You may have heard that drinking water is good for you, but why? Well, it’s true—drinking water has many benefits. You probably already know that drinking water is essential to good health and proper hydration, but did you know that drinking plenty of H2O can also help fight bad breath and headaches? Drink more than just plain old tap water by learning about these surprising reasons why it’s so important to stay hydrated.
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Water regulates body temperature
Water regulates body temperature.
When you’re dehydrated, your body loses the ability to regulate its temperature properly. According to the Mayo Clinic, drinking enough water helps maintain a stable body temperature even in hot weather and prevents dehydration when you exercise heavily or sweat heavily. Water is also an essential nutrient for maintaining a healthy body temperature: About 60% of your body weight is made up of water, which is an important nutrient for all life forms on Earth. The human body contains about 60% water; it’s estimated that most of this moisture comes from within our cells themselves rather than being absorbed through the skin (1). And although it makes up only 2% of your total weight, that’s still quite a lot! The average person needs to drink 8 glasses (which equals about 2 liters) per day just to keep their bodies functioning properly; doctors recommend getting at least half your daily fluid intake from drinking plenty of H2O yourself (2).
Water flushes waste
- Water helps flush out waste. The kidneys are the primary organs that remove waste and toxins from your body, and water plays a huge role in that process.
- Water keeps skin looking young and healthy. Drinking adequate amounts of water can help maintain healthy skin by preventing dryness, wrinkles and age spots. It also hydrates the body’s cells so they function better, which makes for smoother-looking skin.
- Water helps keep organs healthy. Your heart, brain, liver and kidneys all need plenty of water to function properly — even just slight dehydration can cause problems in these vital organs!
- Water regulates blood pressure: When you don’t drink enough water on a regular basis, your blood pressure is more likely to rise sharply when you do drink too much salt; this puts strain on the heart which could lead to an increased risk for stroke or heart attack later down the road if left untreated long enough before seeking medical treatment right away after noticing any symptoms such as chest pain or dizziness while standing up suddenly without warning signs beforehand like being hungry first before eating anything else but then being ready after eating something sweet like cake instead (which may not necessarily cause any serious side effects).
Water aids digestion
While it might not be on your mind when you’re chugging a glass of water, this is actually one of the most important reasons to make the switch. Drinking plenty of water each day helps your body stay hydrated, which makes digestion easier and more efficient.
When you don’t drink enough water, things get out of whack: Your body draws on its reserves (i.e., saliva), making it harder for you to produce those saliva enzymes that assist in breaking down food into smaller particles. Without sufficient intake of fluids, constipation may also occur—which can lead to other digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or hemorrhoids.
Some medical professionals even believe that being dehydrated has been linked with kidney stones—a painful condition caused by small solid deposits passing through urinary tract or kidney tubes. Dehydration has also been associated with high blood pressure and heart disease because it reduces the volume in our blood vessels by increasing sodium concentration within them; this causes an increase in blood pressure which puts stress on our cardiovascular system and over time could lead to serious consequences like stroke or heart attack if left untreated..
Water moisturizes your skin
When you’re dehydrated, water can help your skin look and feel better. Water moisturizes your skin by providing it with hydration. When your body lacks water, it pulls from other sources like fat and muscle tissue, causing your skin to become dry and wrinkled as a result.
When you have enough water in your body, however, it helps keep blood circulating smoothly throughout the system for an overall healthier appearance of the outermost layer of skin (which is what we usually think of as our “skin”). You’ll also have regular bowel movements if you drink enough H2O because this essential resource does so much more than just hydrate us; it helps us digest food properly and even regulates body temperature when we perspire—all things that are important for keeping us feeling good inside and out!
So why is it so hard to drink enough water? It’s not that difficult, really. Most adults need about eight 8-ounce glasses of H2O each day for optimal health. If you exercise regularly or live in a hot climate, you may need even more than that!
Water cushions joints
Did you know that the human body is made up of approximately 60% water? That’s a lot of water! In fact, it’s even more than the amount of blood (about 45%) that we have in our bodies. The reason for this high percentage is because all our cells need to be hydrated in order for us to function properly. Since about 50% of our body weight comes from muscle, having sufficient amounts of water helps keep those muscles soft and pliable. And with 100 billion neurons firing at any given moment, you want your brain cells to be as hydrated as possible so that they can function optimally too!
The joint area is also comprised primarily of cartilage which needs water to stay healthy and lubricated (which means it slides easily over itself). Without enough moisture around the joints throughout life, cartilage can become stiffer and less flexible over time—a condition known as osteoarthritis (OA). OA causes pain when bones rub together due to excessive friction between two surfaces that should normally glide smoothly against each other without much effort required by either side involved (i.e., bone on bone = pain!).
Water helps maintain blood pressure
You may not have heard of this before, but water helps maintain your blood pressure. Drinking water keeps your body hydrated, which means that it can regulate blood volume and prevent dehydration.
