Why should we drink plenty of water every day

It’s generally beneficial that you simply drink eight 8-ounce (237-mL) glasses of water per day (the 8×8 rule).

Although there’s little science behind this particular rule, staying hydrated is important.

Here are 7 evidence-based health benefits of drinking a lot of water.

1. Helps maximize physical efficiency

If you don’t keep hydrated, your physical efficiency can undergo.

This is particularly important during intense exercise or high heat.

Dehydration can have a noticeable effect should you lose as little as 2% of your body’s water content material. However, it isn’t unusual for athletes to lose as much as 6–10% of their water weight by way of sweat (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).

This can result in altered body temperature control, reduced motivation, and increased fatigue. It can also make exercise really feel much extra difficult, each physically and mentally (3).

Optimal hydration has been proven to prevent this from occurring, and it might even reduce the oxidative stress that happens during high depth exercise. This isn’t shocking when you think about that muscle is about 80% water (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).

If you exercise intensely and are inclined to sweat, staying hydrated may also help you carry out at your absolute best.

SUMMARY

Losing as little as 2% of your body’s water content material can considerably impair your physical efficiency.

2. Significantly affects energy levels and brain perform

Your brain is strongly influenced by your hydration standing.

Studies present that even mild dehydration, such as the loss of 1–3% of body weight, can impair many points of brain perform.

In a examine in younger girls, researchers found that fluid loss of 1.4% after exercise impaired each mood and focus. It also increased the frequency of headaches (6Trusted Source).

Many members of this same analysis group performed an identical examine in younger males. They found that fluid loss of 1.6% was detrimental to working reminiscence and increased emotions of anxiety and fatigue (7).

A fluid loss of 1–3% equals about 1.5–4.5 pounds (0.5–2 kg) of body weight loss for a person weighing 150 pounds (68 kg). This can simply happen through regular each day actions, not to mention during exercise or high heat.

Many different studies, with topics starting from children to older adults, have proven that mild dehydration can impair mood, reminiscence, and brain efficiency ((*7*), 9Trusted Source, 10, 11Trusted Source, 12, 13).

SUMMARY

Mild dehydration (fluid loss of 1–3%) can impair energy levels, impair mood, and result in main reductions in reminiscence and brain efficiency.

3. May assist prevent and deal with headaches

Dehydration can set off headaches and migraine in some individuals (14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source).

Research has proven {that a} headache is one of essentially the most common signs of dehydration.

What’s extra, some studies have proven that drinking water may also help relieve headaches in those that expertise frequent headaches.

A examine in 102 males found that drinking an extra 50.7 ounces (1.5 liters) of water per day resulted in vital improvements on the Migraine-Specific Quality of Life scale, a scoring system for migraine symptoms (16).

Plus, 47% of the lads who drank extra water reported headache improvement, while only 25% of the lads in the control group reported this impact (16).

However, not all studies agree, and researchers have concluded that as a result of of the dearth of high high quality studies, extra analysis is required to substantiate how rising hydration could assist improve headache signs and lower headache frequency (17Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

Drinking water could assist reduce headaches and headache signs. However, extra high high quality analysis is required to substantiate this potential profit.

4. May assist relieve constipation

Constipation is a common problem that’s characterised by rare bowel actions and issue passing stool.

Increasing fluid intake is commonly beneficial as a part of the therapy protocol, and there’s some proof to again this up.

Low water consumption seems to be a risk issue for constipation in each youthful and older individuals (18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source).

Increasing hydration could assist lower constipation.

Mineral water could also be a particularly helpful beverage for these with constipation.

Studies have proven that mineral water that’s rich in magnesium and sodium improves bowel motion frequency and consistency in people with constipation (20Trusted Source, 21).

SUMMARY

Drinking a lot of water could assist prevent and relieve constipation, particularly in people who typically don’t drink enough water.

5. May assist deal with kidney stones

Urinary stones are painful clumps of mineral crystal that kind in the urinary system.

The most common kind is kidney stones, which kind in the kidneys.

There’s limited proof that water intake may also help prevent recurrence in people who’ve beforehand gotten kidney stones (22, 23).

Higher fluid intake will increase the amount of urine passing through the kidneys. This dilutes the focus of minerals, in order that they’re much less more likely to crystallize and kind clumps.

Water could also assist prevent the preliminary formation of stones, but studies are required to substantiate this.

