Benefits of Staying Hydrated

Welcome to the topic, “Benefits of Staying Hydrated”.

Staying hydrated is an important—and often ignored—aspect of retaining good health. As we grow our body requires more water. Adults and older are at higher risk for dehydration for several reasons, including body composition changes and natural drops in thirst levels. 

If you’re struggling to take eight glasses of water (each 8-ounce) a day—the amount suggested by many health care professionals—here is 10 reasons why hydration is important.

1. Improved brain performance

Even a little dehydration—as little as 2% loss of fluid—can affect memory, reaction time, concentration, and mood. Adding just a few cups of water per day can combat feelings of anxiety, stabilize your emotions, and have an optimistic effect on cognition. This is specifically important for older adults who are at greater risk for both dehydration and reduced cognitive function.

2. Digestive harmony

Your body necessities water to digest food well. Without enough, you may face heartburn, gas, bloating, irregular bowel movements, and other anxieties that can hurt your life. Increasing your fluid intake may set things moving on the right track again. It helps in breaking down soluble stuff from your diet to retain your digestion process in the right direction. Mineral water is particularly beneficial—look for foodstuffs enriched with magnesium and sodium.

3. More energy

Dehydration can reduce circulation and affect the passage of oxygen to your brain. A deficiency of fluids can also make your heart work harder to propel oxygen throughout the body. All of that consumed energy can make you feel exhausted, less focused, and sluggish. Simply by drinking more water, you’ll stop dehydration and have more energy to get you over the day.

4. Weight loss/management

Since it offers a sense of fullness, water can assist you to feel pleased in between meals—instead of moving to the snack cupboard. It can also assist boost your digestion. One study of females with excess weight concluded that drinking additional water before each mealtime resulted in substantial falls in body weight, body composition, and body mass index. According to another study, adults who increased their water intake by just one percent consumed a few calories. They also don’t take much sugar, saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol.

5. Decreased joint pain

Do you know the cartilage in all of our joints contains about 80% water? Staying hydrated assists your joints to be well-lubricated, which helps decrease friction by generating more of a “cushion” within the joints. Less friction means smooth joint movement and fewer pains and aches.

6. Better temperature regulation

Studies show that when you’re dehydrated, your body releases more heat. This as a result lowers your ability to endure hot temperatures. Drinking sufficient water helps you produce more sweating when you’re overheated while doing work, which in turn freshens your body down. This built-in freshening mechanism is important in preventing heat stroke and other potentially fatal heat-related conditions.

7. Kidney stone prevention

Kidney stones are masses of mineral crystals that are often present in the urinary tract. If you’ve ever practiced one, you know how hurting they can be. Consuming sufficient amounts of water every day can assist to dilute the concentration of mineral deposits in your urinary tract and reduce stone formation chances. Water also helps evacuate harmful bacteria from your body and can help in preventing Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs).

8. Healthier heart

Your blood contains a large amount of H2O. When you don’t drink a sufficient amount of water, it becomes highly concentrated, which can result in an imbalance of important minerals (electrolytes). These minerals, like sodium and potassium, are crucial proper functioning of your heart.