Why It Is Important to Drink Water
Why Do We Need to Drink Water?
Your body (depending on gender and age) is typically estimated to be between 60 and 75 percent water. Blood consists mostly of water, and several of the body’s other organs and tissues, such as the brain, muscles, and lungs also contain quite a great deal of water. Water is incredibly important in transporting nutrients around your body as well as flushing out waste and toxins. Although you can go about a month without food, you would only survive for about a week with no water intake. Water is absolutely vital to survival, but there are other great health benefits for drinking water, aside from just surviving, (which is obviously very important as well!) So why else do we need to drink water? I’m glad you asked!
Water Keeps You Hydrated
This may seem obvious – that’s what water is supposed to do right? But if you become dehydrated, it can have adverse effects on your health. Dehydration can cause constipation, headaches, lightheadedness, dry mouth, sleepiness, and muscle cramps, among other unpleasant things. None of these symptoms are in any way enjoyable at all, and you will be in much better health overall if you drink plenty of water throughout the day. Most doctors recommend drinking between 8 and 10 cups of water every day. If you get tired of constantly drinking bland water, throw in a lemon or lime to liven up the taste.
Water Helps You Lose Weight by Keeping You Full
If you are trying to lose weight, water may be able to help you! Water has no calories, no fat, and no carbohydrates – absolutely nothing at all that can inhibit you from losing weight. Sometimes when you think you are hungry, you are actually just thirsty and may be slightly dehydrated. Drink a glass of water, wait about ten minutes and see if you are still hungry. If you were just thirsty, your hunger should have abated by then. Another trick to try is to drink a glass of water about a half hour before you eat a meal. This will help you feel fuller before you begin eating, and the idea is that you will eat less because of this.
Water May Help Keep Your Skin Clear
Acne is a common problem among many teenagers, young adults, and even some older adults. Of course, simply drinking water will not automatically clear up your acne, but it can definitely help your skin not to dry out without becoming oily, and some people actually do believe that drinking plenty of water can decrease acne. Personally, I think that drinking plenty of water does a great deal to help keep your skin looking clear and healthy. Everyone is different though, but increasing your water intake is definitely an inexpensive way to try to clear up your skin and see if you can tell a difference!
Water Increases Your Metabolism and Raises Energy Levels
When you are properly hydrated, you have more energy than when are dehydrated or getting close to dehydration, because your body will work more efficiently when you are well hydrated. Drinking water speeds up your metabolic rate and can help you to burn more calories. Not a huge amount more; the rate of your metabolism has to do with quite a few more factors than simply how much water you drink, but proper hydration will help your metabolism to run more smoothly and efficiently, therefore enabling you to burn more calories.
Of course, these are only a few of the many important reasons why we should drink enough water. Water is vital for human health, and is a natural resource that we should use to keep our bodies as healthy as possible.
