11 Health Benefits Of Water To The Human Body

Water has forever been labeled one of the healthiest “foods” on the planet, and rightly so. Given that the adult human body is made up of 50 to 65 percent water, it’s no wonder that experts tell us to drink – at the very minimum – 2.2 liters a day. Unsurprisingly, the effects of lack of water go much further than dehydration and headaches. Read on to discover 11 health benefits of water that you may not already know and get inspired to get guzzling.

1. Increases Energy & Relieves Fatigue

Since your brain is mostly water, drinking it helps you think, focus and concentrate better and be more alert. As an added bonus, your energy levels are also boosted!

2. Improves Mood

Research indicates that mild dehydration (even one or two percent lower hydration level of hydration than optimal) can negatively affect your mood and ability to think.

A small study conducted on 25 women and published in the Journal of Nutrition found that being dehydrated can take a toll on your mood and cognitive function. The color of your urine is a good indicator of your level of hydration. The lighter the color the better the level of hydration and vice versa.

3. Weight Loss

Drinking water helps you lose weight better then anything else in the world. Water flushes down the by-products of fat breakdown. Drinking water can also reduce hunger and acts as an appetite suppressant so you’ll eat less. Water has also has zero calories.

4. Add radiance

Hydrating from the inside makes skin more luminous, nutritionist Keri Glassman says, author of The O2 Diet. To see results, drink eight glasses a day. It sounds like a lot but many women need that much to see a difference in their skin, she notes.

5. Flushes Out Toxins

Gets rid of waste through sweat and urination which reduces the risk of kidney stones and UTI’s (urinary tract infections).

6. Treats Headaches and Migraines

If you have a headache or migraine, the first thing that you can do to get some relief is drink plenty of water. Headaches and migraines are often caused by dehydration.

In a study published in the European Journal of Neurology, researchers found that increasing water intake helped reduce the total number of hours and intensity of headaches in the study participants.

7. Better Productivity

Your brain consists of 90% water so drinking more can improve your productivity at work and in doing other tasks. It helps you think better, be more alert, and helps make you concentrate a lot better.

8. Better Exercise

Drinking water regulates your body temperature throughout the day. You will feel a lot more energy when performing exercises and water also helps to fuel your muscles.

9. Tone muscles

Water is about 12 times more resistant than air, so it takes more effort to move while submerged, according to Terry-Ann Gibson, PhD, associate professor of kinesiology at Boise State University. That means exercises you do in a pool are extra-effective muscle sculptors.

10. Boosts Immune System

A water guzzler is less likely to get sick. And who wouldn’t rather feel healthy the majority of the time? Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu, cancer and other ailments like heart attacks.

11. Helps in Digestion and Constipation

Water also improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. This helps in digestion and prevents constipation. Inadequate water in the body often results in constipation as the colon pulls water from the stools to maintain hydration, thereby making them harder and difficult to pass.