5 Reasons Why We Love Water

Mar 29, 2019

Water is extremely important for good health. Not drinking enough can lead to dehydration. That can cause fatigue, headaches, muscle cramps and more. Worse prolonged dehydration can lead to serious complications like organ failure.

Here are just a few reasons why we love water and what it can do for you.

Protects your Spine and other Tissue

Water lubricates and cushions cartilage found in joints and disks of the spine. Cartilage that is found in joints and the disks of the spine, contain around 80% water. Long-term dehydration can reduce the joints’ shock-absorbing ability, leading to joint pain.

Helps Prevent Headaches

Drinking water can help prevent and treat headaches. Dehydration can trigger headaches and migraines in some people. This depends on the type of headache.

Better Energy Levels and Brain Function

Mild dehydration can impair aspects of brain function. Studies on young children all the way through elderly have shown that mild dehydration can impair mood, memory, and brain performance. Prolonged dehydrations can lead to problems with thinking and reasoning.

Maximizes Physical Performance

During intense exercise or high heat if you are not hydrated your physical performance can suffer. This can lead to reduced motivation, increased fatigue and make exercise seem much more difficult, both physically and mentally. Drinking plenty of water has been shown to prevent this from happening.

Aids in Weight Loss in more ways than one

1. It can help with weight loss by temporarily boosting your metabolic rate.

2. Timing is important to accomplishing this. Drinking water half an hour before meals is most effective.

It will make you feel more full, resulting in eating fewer calories.

3. When you drink cold water your body will use additional energy to heat the water to your body temperature.

How much water should you drink?

Well, that depends on each person and their activity level and other factors. The general guideline is the 8X8 rule. Which is, eight 8 ounces a day. Another study suggests Men should drink 12.5 cups and Women 9 cups per day. Children between the ages of 4-8 should drink 5 cups, 9-13 years 7-8 cups, and 14-18 years 8-11 cups. Simply put, drink when you are thirsty, and especially during high heat and exercise.

For those that struggle to get water in here are some water rich foods to help you.

Watermelon – Strawberries – Cantaloupe – Peaches – Oranges – Skim Milk – Cucumber – Lettuce – Broth/Soups – Zucchini – Celery – Tomatoes – Bell Peppers – Cauliflower – Cabbage – Grapefruit

Source: Healthline and Medical News Today