Benefits of Drinking Water: Drinking Water for Health

Water is an extremely vital nutrient and the most plentiful substance in the human body.  It makes up approximately three quarters of the human weight and is the chief constituent of every cell. Drinking water is important due to its wide ranged benefits on our health. Here are some tips on how much water to drink and how to drink water correctly in order to maximize the health benefits of water.

Drinking Water for Health: How much water to Drink?

The benefits of drinking water are diverse and far reaching; it is involved in every bodily function, from maintaining normal body temperature, metabolizing body fat, facilitating digestion, conveying nutrients, and sluicing out toxins.

The importance of water in the human body cannot be overlooked; thus it is essential to consume 64 ounces or 2 liters or 8 glasses of water per day, and in case you are overweight or exercise on a regular basis, even more. 

Why is Water Important to the Body?: Functions of Water for Health

Water is a Vital for Good Health

Water performs the following functions in our body:

• Maintaining the fluid balance: Normally, there is equilibrium between intake and elimination of water. Water is excreted through the kidneys in the form of urine, from the lungs in the form of vapor, through the skin via sweats, and through the intestines in the form of feces. In case the equilibrium gets disturbed, it can slow down the various vital bodily functions.
• Water for conveyance: water transports nutrients and oxygen in to the cells.
• For excretion and detoxification: water ensures that injurious and noxious products are thrown out from the body, and consequently aids in the process of detoxification. It helps decrease the burden on the kidneys as well as the liver.
• Water as a solvent: water is an excellent solvent for nutrients, minerals and vitamins; and makes them accessible to the body tissues. It also dilutes several dangerous and noxious substances.
• Control of the electrolyte balance: water helps maintain a balance of the essential electrolytes in the body, such as, sodium, calcium, sulphur, phosphorus, potassium, chloride, and magnesium.
• Thermal regulation: water regulates body temperature and sustains a temperature of 37°C, in spite of how hot or cold it is outside the body.
• Regulating the acid-base balance: chemical reactions are constantly being carried out in the body. Muscular action, metabolism, nerve conduction and a host of other functions are not possible without these chemical processes. Therefore, bases and acids occurring due to various chemical reactions must be balanced.
• Healthy joints: Another important function of water is lubrication of joints and keeping them flexible.
• Normal working of the GI: Water helps prevent constipation and ensures that your gastro-intestinal tract is working optimally by improving digestion.

Benefits of Water: Health Benefits of Drinking Water

Drinking plenty of water daily provides the following health benefits: 

• Recent research says that a lack of water can result in headaches, heartburn and arthritis.
• If you do not drink adequate amounts of water, your body pulls it from other places, including the blood. This results in the closing of the capillaries, making the blood thicker, vulnerable to clotting, and tougher to pump; and can have grim repercussions, such as, high levels of cholesterol, hypertension and cardiac diseases.
• Drinking sufficient amounts of water helps prevent water retention; it helps maintain normal sodium balance in the body and facilitates the elimination of excess sodium (salt) as well.
• Dehydration is responsible for weight gain. If you do not drink ample water, surplus glucose remains in the blood and then gets stored as fat. In case of dehydration or even consuming less than 2 liters of water per day, the body will pull water from inside the cells in an attempt to recompense for the dehydrated condition, including from fat cells. Less water in the fat cells will result in less mobilization of fat for energy; and consequently weight gain. Furthermore, water is an excellent natural appetite suppressant; thus water will definitely help you lose all the extra and undesirable fat quickly.
•   The kidneys filter toxins, noxious wastes, and salts from the blood. In case of an insufficiency of water, the kidneys fail to function properly, and the liver has to work overtime to compensate. As a result, the liver will metabolize less fat. Hence, it is vital that you drink lots of water to ensure the normal working of the liver and the kidneys, as well as to facilitate the process of detoxification and shedding of surplus and unwanted weight.

Knowing how to Drink Water Correctly: Tips for Drinking Water for Health

Here are some simple tips for drinking water for health,

• Drink a couple of glasses of water on getting up in the morning. This helps you detoxify and flush out the toxins that have accumulated in your body at night.
• Drink a glass of water every hour. Dont gulp down your water, rather drink it slowly.
• Avoid too cold water. This tends to alter the internal temprature of the body and can make you prone to head colds and flu.
• Dont drink too much water as it may lead to water toxicity and may lead to flushing out of essential nutrients and electrolytes along with the toxins.