Before getting a detailed perspective on the advantages of drinking more water and it’s uses. And also the health benefits of water in our daily life. Let us know a few facts about it. We can survive without eating food for weeks but we can’t survive without drinking water even for a few days. We all know that water covers about 71% of the Earth’s surface. When we look at the human body, it’s amazing that about 70 percent of its body mass is made up of water. This clearly indicates that water has a vital role to play on this planet as well as within the living organisms. Each and Every life process on this planet requires water for its smooth functioning and quick healing.
According to the recent surveys in the US, Water is the second most popular drink or beverage in America. Although Soda occupied the No.1 position for about more than two decades in history. It is very unfortunate that unhealthy beverages are on the top list of consumption in our daily life. Whereas water, being the essential part of our life is getting ignored for other sugary syrups or carbon di-oxide filled water known famously as Club soda.
Though people very interestingly drink bottled or canned fruit juices with added preservatives to avoid dehydration. Nothing can be as effective as Plain water to keep themselves hydrated. Caffeine can dehydrate your body and so one must avoid drinking beverages like alcohol, tea, coffee, and foods like chocolate. Eating more vegetables and fruits that have a maximum water content in them is a great way to stay healthy.
How Much Water Should You Drink Daily?
There is a well-known rule called the 8 by 8 rule recommended by doctors or other medical practitioners. This rule advises you to intake or drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day ( 1 ounce = 30 ml approx). So you should prefer a 30 ml x 8 = 240 ml glass and drink eight times a day with it which is 240 ml x 8 = 1.92 liters). It’s been suggested that the minimum requirements of the body will be taken care of if a person follows this rule and drinks 2 liters of water every day. Some are even suggesting ( 11 ) eleven 8-ounce glasses of water daily.
There are many factors that one must take into consideration before blindly following the rule. It also depends on how good your health condition is. How much energy you are spending actively in a day by doing various physical activities like working, playing, etc. And the external environmental factors like temperature i.e. hotter or colder places on earth wherever you are making a living.
8 by 8 Rule
So there is no good evidence that will prove you the 8 by 8 rule or a recommendation on how many liters of water you should drink in a day. It varies person to person, place to place, activity to activity. An average healthy adult living in a temperate climate needs fluids or beverages about 3 liters for men. And 2.2 liters for Women ( might vary during pregnancy or breast-feeding. Pregnant Women have to take more water or fluids and stay safely hydrated ).
An inactive person, needs for every pound of his body weight, half an ounce of water (15 ml approx.). So if you are weighing 140 pounds, you have to drink 15 ml x 140 = 2100 ml or 2.1 Litres of water per day. If you are a heavily working person or an athlete who actively participates in sports or exercise for fitness at gyms. For each pound of bodyweight about 2/3 rd ounce of water ( 22 ml approx.) is needed. Your stomach has 2-liter capacity so it is better to take water at regular intervals throughout the day rather than drinking all at once. The best time to drink more water is in the early morning with an empty stomach which helps in the active imbibition of water.
Drinking excess water i.e. more than wanted will cause swollen eyes and you might feel dizzy which can be considered as the disadvantages of drinking non-limited water. So better not exceed the limits and take little by little. The main reason why people hesitate to drink more water is that they will have to urinate many times. But if you keep drinking more water on a daily basis your bladder gets settled and can hold the urine for a little longer. This will help in urinating larger amounts of urine at once but less frequently in a day.
Top 12+ Reasons Why You Must Drink More Water :
There are many best benefits of drinking more water. Below listed are a few important ones among them so that you can know why one should drink more water daily.
1. Clear and Radiant Skin :
There are numerous benefits of water for getting a much clearer, smooth, and less oily, flaky skin. On the Magazine covers or in the Television ads we see many beautiful models, pretty faces with soft vitalized skin tones. They look very fresh, young and are attractive enough that you might end up buying the beauty or cosmetic product which they are endorsing.
Skincare for girls has become the most important concern these days. For external environmental pollution, girls can cover their faces with a scarf. But what about the internal pollution that is happening within their body system? The simple answer is WATER.
Water
Yes! Water that is present in our blood not only helps in its circulation. But also aids in the transportation of several vital nutrients and minerals to each and every cell of our body. It acts as a natural cleanser as it removes toxins and waste materials that enter our body. The more water we drink, the more toxic substances and impurities can be flushed out resulting in a glowing, rosy complexion of the skin. You don’t have to use creams and lotions anymore as water not only increases the elasticity but also moisturizes your skin cells.
One should especially take a bit of hot or lukewarm water for better results. Instead of spending money and using cheap quality or costly cosmetics for your skin. Taking lukewarm water is extremely beneficial. It also acts as a natural remedy to cure skin diseases or disorders such as psoriasis, eczema, spots, pimples, acne, dry skin, oily skin. Water is one of the best natural anti-aging remedies that you can get for free of cost. It repairs the damaged skin cells actively and prevents premature aging by replenishing the skin tissues. You can also blemish or reduce black spots or leftover marks on the skin naturally using water.
