The feeling of thirst you get is your body wanting you to rehydrate it. Water is the second most popular drink in the U.S., coming in after soda. While soda can taste better, water is necessary for our body to stay healthy, and it doesn’t necessarily hurt to drink more of it. Check out some important facts about why water is great for you, and how much water you really need to stay hydrated.
1. Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids
Since your body is mainly water, you need to keep your water levels at a constant percentage. When you do, this water is used for bodily functions like digestion, circulation, transportation of nutrients, and maintaining your internal body temperature. When your levels get low and you start to feel thirsty, reach for a tall glass of water to keep your body running smoothly.
2. Water Can Help Control Calories
While drinking water is sometimes mentioned as a weight loss tool, it’s mainly just the effect water has when you drink it instead of a high calorie drink. Barbara Rolls, a researcher at Penn State, says that combining more glasses of water with eating more water-heavy foods can be “healthier, more filling, and help you trim caloric intake.” Try drinking a glass of water before a meal to help you eat less.
3. Water Helps Energize Muscles
When your muscles have a drop in their balance of fluids and electrolytes, they can become fatigued. Staying hydrated during exercise is key to helping fight this. The American College of Sports Medicine has guidelines for drinking water before and after a workout. They suggest drinking about 17 ounces two hours prior to exercise. While working out, they recommend to start drinking early and drinking at constant intervals.
4. Water Helps Keep Skin Looking Good
As mentioned prior, your body is made up of lots of water. Your skin has plenty of it and acts as a barrier to prevent too much from escaping. Kenneth Ellner, an Atlanta dermatologist, says that while dehydration causes your skin to become dry and wrinkled, over-drinking won’t solve the problem. He says, “Once you are adequately hydrated, the kidneys take over and excrete the excess.” You can take extra precaution from fluid loss by using a moisturizer.
5. Water Helps Your Kidneys
Your kidneys are in charge of excreting toxins from your body, but they can only do their job correctly if you’re properly hydrated. You can use your urine as a guide to check your water levels. Normal urine is light colored and odorless. When you’re dehydrated, it increases in color and odor due to your kidneys trying to trap extra fluid. If you drink too little, you’re also at a risk for kidney stones.
6. Water Is a Fatigue Fighter
Water can also help fight sleepiness. A common symptom of dehydration is tiredness, so if you’re feeling more tired than usual, put down the coffee mug and pick up the water glass. This is important to remember during midterms and finals! You may be more tempted to wake yourself up with coffee or soda, but try cold water first.
7. Water Protects Joints and Cartilage
Cartilage, the material that protects our bones, is made up of about 85 percent water. This ensures that our joints stay lubricated and our bones don’t rub against each other. To keep cartilage protective and healthy, water is a must. This also protects the spinal cord and tissues, something that you don’t want to hinder. Keep your bones safe and opt for another glass.
8. Water Helps Us Think More Clearly
When we get dehydrated, our brain tissue begins to shrink. Our brains have to work a lot harder to perform correctly, which is tiring. To keep your mind working in top shape for all these midterms, remember to stay hydrated with water. One study in London found that students had higher grades when they brought water to the exam, so it wouldn’t hurt to try it out this week.
So how much water should you drink?
A common guideline for drinking water is to drink eight cups every day. While this is a good start, drinking more would be best. According to the Institute of Medicine, men should drink 13 cups a day, while women should drink nine. It really all depends on how active you are and how often you sweat. As long as you aren’t dehydrated and are replacing the water you lose, continue drinking what you feel is best for you. Remember that not all of that water will come from drinking it, you will get a relatively high amount in the foods you eat as well.
Does the US not drink enough water?
A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2013 researched 2007 data from the National Cancer Institute’s Food Attitudes and Behaviors study. Their goal was to analyze the characteristics of people who drink low levels of water.
Out of 3,397 adults, they found out the following:
7% of adults reported no daily consumption of drinking water
36% of adults reported drinking 1-3 cups of drinking water a day
35% of adults reported drinking 4-7 cups of drinking water a day
22% of adults reported drinking 8 cups or more a day
If people ate less than one cup of fruit or vegetables, they were more likely to drink less than four cups of water a day. This suggests that a large number of adults may not drink the recommended eight cups a day.
If you find yourself not drinking enough water, here’s some suggestions to increase your intake:
Choose beverages you enjoy; you’re likely to drink more liquids if you like the way they taste.
If you don’t like the taste of plain water, add natural flavors with fresh fruits like lemons, limes, or oranges.
Try eating more fruits and vegetables, since about 20 percent of our fluid intake comes from these foods.
Keep a bottle of water with you wherever you go, it’ll remind you to finish it.
Create a goal for yourself, even have a reward prepared for when you meet it!