The Amazing Health Benefits of Water

The real reason we get tired throughout the day

Not having enough water in our bodies is the primary cause of daytime fatigue.

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Men carry around more water than women

In an unexpected fact about water in the human body, men have a higher water content than women. However, in both sexes water content drops as we get older.

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Lack of water can often be misinterpreted as hunger

A Washington study found that nearly all dieters who felt late-night hunger cravings ceased to feel the cravings after drinking a glass of water. This is because we often confuse our thirst response for hunger, leading us to consume more calories when we really just need some hydration.

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We lose water by breathing

Since water hydrates oxygen as it enters our body, it is also lost when we breathe. In numbers, we lose over a cup of water from our bodies every day just through basic breathing.

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We need to drink much more water when flying

Do you ever feel dehydrated after flying? It’s a fact that the average flyer can expect to lose about six cups of water from his or her body on a flight from Miami to New York City – about three hours.

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Water as an antioxidant

Water acts like a dustpan, taking many toxins with it on its way out of the body. Keeping these toxins at minimal levels helps prevent heart disease and cancer.

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Water's role in dental hygiene

Water is also useful in our bodies per its role in maintaining good dental hygiene. Besides helping digest food, saliva also cleans our mouth. Drinking enough water means we’ll produce enough saliva, important for lessening the chance of tooth decay and cavities.

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Minor dehydration's immediate effects

Dropping just 2% of the water normally in our bodies leads to poor short-term memory, greater difficulty in solving basic math problems, and the inability for our eyes to focus on a screen or page.

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Water as a shock absorber

Water acts as a shock absorber for many points throughout our body including the eyes, spinal cord, and the amniotic sac which protects and surrounds a fetus during pregnancy.

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The danger of too much water

Though we’re recommended to drink eight cups of water every day (there’s some debate to this), drinking too much water can also be harmful. Hyponatraemia, or water intoxication, is caused when such large amounts of water are consumed within a short period that sodium levels in the blood drop to critical levels. Headaches, cramps, blurred vision, coma, and possibly even death can result.

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Water is good for the blood

Water is critical for our bodies in that it transports blood plasma. Blood plasma regulates our bodies’ pH levels, moves antibodies around the body, and is important for maintaining our body temperature through osmotic balances.

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Water in our bones and muscles

Our bones, often thought of as hard, non-porous substances, are both porous (though the holes are tiny) and made up of 22% water. Our muscles, in contrast, are 75% water.

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The need to drink plenty of water

We need to replenish the water we lose daily through normal bodily function. An average adult loses between 10-13 cups (2.5-3.0 L) of water every day, even counting out hot weather and exercise.

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How much water is in our bodies

One of the better-known facts about water in our bodies, water makes up 70% of us.

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Proper hydration prevents arthritis

Drinking the proper amount of fluids can prevent and/or lessen the pain of arthritis. Since water lubricates our joints, adequate water reduces joint friction.

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Pregnant women put on water weight

It’s a commonly-known fact that pregnant women put on “baby weight”. What’s lesser-known is that pregnant women add on as much water weight as baby weight, largely due to the high amounts of blood, amniotic fluid, and tissue fluids needed.

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Breastfeeding requires up to three cups more water per day

Similarly, it’s a fact that nursing mothers require much more water, up to three cups more per day, due to the high amount of water in their bodies used to make breast milk.

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Consistent lack of hydration causes sickness

Chronic Cellular Dehydration occurs when one consistently meets less than their required water intake. When cells throughout the body are continuously under-hydrated they are more vulnerable to disease and chemical imbalances.

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Water combats cancer

Consuming at least five glasses of water per day has been found to reduce colon cancer by 45%, bladder cancer by 50%, and breast cancer by 79%.

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Water keeps our brains healthy

Since 70% of our brains are made of water, drinking water is essential for brain health. Drinking water can even help relieve headaches.

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Water speeds up weight loss

German researchers have found that drinking water helps speed up our metabolism. Besides helping us burn more calories, drinking water also makes us feel more full, leading us to take less on our plates come meal-time.

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Regulates waste disposal

Our bodies remove toxins in three primary ways: urination, defecation, and perspiration. Water is clearly important while we sweat, but it also helps reduce constipation and eliminates toxins more rapidly from the body so they don’t cause harm.

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Certain drinks require more water than they bring to be processed

When we drink alcohol or soft drinks, our bodies have to use more water than is in the drinks to break them down. Even if we drink eight cans of soda a day, we’ll likely be making ourselves dehydrated. Make sure to supplement any drinks with water.

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Water helps us feel more energetic

When the body is properly hydrated, oxygen levels in our blood increase. Increased oxygen levels mean both more efficient fat burning and higher energy levels.

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Our diet affects how much water we need

When consuming a high-protein or high-fiber diet, our bodies need even more water to break down or process these tougher substances.

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