The 10 Biggest Health Benefits of Drinking Water

Water is the main component of the human body. In fact, depending upon its size, the body is composed of 55% to 78% water.

There are a number of health benefits of adequate and regular water consumption. As an added plus, it has no calories!

Your daily water consumption plays a very important role in maintaining a healthy body. Experts recommend drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water every day.

Furthermore, the Institute of Medicine has determined the adequate intake of total beverage per day (AI) to be about 3 liters or 13 cups for men and 2.2 liters or 9 cups for women.

Water helps in keeping us well hydrated, which is essential for the proper functioning of almost every cell in our body.

Here are 10 biggest health benefits of drinking water.

1. Relieves Fatigue

If you feel tired and fatigued too often, there is a fair chance that this could be due to inadequate water intake, which makes the body function less efficiently.

Fatigue is one of the primary signs of dehydration.

When there isn’t enough water in the body, the blood volume drops, causing the heart to work harder to pump oxygenated blood out in the bloodstream. Moreover, other major organs also begin to work less efficiently.

Thus, drinking enough water can help your body function properly and reduce tiredness.

• The next time you feel a bit fatigued, try drinking a glass or two of water and see if you feel any better. If you do, it indicates that you need to increase the amount of water you drink daily.^[1]

2. Improves Mood

Research indicates that mild dehydration can negatively affect your mood and your ability to think. This can happen even if the hydration level is just 1 percent or 2 percent lower than optimal.

A study conducted on 25 women and published in the Journal of Nutrition states that dehydration can affect your mood and cognitive function. Your level of hydration can be known through the color of your urine. The lighter the color, the better the level of hydration, and vice versa.^[2]

3. Treats Headaches and Migraines

If you have a headache or a migraine, the first thing that you can do to get some relief is to drink plenty of water. Headaches and migraines are often caused by dehydration.

In a study published in the European Journal of Neurology, researchers found that increasing water intake helped reduce the total number of hours and intensity of headaches in the study participants.

Make sure that you’re having enough water. This will help in preventing headaches caused by dehydration.^[3]

4. Helps in Digestion and Treats Constipation

Water helps in improving the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. This aids in digestion and prevents constipation.^[4][5]

Lack of water in the body often leads to constipation. This happens because the colon pulls water from the stools to maintain hydration. As a result, the stools turn harder and become difficult to pass.

Drinking sufficient water boosts your metabolism and helps the body in breaking down the food properly. This helps the digestive system to work efficiently, thus promoting regular bowel movements. It is to be noted that warm water is especially beneficial for digestive health.

5. Aids Weight Loss

In a clinical trial, it was found that drinking two 8 oz glasses of water before meals can help in suppressing appetite and support weight loss efforts.

Drinking water fills up the stomach, thus reducing the tendency to eat more.^[6][7]

Plus, water can promote the breakdown and elimination of fat cells. Calorie-free water is also a great replacement for high-calorie drinks such as alcohol, sugary fizzy drinks, and sodas that often contribute to weight gain.^[8]

6. Flushes Out Toxins

Water is an excellent detoxifier as it helps flush out toxins from your body and get rid of waste, primarily through sweat and urine. It also promotes kidney function and reduces kidney stones by diluting the salts and minerals in the urine.

It is important to consume an adequate amount of water throughout the day. However, experts warn against drinking too much water. Although uncommon, it is still quite possible. Excessive water intake may reduce your kidneys’ ability to filter out waste. This is why it is recommended to limit your water intake to the amount your body requires for proper functioning.

As the amount of water required by the body tends to differ from one person to another, it is usually suggested to drink to your thirst. Also, include other fluids and foods with high water content in your diet.^[5]

7. Regulates the Body Temperature

An ample amount of water in the body also helps regulate the body temperature.

Water aids in maintaining an even body temperature, owing to its thermal properties and its ability to release heat from the body when sweat evaporates from the skin’s surface.

A well-regulated body temperature will make you feel more energetic while exercising. Water also helps keep your joints and muscles lubricated, thus preventing cramps and sprains.^[9]

8. Promotes Healthy Skin

Water keeps the body well hydrated and improves the capillary blood flow, which promotes a healthy and young-looking skin. It helps to replenish skin tissues, moisturizes the skin, and increases its elasticity.

