7 reasons to drink plenty of water every day
It is commonly recommended to drink eight glasses of water a day (the 8×8 rule).
While there’s little science behind this specific rule, staying hydrated is important.
Our bodies are around 60% water, give or take.
Here are 7 evidence-based health benefits of drinking lots of water.
1. Water helps maximize physical performance
If we don’t stay hydrated, physical performance can suffer.
This is particularly important during intense exercise or high heat.
Dehydration can have a noticeable effect if you only lose 2% of your body water. However, it is not uncommon for athletes to lose up to 6-10% of their water weight through sweat.
This can lead to changes in body temperature control, reduced motivation, increased fatigue and make exercise much more difficult, both physically and mentally.
Optimal hydration has been shown to prevent this from happening and may even reduce the oxidative stress that occurs during high-intensity exercise. This is not surprising when you consider that muscle is about 80% water.
So if you exercise intensely and tend to sweat, staying hydrated can help you perform at your best.
Conclusion
Losing just 2% of your body’s water content can significantly impair physical performance.
2. Hydration has a major effect on energy levels and brain function
Your brain is heavily influenced by hydration status.
Studies show that even mild dehydration (1-3% of body weight) can impair many aspects of brain function.
In a study of young women, 1.36% fluid loss after exercise impaired both mood and concentration and increased the frequency of headaches.
Another similar study, this time in young men, showed that a 1.59% fluid loss was detrimental to working memory and increased feelings of anxiety and fatigue.
A water loss of 1-3% equals about 0.5-2 kg of body weight loss for a 68 kg person. This can easily occur through normal daily activities, let alone during exercise or high heat.
Many other studies, from children to the elderly, have shown that mild dehydration can impair mood, memory and brain performance.
Conclusion
Mild dehydration (1-3% fluid loss) can impair energy levels and mood, and lead to large reductions in memory and brain performance.
3. Water can help prevent and treat headaches
Dehydration can trigger headaches and migraines in some individuals.
Several studies have shown that water can relieve headaches in those who are dehydrated.
However, this seems to depend on the type of headache.
One study of 18 people found that water had no effect on the frequency of headaches, but it did reduce the intensity and somewhat of their duration.
Conclusion
Drinking water sometimes helps relieve headache symptoms, especially in dehydrated people.
4. Drinking more water can help relieve constipation
Constipation is a common problem characterized by infrequent bowel movements and difficulty passing stool.
Increasing fluid intake is often recommended as part of the treatment protocol, and there is some evidence to support this.
Low water consumption appears to be a risk factor for constipation in young and elderly individuals.
Carbonated water shows particularly promising results for relieving constipation, although the reason is not fully understood.
Conclusion
Drinking plenty of water can help prevent and relieve constipation, especially in people who don’t usually drink enough water.
5. Drinking water can help treat kidney stones
Urinary stones are painful clumps of mineral crystals that form in the urinary system.
The most common form is kidney stones, which form in the kidneys.
There is limited evidence that drinking water can help prevent recurrence in people who have already suffered from kidney stones.
Higher fluid intake increases the volume of urine passing through the kidneys, which dilutes the concentration of minerals so they are less likely to crystallize and form clumps.
Water can also help prevent the initial formation of stones, but studies are needed to confirm this.
Conclusion
Increased water intake appears to decrease the risk of kidney stone formation. More research is needed in this area.
6. Water helps prevent hangovers
A hangover refers to the unpleasant symptoms felt after drinking alcohol.
Alcohol is a diuretic, so it makes you lose more water than you absorb. This can lead to dehydration.
While dehydration is not the main cause of hangovers, it can cause symptoms such as thirst, fatigue, headache and dry mouth.
A good way to reduce a hangover is to drink a glass of water between drinks and drink at least one large glass of water before going to bed.
Conclusion
Hangovers are partially caused by dehydration, and water can help reduce some of the main symptoms of hangovers.
7. Drinking more water can help with weight loss
Drinking lots of water can help you lose weight.
This is due to the fact that water can increase satiety and increase your metabolic rate.
In two studies, drinking half a liter of water was shown to increase metabolism by 24-30% for up to 1.5 hours.
That means drinking 2 liters of water every day can increase your total energy expenditure by up to 96 calories per day.
Timing is also important, and drinking water half an hour before meals is most effective. It can make you feel fuller so you take in fewer calories.
In one study, dieters who drank half a liter of water before meals lost 44% more weight over a 12-week period.
In fact, it is better to drink cold water, because the body will use additional energy (calories) to heat the water to body temperature.
