Keeping your body hydrated is something that should be done daily to reap rewards. However, how much water should be consumed per day, and what are the benefits of staying above the daily targets? All of these questions will be answered in this article, and perhaps by the end you’ll be convinced to be more proactive about hydration.
Furthermore, we will also discuss the effects of a dehydrated body. Understanding these key signs can indicate when you should go pour yourself a glass of water STAT.
Advantages of being hydrated
A number of studies have backed up the positive effects of hydration. For example, a study of 447 people showed that students taking exams scored higher if they consumed water. This might have been because the psychological effect of taking water reduces anxiety levels. Here is a list of advantages you can expect from being hydrated:
Muscles and joints: the water within and around muscle cells ensures that the flow of nutrients is maintained, and waste is removed. Consuming more water naturally improves the efficiency of this process. The lubrication of joints is also aided by water, which reduces the amount of discomfort experienced during exercise.
Skin: during dehydration the skin reduces in elasticity. This in turn can lead to wrinkles being formed.
Dry mouth: the feeling of a dry mouth can be uncomfortable and consuming water prevents it. Furthermore, a dry mouth leads to bad breath and increase the rate of cavity formation.
Heart health: hydration improves the volume of blood, and that means your heart doesn’t have to work as hard pumping the blood around the body. Therefore, common activities like walking up the stairs or running for the bus will be easier.
Helps remove waste: water filtrates your body by removing waste in the form of urine. Furthermore, drinking water reduces the chances of kidney stones forming.
How much water do we need to drink?
The amount of water an individual should consume depends on the person and the type of life they lead. Up to 60% of your body is composed of water, which means you need to be drinking a lot of it.
Men should be drinking 15.5 cups (3.7 litres) and women 11.5 cups (2.7 litres) per day. Around 20% of the water consumption comes naturally via food and other drinks. The other 80% you have to be drinking in a proactive manner.
You can make water taste in a variety of ways by infusing it with things like fruits and herbs. For example, fruit infused water is increasing in popularity, and there is a comprehensive array of recopies to explore.
The negative effects of dehydration
Dehydration can occur due to not getting your daily fill, but the severe symptoms are usually the result of different causes. This includes diarrhoea, vomiting, sweating, diabetes and frequent urination. If you are experiencing these unfortunate bodily processes then make sure you are also consuming plenty of water. It might be the case that for some of these causes the act of consuming water reduces the chances of the cause taking place.
Dehydration leads to the following negative effects:
- Constipation: when there is a lack of water waste moves through the intestines at a slower pace. Sometimes it can stop moving and that results in constipation.
- Joint pain or stiffness: the cartilage padding of joints is primarily composed of water. Therefore, when you are dehydrated the cartilage is weaker, which results in pain and discomfort.
- Weight gain: a lack of water reduces the rate of toxin removal for your body. Instead the toxins are stored in the fat cells making you put on weight in the process.
- Premature aging: dehydration causes the body organs to wrinkle and wither prematurely.
- Digestive disorders: a lack of water and alkaline minerals like magnesium and calcium leads to digestive disorders. This includes acid reflux, gastritis and ulcers.
- Fatigue: one of the most important sources of energy for the body is water. During dehydration there is a lack of enzymatic activity, which means the body slows down. This causes you to feel fatigued and tired.
- Vein disease: the valves in veins begin to function improperly, which reduces the flow of blood in the body.
Conclusion
To summarize, you should have a good idea by now of how important water is for the human body. Failing to consume an adequate amount of water per day will lead to a myriad of negative effects. Therefore, you must be proactive about drinking water every single day.
Maybe there is an app that can remind you to drink water through the day. Also you can infuse your water with fruits and herbs to give it a different taste. There are plenty of strategies to drink more water and enjoy the benefits. The trick is figuring out what strategy works for you and your current lifestyle.
RD Neha Kava
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Thanks for doing this research and sharing this information it will truly accommodating for me and keep it up .