Everyone has heard at least once that drinking water is important if you’re having a healthy lifestyle. But not many people know why exactly it’s so good for you.
Water keeps every system in the body functioning properly. According to The Harvard Medical School Special Health Report water carries nutrients and oxygen to your cells, flushes bacteria from your bladder, helps digestion and does many other things that make drinking enough fluids essential.
If you don’t drink enough water, you risk becoming dehydrated. Warning signs of dehydration include weakness, low blood pressure, dizziness, confusion, or urine that’s dark in color.
We collected some facts about the benefits of drinking water.
Helps your workouts
Athletes can lose up to 10% of their body’s water content during competitions. Dehydration can cause noticeable effects at only 2% loss. Water is particularly important during intense exercise or high heat.
Lack of water in your body can alter body temperature control, reduce motivation, and increase fatigue. It can also make exercise feel much more difficult.
Helps keep your energy and brain function up
Your brain is strongly influenced by your hydration status. Studies show that even mild dehydration, such as the loss of 1–3% of body weight, can impair many aspects of brain function, including mood and concentration. This can easily occur through normal daily activities, and more so during exercise or high heat.
Helps prevent hangovers
Alcohol is a diuretic, so it makes you lose more water than you take in. This can lead to dehydration. Although dehydration isn’t the main cause of hangovers, it can cause symptoms like thirst, fatigue, headache, and dry mouth.
Good ways to reduce hangovers are to drink a glass of water between drinks and have at least one big glass of water before going to bed.
May help relieve constipation
Constipation is a common problem that’s characterized by infrequent bowel movements and difficulty passing stool. Increasing fluid intake is often recommended as a part of the treatment.
Moreover, low water consumption appears to be a risk factor for constipation in both younger and older individuals. Mineral water may be a particularly beneficial beverage for those with constipation.
Removes toxins from your body
Water is vital to the kidneys as it helps dissolve minerals and nutrients, making them more accessible to the body. It also helps remove waste products and keep chronic kidney disease away.
Treats UTIs
Water can help remove bacteria in the urinary tract and heal minor urinary tract infections (UTIs). UTIs are the second most common type of infection in the body. In the US alone they account for around 8.1 million visits to health care providers.
Drinking plenty of water is a simple way to reduce the risk of developing a UTI and to help treat an existing UTI.
Prevents kidney stones
Lack of water is the main cause of kidney stones. People who report them often do not drink the recommended daily amount of water. Kidney stones may also increase the risk of chronic kidney disease.
Can help lose weight
Plain water can also help you lose weight, especially if it is consumed instead of sweetened juices and sodas. A glass of water 20 minutes before a meal can help reduce appetite and prevent overeating as it creates a sense of fullness.
Having enough water in your system also means better digestion, which in turn is also beneficial for weight loss.
How much water should you drink?
It is recommended to drink four to six cups a day if you are a generally healthy person. However, with some health conditions you might want to drink less. These conditions include thyroid disease or kidney, liver, or heart problems. If you’re taking medications that make you retain water, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opiate pain medications, and some antidepressants, you might also consider drinking less water. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, so in all these cases water intake must be individualized, and you should check with your doctor if you are not sure about the right amount for you.
A healthy person’s water needs will vary, too, especially if you’re losing water through sweat because you’re exercising, or because you’re outside on a hot day. A general rule for healthy people is to drink two to three cups of water per hour, or more if you’re sweating heavily.
Mineral Waters of Caucasus is one of the leaders in the market of Caucasian mineral waters and soft drinks in Russia. The plant is located in a specially protected ecological area of Zheleznovodsk, close to natural mineral water springs.
Mineral Waters of Caucasus are certified both in the European Union and in the US and meet highest international standards.