2. Weight Loss :
One of the most known health benefits of water is it helps in losing your body weight. The fat that is stored in your body gets burnt as you drink more water. The more you eat, the chances of gaining weight will be maximum. Water prevents constipation as well as Fluid retention. Water is calorie-less ( zero ’0′ calories ) when we compare to other high-calorie drinks such as Soda pops or Cool drinks. So drinking water can suppress your appetite. This is the reason why along with the fitness programs also other Ayurvedic & Naturopathy people in India suggest you drink more water in the early morning with an empty stomach as it limits food intake. You can easily see the change in your shape as you lose weight by drinking water daily. If you are following a diet, don’t forget to include water in it.
3. Muscle Growth :
Water is very important in muscle building. It increases muscle size and strength. The performance of muscle increases as it gets enough protein. And in order to sustain the right amount of body weight water definitely plays a vital role as the growth of muscle is dependent on it. Many kinds of research found that in myocytes or the muscle cells water helps in controlling muscle breakdown. Water helps in protein synthesis – When the cells hydrate enough, protein breakdown constantly reduces.
4. Prevents Cancer :
Water greatly reduces the risk of rectal, bladder, and colon cancer at the same time it might increase the chances of cancer if it is too much chlorinated. The additives and contaminating particles that cause cancer might be even present in your water. So one must be aware of the chemicals like chlorine and fluoride mixed in water. Though chlorine is added in order to prevent infections through the water. When it reacts with organic material like bacteria it forms chemicals like Trihalomethanes ( THMs ). Consumption of chlorinated water might also affect the brain, central nervous system, heart, kidneys, and liver. Ozonated water might be a better solution if people are drinking water from local wells or municipal water. So prevention of cancer depends or measured with the purity level of water.
5. Lubrication :
If you are a bodybuilder, joint pains must be occurring very commonly. Do you wish to be free from pain without cramps and sprains? Drinking enough water can lubricate joints, lessen the friction, and keeps them strong & healthy, relieves fatigue. Water in the form of moisture creates enough cushioning around the joints making them painless. It combats against many painful diseases like rheumatism and arthritis.
6. Improves Brain Activity :
According to the researches made by the University of Westminster and the University of East London, water has great potential for the improvement and enhancement of cognitive performance. Drinking water before you are thirsty can make your reaction times faster and improves your mood.
Many studies experimented and found that the people who drank 3 cups ( 775ml ) of water prior to doing any work or finishing a task showed a rapid increase of reaction time by 14%. Electrolytic balance is maintained by drinking plenty of water. Oxygen is needed for the effective functioning of brain cells. And the water you consume can actually help in providing oxygen for the brain cells. Signals or messages from and to the brain can be sent or received quickly if you drink enough water that makes you even smarter. Dehydration can cause headaches and migraines.
7. Body Temperature :
Water is extremely helpful in the regulation of body temperature. Water has high specific heat and inside the body, it acts as a natural heat sink. It acts as a coolant and whenever the body gets overheated it absorbs the heat and pushes it out either in the form of sweat or urine. Water tries to maintain the normal human body temperature of 37 degrees celsius / 37C or 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit / 98.6F.
8. Digestion :
Water helps a lot in the process of digestion. As it aids in the breakdown of food molecules into carbohydrates, proteins, and fats which are also known as macronutrients. These macronutrients are readily absorbed and transported through the blood to several organs of the body with the help of water. Hence, the transportation of food particles is made easy. Prevention of constipation and production of enough saliva and gastric juices is possible and is vital for a healthy gastrointestinal tract to work properly. It also improves the metabolic activity in the body and helps in regulating body odor.
Bad breath or foul smell is a clear indication of the insufficiency of water in your body. By rinsing the mouth with water so that bacteria or other microorganisms that are attached to teeth and gums have to be washed out keeping the tongue hydrated. The urine color must be very clear or at least close to clear. If urine is dark, yellow-brownish amber-colored, it is not at all healthy. If you experience back pains when urine is not clear then chances of diagnosing it for urinary bladder infection are more.
9. Maintains Body Balance :
We all know that in order to maintain the body balance, a neutral Ph 7 range is required. Water helps to keep the PH-neutral making the system non-acidic.
10. Hair Growth :
The composition of a single hair strand shows about 25% of water and people who are suffering from dandruff problems need to keep their scalp hydrated, preventing it from drying. Growth of healthy, strong tresses can be achieved by drinking tepid or lukewarm water as it keeps the hair roots active by energizing the nerve endings of them.
11. Strengthens Immune System :
Drink more water as it improves immunity towards infections like Covid-19, cold, flu, and other respiratory diseases that are harmful to the functioning of the lungs.
12. Prevents Heart Burns and Kidney Stones :
Several studies and experiments conducted on men and women proved that drinking more water daily can reduce the risk of Heart failures aka Cardiac arrests. Water also prevents the formation of stones inside the kidneys.
If you liked the article, kindly share it with your friends and family. Share your opinions with us through comments. We would feel highly obliged for your feedback.
Do not forget to read other articles on Daily Tactics Guru.