We’ve all heard that everybody should drink eight glasses of water per day – about two liters totally – but why is water so important?
While there is little evidence that we all need precisely eight glasses per day, it’s undoubtedly a good idea to stay hydrated.
As a rule, you have to drink when you are thirsty.
Check the color of your urine; if it is pale yellow, it’s a sign that you’re drinking the right amount to meet the needs of your body.
Here are eight key benefits of drinking more water:
1. Drinking water helps maintain your skin healthily
Do you want clear, younger-looking skin? Well, drinking water can make a big difference.
Your skin is an organ. Like all other organs, it requires a steady supply of water to function at its best.
Dehydration leads to dry, tight skin which is vulnerable to wrinkling and other signs of premature aging.
2. Drinking water can improve our memory
Our brain cells need a continual supply of water to function at an optimal level.
Our brain is approximately 85 percent water, so hydration is key to cognitive functioning.
Even mild dehydration can shorten our attention span and impair both short-term and long-term memory.
If you’re chronically dehydrated, your brain cells may shrink, causing serious cognitive deficiencies.
That’s especially important for older adults, because brain shrinkage occurs anyway as we age.
3. Drinking water improves your energy levels
Do you feel fatigued and sluggish?
Water supports every primary bodily function, so you’ll rapidly feel drained if you don’t replenish your body’s fluids throughout the day.
Research shows that losing just 1.59 percent of your body’s water has a significant impact on your energy levels.
4. Drinking water improves our mood
Drinking plenty of water – 2.5 liters a day – boosts psychological wellbeing and helps us think more clearly, according to a French study.
Furthermore, it staves off feelings of sleepiness.
Given that water helps us feel more energetic and promotes better physical health, it’s unsurprising that we’ll feel happier as a result.
5. Drinking water makes working out easier and more fun
According to research, athletes can lose up to ten percent of their body weight via sweat during training. But losing only two percent of your body weight is enough to impair your performance.
Dehydration results in lower endurance, physical fatigue, and reduced motivation to work out.
So, keep a bottle of water to hand when exercising, and make sure you have a couple of glasses afterwards.
6. Regular water intake can prevent several types of headache
A range of factors causes headaches, but a common trigger is dehydration.
Therefore, by keeping our water intake consistent, we can reduce the risk of getting a headache.
Other research has discovered that we can also help a headache go away faster by drinking water.
Drinking two to four cups of water within two hours can relieve the pain.
7. Staying well-hydrated helps improve our digestive functioning
If you suffer from constipation, drinking more water might alleviate your symptoms.
That’s because water facilitates digestion, and helps the digestive tract produce softer stools that are easier to pass.
There’s evidence that carbonated water, in particular, is a useful remedy.
8. Drinking water can help you lose weight
Drinking water can increase one’s metabolism for up to 1.5 hours.
Drinking half a liter can increase your metabolic rate by 24 percent, which could have a significant impact on your weight loss.
You’ll still need to eat at a calorie deficit to lose weight, yet staying hydrated could give you an edge.
Water can help you feel full, which in turn makes it easier to reduce the amount of food you eat.
Drinking 500ml of water immediately before each meal could boost your weight loss by up to 44 percent, according to a study with middle-aged adults.
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