As a general rule of thumb, you should be drinking at least half of your body weight in ounces of water every day. For example, if a person weighs 150 pounds they should be drinking at least 75 fluid ounces of water each day. Why is this so important? Here are seven reasons why staying hydrated will improve your health:
1. Boost brainpower
Drinking more water may improve cognitive performance. Several studies show that people drinking water during cognitive tasks perform much better than those who did not.
2. Improve heart health
Staying hydrated helps the heart to pump blood more easily through the blood vessels to the muscles. Therefore, if you’re well hydrated, your heart doesn’t have to work as hard which lowers risk of cardiovascular diseases.
3. Prevent headaches
Water deprivation is a very common cause of headache. Therefore, re-hydrating can provide relief from a headache (and hydrating before the onset of symptoms will prevent the headache altogether).
4. Improve physical performance
Proper hydration can reduce fatigue, improve endurance, lower maximum heart rate, and lessen soreness after exercise.
5. Prevent dry mouthWater keeps your throat and lips moist and prevents your mouth from feeling dry. Dry mouth can cause bad breath, an unpleasant taste, and can even promote cavities. Drinking enough water can help to reduce the risk of these symptoms.
6. Protect against diseaseWater plays an important role in disease prevention. Proper hydration may be useful in preventing health conditions such as kidney stones, constipation, asthma, urinary tract infections, coronary heart disease, and even possibly some cancers.
7. Boost your moodPeople who drink more water tend to have better moods as well as less confusion, fatigue, and sleepiness.
The benefits of proper hydration are endless. Do your body a favor and drink more water.