Water for Health
People are always being told to drink more water but a lot of us struggle to get through a set amount every day. Almost two thirds of our body is made up of water, so it is not surprising that when we don't drink enough are health and well being start to suffer. Government guidelines recommend that we should try and drink at least eight glasses a day and some nutritionists claim that a staggering 80% of us are walking around dehydrated! This lack of fluid could affect your health, your weight and even your job.Find out what the main benefits of water really are:
1. It helps with weight loss
Great news for anyone trying to lose a few pounds - water naturally reduces your appetite. A lot of people confuse feeling thirsty with feeling hungry so they eat when their body wants them to drink something. When you're dehydrated, fat cells become harder to break down and so anyone actually trying to diet will find it a lot harder if they don't drink very much.
2. It supports your heart
The hardest working muscle of all needs a lot of water to keep it going at full speed. When you get dehydrated your blood gets thicker so the heart has to work even harder; if your heart is weak, this can lead to more serious heart problems later in life. A study by Eden found that drinking more than five glasses of water a day could cut your chances of having a heart attack by 41%, compared with people who drank less than two glasses a day.
3. It keeps you regular
If you suffer from constipation or piles you might have been told to increase how much fibre you eat. This is definitely one way of getting rid of the problem but you'll need to drink more water for the fibre to work properly. Otherwise it could have the opposite effect and make you worse.
4. It boosts your energy
In the same way that not drinking enough water makes your brain slow down it has the same effect on your body. For example, your muscles are around 75% water, your bones are about 22% and your blood is around 83%. If you are dehydrated, these body parts don't work as well as they should meaning you lack energy and feel tired or lazy.
5. It improves concentration
Because your brain is made of around 85% water if you get dehydrated it can affect your concentration and even your short-term memory. It has a particularly strong effect on your maths skills and it's all because lack of water causes your brain's energy levels to decrease.
6. It stops headaches and dizziness
Don't reach for the pills straight away; your headache could be a symptom of being dehydrated so drinking water could make it go away. Even tension headaches and dizziness, which can be brought on by fatigue can be cured or eased by drinking water - this is because fatigue is also a sign of dehydration.
7. It fights infections
Drinking water can help fight infections all over your body, not only because it flushes out toxins but because when you're dehydrated you're more likely to catch a bug. It's especially good for getting rid of and preventing urine infections and kidney stones. Being well hydrated is also great for allergies and colds because it clears the airways.
8. It clears your skin
Most people know that drinking more water can be good for clear skin and it can also help the symptoms of acne. If you've got dry skin, drinking water will give it more moisture but that's not all. Water flushes toxins out of your body and anything else that shouldn't be there so it clears your skin of any dirt and bacteria.
9. It makes you exercise better
It's common sense to replace the fluids you lose when you sweat with water, but what might not be obvious is that your body works better and harder during your workout if you drink water.
10. Healthy individuals need approximately 10 to 15 cups of water each day. Water makes up a large percentage of the body’s systems and organs including the blood, muscles, brain, and bones. It is needed to regulate body temperature, to transport nutrients and oxygen to cells, to maintain proper lung function, to protect organs and joints, and to remove waste from the body. It is important to drink the recommended amount of water to keep the body healthy.
11. Help our eye health: Our cornea is 80% water. Working long hours on the computer makes the eyes dry.
12. To prevent and treat Hypertension: hydration is crucial in treating it without using diuretics or medication.
13. To prevent and treat Depression: hydration helps the body naturally replenish its supply of the neurotransmitter serotonin.
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