When the body gets enough water, your skin feels hydrated and looks moisturized, fresh, and healthy. Also, water helps prevent and treat soft lines, scars, acne, wrinkles, and other signs of aging.^[10]

9. Relieves Hangover

Drinking water is a simple yet effective way to get rid of a hangover.

Being a diuretic, alcohol causes you to pass more urine.^[11] Therefore, it can contribute to dehydration. Water helps rehydrate the body and speed up recovery.^[12]

Hangovers are not really a result of dehydration. However, it is known to add to symptoms such as dry mouth, fatigue, thirst, and headache. All you need to do in order to avoid dehydration is drink enough water. For example, you can have a glass of water (or any other nonalcoholic fluid) between alcoholic drinks.

It is recommended to have 16 oz to 20 oz of water at night before going to bed when you have had too much to drink.

10. Beats Bad Breath

Bad breath indicates that you may not be drinking enough water!

Water keeps your mouth moist and washes away food particles and bacteria. Moreover, it dilutes the smelly compounds created by oral bacteria.

Rinsing with water or drinking a glass of water has a significant effect on morning bad breath.^[13]

So, drink sufficient water and don’t forget to rinse your mouth, especially after having a meal or snack to control bad breath. This will also help remove bacteria and food debris stuck between the teeth and gum line.

You must exert necessary efforts to ensure adequate water intake.

However, it is important to make sure that the water you drink is clean and filtered. Increasing the consumption of other fluids as well as fruits and vegetables that are high in water content also helps.

Resources:

1. Aoki K, Nakao A, Adachi T, Matsui Y, Miyakawa S. Pilot study: Effects of drinking hydrogen-rich water on muscle fatigue caused by acute exercise in elite athletes. Medical Gas Research. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3395574/. Published July 12, 2012.
2. Pross N, Demazières A, Girard N, et al. Effects of Changes in Water Intake on Mood of High and Low Drinkers. PLOS ONE- A Peer Reviewed , Open Access Journal. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3984246/. Published April 11, 2014.
3. Spigt MG, Kuijper EC, Schayck CP, et al. Increasing the daily water intake for the prophylactic treatment of headache: a pilot trial. Current neurology and neuroscience reports. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16128874. Published September 2005.
4. Arnaud MJ. Mild dehydration: a risk factor of constipation? Current neurology and neuroscience reports. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14681719. Published December 2003.
5. Popkin BM, D’Anci KE, Rosenberg IH. Water, Hydration and Health – PubMed Central (PMC). HHS Public Access. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/#!po=42.3913. Published August 2010
6. Handbook Te. Pre-meal water consumption for weight loss. Current neurology and neuroscience reports. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23826600. Published July 2013.
7. Stookey JD, Constant F, Popkin BM, Gardner CD. Drinking water is associated with weight loss in overweight dieting women independent of diet and activity. Current neurology and neuroscience reports. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18787524. Published November 2008.
8. Tate DF, Turner-McGriev Gy, Lyons E, et al. Replacing caloric beverages with water or diet beverages beverages for weight loss in adults: main results of the Choose Healthy Options Consciously Everyday (CHOICE) randomized clinical trial1,2,3,4. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3632875/. Published February 1, 2012.
9. Sawka MN, Latzka WA, Matott RP, Montain SJ. Hydration effects on temperature regulation. Current neurology and neuroscience reports. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9694412. Published June 1998.
10. Palma L, Marques LT, Rodrigues LM. Dietary water affects human skin hydration and biomechanics. Dovepress- Open access to scientific and medical research. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4529263/. Published August 3, 2015.
11. Hobson RM, Maughan RJ. Hydration status and the diuretic action of a small dose of alcohol. Current neurology and neuroscience reports. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20497950. Published 2010.
12. Eisenhofer G, Johnson RH. Effect of ethanol ingestion on plasma vasopressin and water balance in humans. Current neurology and neuroscience reports. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7081477. Published May 1982.
13. Van E, Slot DE, Bakker EW, Van GA. The effect of water on morning bad breath: a randomized clinical trial. Current neurology and neuroscience reports. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26081039. Published May 2016.