Healthy water is very important in our body. Nowadays, you’ll see a lot of people carrying bottled water everywhere they go. That is why water has become the second most popular drink next to soft drinks. But recently, a new report has found that the benefits of drinking water may have been oversold. It seems that the old suggestion to drink eight glasses a day was nothing more than a guideline, and not based on scientific evidence.
Although we may not need eight glasses of water a day, there are plenty of reasons to drink it. Whether plain or in the form of other fluids or foods, drinking water is essential to your health. We lose fluids continuously, from skin evaporation, breathing, urine, and stool. These losses must be replaced daily for good health.
If the water intake does not equal the body’s output, it may lead to dehydration. Fluid losses are common in warmer climates, during strenuous exercise, in high altitudes, and in older adults, whose sense of thirst may not be as sharp.
Since the body is composed of about 60% water, the functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature. The brain triggers the body’s thirst mechanism when fluids are low.
It is common knowledge that dieters have been drinking lots of water as a weight loss strategy. This doesn’t mean that water has a special magical effect on weight loss, but substituting it for higher calorie beverages can certainly help.
Food appears larger when it has high water content. Its higher volume requires more chewing, and it is absorbed more slowly by the body, making you feel full. Water-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, oatmeal, and beans.
Cells that don’t maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue. When muscle cells don't have adequate fluids, they don't work as well and performance can suffer.
It is important to drink enough fluids when exercising. Based on the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for fluid intake before and during physical activity, people should drink about 17 ounces of fluid two hours before exercise. During exercise, they recommend that people start drinking fluids early, and drink them at regular intervals to replace fluids lost by sweating.
The skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss. But over -hydration will not erase wrinkles or fine lines.
Dehydration makes your skin look more dry and wrinkled, which can be improved with proper hydration. But once you are adequately hydrated, the kidneys take over and excrete excess fluids. To help “lock” moisture into your skin, use moisturizer. It creates a physical barrier to keep moisture in.
Body fluids transport waste products in and out of cells. The main toxin in the body is blood urea nitrogen, a water-soluble waste that is able to pass through the kidneys to be excreted in the urine.
Urine flows freely when you’re getting enough fluids. It is light in color and free of odor. When your body is not getting enough fluids, urine concentration, color, and odor increases because the kidneys trap extra fluid for bodily functions. Too little water consumption puts you at higher risk for kidney stones, especially in warm climates.
Adequate hydration also keeps things flowing along your gastrointestinal tract and prevents constipation. Lack of fluid make colon pulls water from stools to maintain hydration, resulting in constipation. Combined with fiber, the fluid pumps up the fiber and acts like a broom to keep your bowel functioning properly.
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