SUMMARY

Increased water intake seems to lower the risk of kidney stone formation.

6. Helps prevent hangovers

A hangover refers back to the disagreeable signs skilled after drinking alcohol.

Alcohol is a diuretic, so it makes you lose extra water than you are taking in. This can result in dehydration (24, 25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source).

Although dehydration isn’t the primary cause of hangovers, it might probably cause signs like thirst, fatigue, headache, and dry mouth.

Good methods to reduce hangovers are to drink a glass of water between drinks and have no less than one massive glass of water before going to bed.

SUMMARY

Hangovers are partly brought on by dehydration, and drinking water may also help reduce some of the primary signs of hangovers.

7. Can support weight loss

Drinking a lot of water may also help you lose weight.

This is as a result of water can increase satiety and boost your metabolic rate.

Some proof means that rising water intake can promote weight loss by barely rising your metabolism, which may increase the number of calories you burn each day.

A 2013 examine in 50 younger girls with overweight demonstrated that drinking an extra 16.9 ounces (500 mL) of water 3 times per day before meals for 8 weeks led to vital reductions in body weight and body fat compared with their pre-study measurements (27Trusted Source).

The timing is important too. Drinking water half an hour before meals is the simplest. It could make you are feeling extra full so that you simply eat fewer calories (28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source).

In one examine, dieters who drank 16.9 ounces (0.5 liters) of water before meals lost 44% extra weight over a interval of 12 weeks than dieters who didn’t drink water before meals (30Trusted Source).

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Pros:

1. Hydration Celebration: Drinking water is like giving your body a refreshing high-five. It’s the ultimate hydration celebration, keeping your skin looking glowy and your organs doing a happy dance. It’s like throwing a water party inside – and everyone’s invited!
2. Calorie-Free Quencher: Water is the superhero of calorie-free beverages. It’s like sipping on liquid air – zero calories but all the satisfaction. Forget those sugary drinks; water is the unsung hero that keeps your waistline in check without staging a taste rebellion.
3. Toilet Triumph: Okay, it’s a bit of a bathroom comedy, but water keeps your plumbing in top-notch condition. It’s like giving your toilet a workout – a flush of health, if you will. Hydration is the key to a smoothly running internal plumbing system.
4. Brain Boost: Water is the brain’s best friend, the sidekick to your cognitive superhero. It’s like giving your brain a refreshing shower, washing away the fog of forgetfulness. Stay hydrated for mental clarity – because a dehydrated brain is like a rusty old computer trying to run the latest software.
5. Workout Warrior: Picture this: you’re at the gym, sweating it out like a fitness champion. Water is your trusty workout sidekick, preventing dehydration from turning you into a human raisin. It’s like having a hydration coach cheering you on – because a parched workout is like trying to run a marathon on an empty fuel tank.

Cons:

1. Bathroom Breaks: The downside of hydration? Frequent bathroom breaks. It’s like your bladder is throwing a party, and you’re the reluctant guest. Prepare for a few bathroom marathons – because staying hydrated means your bladder is getting its daily cardio.
2. Taste Boredom: Water doesn’t come with a fancy flavor profile. It’s like the plain Jane of beverages, lacking the excitement of a fruity cocktail. But hey, it’s the original thirst quencher – sometimes, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
3. Inconvenient Containers: Carrying water can be a logistical puzzle. It’s like trying to juggle water bottles while also managing your keys, phone, and dignity. Toting around a hydration station might make you feel like a water-packing sherpa.
4. No Caffeine Kick: If you’re expecting a caffeine boost, water won’t deliver. It’s like the calm librarian of beverages, quietly hydrating without the jolt. Bid farewell to caffeine-fueled excitement – water is more of a Zen master than an energetic cheerleader.
5. Chilly Conundrum: Ice-cold water on a scorching day? Fantastic. Ice-cold water when it’s freezing outside? Not so much. It’s like your beverage has weather mood swings – refreshing in the summer, but in winter, it’s like a chilly slap in the face. Consider the temperature before taking that icy sip.

The bottom line (Why should we drink plenty of water every day)

Even mild dehydration can have an effect on you mentally and physically.

Make positive that you simply get enough water each day, whether or not your private aim is 64 ounces (1.9 liters) or a special amount. It’s one of the best issues you are able to do in your general health.