This is why you should drink plenty of fluids every day—and not just soda! Water helps dilute sodium and other minerals in the bloodstream so they don’t build up and cause high or low blood pressure. It also helps the kidneys to filter out waste products from the body.
Water also plays a role in regulating electrolyte balance, which affects functions like maintaining proper heart function, muscle action and nerve impulses. Minerals like sodium are essential for keeping your heart healthy; without them, things like muscle contraction would be impaired! Not only that but without enough water intake–especially when exercising–your muscles might begin to cramp up due to dehydration…which definitely isn’t fun!!
Water acts as a shock absorber for your brain, spinal cord and fetus (during pregnancy)
Water acts like a shock absorber for your brain, spinal cord and fetus (when you’re pregnant). It cushions these important organs when you toss and turn during sleep so they don’t get damaged. Water also helps keep all the cells in your body healthy by transporting nutrients to them and removing waste.
If you don’t drink enough water, it could cause headaches, fatigue, dizziness and confusion. You need at least eight glasses of water every day to stay hydrated. The amount of water you need will depend on how much exercise or activity you do throughout the day—if you exercise intensely or live in a warm climate where sweating is common then aim for 12-16 cups of fluid daily!
Water improves kidney function
One of the greatest benefits of drinking water is that it helps to improve kidney function. Your kidneys are responsible for filtering your blood, removing waste from your body, and regulating the balance of electrolytes in your blood. Drinking plenty of water helps keep you hydrated and can help prevent kidney stones from forming.
If you do get a kidney stone—which happens when a build-up of salt and minerals in urine hardens into small stones or crystals—it can be quite painful. In an effort to avoid this unpleasant experience, many people will start drinking more water, which is an easy way to help prevent kidney stones from forming in the future!
Water helps with weight loss.
It’s no secret that drinking water can help you lose weight. Water is calorie-free, and it can fill you up so you feel full without having to eat more food. As a result, your body will burn more calories throughout the day than if it were not properly hydrated.
Adding an extra step to your routine is one way to help increase your daily fluid intake; try making sure every time you wash your hands at home or in public restrooms, take two flushes instead of one! This simple change will boost your total daily water intake considerably over time.
If taking up sports isn’t necessarily for everyone, consider activities like walking or hiking as enjoyable ways to earn some sweat points for yourself—and a few extra ounces at the same time!
Drinking water can help fight bad breath.
Drinking water is an essential nutrient. It helps to keep your body healthy and makes you feel more energized. Water also helps to keep your mouth clean, which can help to prevent bad breath. The more water you drink, the less likely you are to have bad breath.
If drinking more water helps with digestion and weight loss (see below), then this is a great reason to switch from soda or sugary drinks such as juice or sports drinks!
Drinking Water Before Meals Can Help You Lose Weight
When we eat food without any liquid, our bodies have trouble breaking down the food into nutrients that we can use. If our stomachs are full of meat-heavy meals without enough liquid, they may not be able to digest all of the protein in them very well—especially if it’s cooked at a high temperature like fried chicken wings or burgers on the grill outdoors over hot coals where most people usually make these dishes since they’re so delicious. A lot of times when this happens there will be food left behind for bacteria in our guts that love eating fiber but aren’t supposed eat anything else because they don’t know how much damage they could cause if given access through intestinal walls instead what should be just passing through us as quickly as possible while still being digested properly so everything gets absorbed properly before moving on through our system without causing harm during transit time!
Water helps prevent headaches and migraines.
Water can also help prevent headaches and migraines—not to mention it’s free! If you’re prone to headaches and migraines, this is a great reason to switch from soda and other sugary drinks to water. The body needs water in order for blood vessels to dilate properly; if they don’t dilate enough, your brain doesn’t receive enough oxygen-rich blood. This can lead to dizziness, nausea, or even fainting if your brain isn’t getting enough oxygen. But when you drink plenty of H2O throughout the day (eight glasses for men), your body will be better able to regulate its own blood pressure as well as maintain a normal temperature—two key factors that contribute towards preventing headache and migraine attacks!
In addition, our bodies need plenty of water each day because it helps us maintain healthy kidneys so we won’t get dehydrated while going about our typical daily routine (like working out at the gym). Kidneys also play an important role in regulating how much salt we take in through food—which is another reason why drinking lots of fluids can help prevent high blood pressure related issues over time!
The benefits of drinking water are pretty amazing!
In the end, it’s about finding what works for you. You may feel fine drinking soda with no ill effects, but your body will be happier if you switch to water instead. If you’re not convinced that water is much better for your health than soda, keep in mind how much money you’re saving by choosing this alternative. Over time, that extra cash can add up—and there are plenty of other things in life that deserve our attention (like helping out friends and family or taking care of ourselves).
Conclusion
There are many benefits to drinking water, and it’s important that you know them. Going from soda to water is a great first step towards healthy living. Remember that it takes time to adjust your taste buds and cravings, but it will be worth it in the end!