cystic fibrosis. European Respiratory Journal, 42(6), 1760-1762. https://doi.org/10.1183/09031936.00124713
  6. Benelam, B., & Wyness, L. (2010). Hydration and health: a review. Nutrition Bulletin, 35(1), 3-25. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2009.01795.x
  7. T Tipple, C., Benson, S., & Scholey, A. (2016). A review of the physiological factors associated with alcohol hangovers. Current drug abuse reviews, 9(2), 93-98. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874473710666170207152933
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