It’s so often drilled into us that we should be drinking between six and eight glasses of water daily, but why is that? We all know that water is important to our health and no other drink compares when it comes to hydration and health benefits; however, we don’t necessarily know what these benefits are.
Equally, we’re warned of the dangers of unclean water with emergency flood appeals to help those worst affected by contaminated water. Ultimately, it’s clear to see the impact that water has on humans, and those who are lucky enough to have access to clean water should reap the benefits of such.
It Optimizes Your Physical Performance
Firstly, whether you’re a workout fanatic or a complete novice, your body needs water to perform physically. In fact, during physical activity, athletes perspire between six and 10 percent of their body weight. On top of this, being well hydrated means your endurance, power, and strength will also benefit. Meanwhile, high-intensity sports and endurance training can lead to dehydration, making an increased water intake essential at this time. Without plenty of water, exercise can lead to decreased blood pressure, hyperthermia, seizures, and even death. Therefore, the importance of water can’t be underestimated when it comes to physical strain.
It Flushes Waste from Your Body
In order to have bowel movements, urinate and sweat, your body requires water. Each of these bodily functions removes waste from your body, allowing your body to work as it should. We sweat to regulate body temperature, meaning that water is essential to keeping cool. Meanwhile, regular bowel movements are essential to avoiding constipation and urination is responsible for filtering waste from your kidneys. As a result, drinking plenty of water can help you avoid health problems in the future, including kidney stones.
It Protects Your Joints, Spinal Cord, and Tissues
Another health benefit of drinking plenty of water is that it cushions and lubricates your spinal cord, joints, and tissues. Consequently, you’ll be able to move more freely day to day, as well as during exercise, reducing your risk of injury. What’s more solid water intake means you may be able to avoid conditions such as arthritis. Ultimately, water is an all-rounder when it comes to physical wellbeing, allowing you to avoid physical discomfort as much as possible when moving.
It Stabilizes Your Body Temperature
As previously mentioned, sweating is what enables us to regulate our body temperature and water is needed to allow our body to do so. When in hot environments or engaging in physical activity, you will start to sweat as your body attempts to prevent itself from overheating. Despite this, upon losing this water, your body starts to lose plasma and electrolytes and they need to be replenished by drinking more water. So many sports drinks claim to contain these elements, and while they do, they’re still nowhere near as effective as the naturalness of water. Nine times out of 10, water is the best drink you can have, unless your body is starved of sugar.
It Creates Saliva
Last but not least, water is the main element of salvia, as well as enzymes, mucus, and electrolytes. As humans, we require saliva to break down solid food and maintain mouth health. Anyone who regularly drinks water tends to have a healthy saliva production; however, this can also be affected by certain medication or even age. Therefore, if you’re not producing enough saliva and increasing your water intake hasn’t been of help, you may consider getting in touch with a medical professional.
Are you hitting your six to eight glasses per day?
