This has been the most common question as far as water for health is concerned over the past centuries. The most common answer you would find on most textbooks would be to drink at least eight glasses a day. However, researchers and experts have since questioned this as there really is no definite answer. The right answer depends on a person’s lifestyle.
You should not advise a very active person to only drink eight glasses of water a day. That would be asking him/her to be dehydrated. However, the Institute of Medicine stands by their suggestion of men to have an adequate intake of approximately 3 liters while women consume around 2.2 liters daily.
If you are wondering whatever happened to the 8-glasses-a-day rule, it turns out that there was no real scientific evidence for that. Whoever created that saying chose the number 8 because the number was apparently easier to remember. The great part is that you should drink way more than that number. Remember that water only brings great benefits to the body and that there is no water overdose so bring it on.
Why You Should Drink Water As Much As You Can
Basically, our body needs water to function efficiently. We lost huge amounts of fluids daily as excreted through urine, skin evaporation, stool, breathing, and perspiration and all those need to be replenished before the body gets dehydrated.
Most people do not drink water for the reason that they do not feel thirsty. This is wrong. Everyone should drink water at various intervals during the day or whenever you can. Here are more reasons why you should drink more water for health as much as you can:
To balance the body fluids.
The human body is composed of 60% water. The reason behind this is probably because water is greatly responsible for proper digestion, circulation, absorption, nutrient transportation, body fluid creation, and maintenance of normal body temperature.
The body is a very interesting machine as the brain effectively communicates with all the organs on how to use and excrete water. Our thirst mechanism is actually activated when the body is running low on body fluids so do not wait to feel thirsty. But when you do become thirsty, reach for water as much as possible.
Controls calories.
Experts have long been saying that water helps with weight loss but people still seem to think otherwise up until today. Water would not make you lose weight drastically but if you substitute sugar-rich and calorie-fortified drinks with water, then chances are you would not get those extra unwanted calories.
Energizes Muscles.
Have you ever heard of muscle fatigue? This happens when cells lose balance of fluids, especially the important electrolytes. This is also the reason why active people need to drink water for health more frequently than those who are sitting all day long.
Helps keep a younger looking skin.
If you want a healthier-looking skin, then get your daily dose of water. This makes the skin totally hydrated, moisturized, and helps keep toxins flushed away from the body. Have you ever noticed the skin around a dehydrated person’s eyes? They look wrinkled and dark. This is due to the extreme loss of fluid.
Keeps the kidneys healthy.
Our kidneys are very important in our overall health. It takes the job of cleansing everything that goes inside our body and removing the toxins that are excreted through urine. It has always been said that if your urine is dark colored, it means you are not drinking enough water.
Aside from the above reasons, the benefits of drinking water for health are endless. There are no bad consequences in drinking too much water. To drink more, always have a bottle in hand wherever you go and make it a habit to sip every now and then.
