You may know that staying hydrated is important, but you might not realize just how important it is to your health! Hydration can affect your skin, your digestion, your metabolism, and even your mood! If you’re looking to improve any of these areas of your life, increasing the amount of water you drink might be exactly what you need. Here are some of the most surprising health benefits of drinking more water.
We Need Eight Glasses of Water a Day, but Most People Get Far Less
Everyone knows that they need to drink plenty of water every day, but few people know the true extent of the benefits. Experts say you should drink six to eight glasses a day, and although that might seem like a lot at first, it’s possible! Check out these surprising health benefits of drinking more water:
- less appetite,
- easier weight loss,
- increased mental performance,
- improved skin appearance.
What Happens if You Don’t Drink Enough
Lack of water can lead to feelings of fatigue, hunger, dry skin and hair, and frequent headaches. It can also impair the body’s immune system. Lack of fluid in the blood means fewer red blood cells available to fight off infections and other problems.
How Does Dehydration Affect Your Health?
Dehydration is something that people often don’t take seriously. There are many consequences to not drinking enough water, and it is a common problem among athletes who train or work outdoors in high heat. Some of the side effects of dehydration can include dizziness, nausea, increased heart rate, headaches, confusion and forgetfulness. Dehydration will also decrease your performance and make you feel fatigued earlier than usual.
How Much Should I Drink on a Daily Basis?
How much you should drink depends on many factors including your age, weight, activity level, and climate. However, the average recommendation is 2 liters (or 8 cups) per day. If you need help getting started or remembering to stay hydrated during the day, consider using a straw to sip water throughout the day or carrying a water bottle with you as reminders to drink often.
A Few Tips to Remember
1. Hydration is important for our bodies to function properly and many organs depend on water for an abundant supply of nutrients.
2. Lack of hydration can lead to headaches, constipation, tiredness, poor moods, stress, dry skin and hair, etc.
3. Often times when people think they are hungry it is actually thirst that is the cause – remember if you feel hungry drink a glass of water first!
4. Eight glasses of water per day may be enough but some people require more or less depending on factors such as age, weight, climate, exercise routine and other activities.
5. Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day to keep your body healthy and energized!
Conclusion
Everyone needs water to survive. The human body needs at least eight glasses of water every day for a range of important bodily functions and health benefits. It is often overlooked, but consistently drinking more water will improve your physical and mental health drastically. Now that we have seen the surprising health benefits of drinking more water, would you start drinking enough water from today.
Very educative. I found this very interesting personally. I don’t drink water that much. This is an eye opener, I will start drinking more water from today.
This article is definitely for me. I don’t normally take waters unless I am eating food. I now understand why it is important to drink enough water regularly. Thanks for this article.
Drinking water regularly is good for you body. Drinking of water should not be limited to meal time. I normally encourage my children to drink enough water.