Reasons to Drink Water
It's no magic bullet, but the
benefits of water are many.
Americans
seem to carry bottled water everywhere they go these days. In fact, it has
become the second most popular drink (behind soft drinks). But water lovers got
a jolt recently when we heard that a new report had found that the benefits of
drinking water may have been oversold. Apparently, the old suggestion to drink
eight glasses a day was nothing more than a guideline, not based on scientific
evidence.
But
don't put your water bottle or glass down just yet. While we may not need eight
glasses, there are plenty of reasons to drink water. In fact, drinking water
(either plain or in the form of other fluids or foods) is essential to your
health.
When
your water intake does not equal your output, you can become dehydrated. Fluid
losses are accentuated in warmer climates, during strenuous exercise, in high
altitudes, and in older adults, whose sense of thirst may not be as sharp.
Here
are six reasons to make sure you're drinking enough water or other fluids every
day:
1.
Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. Your body is
composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include
digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients,
and maintenance of body
temperature.
"Through
the posterior pituitary gland, your brain communicates with
your kidneys
and tells it how much water to excrete as urine or hold onto for
reserves," says Guest, who is also an adjunct professor of medicine at
Stanford University.
When
you're low on fluids, the brain
triggers the body's thirst mechanism. And unless you are taking medications that make you
thirsty, Guest says, you should listen to those cues and get yourself a drink
of water, juice, milk, coffee -- anything but alcohol.
Alcohol interferes with the brain and kidney communication and causes
excess excretion of fluids which can then lead to dehydration," he says.
2. Water Can Help Control
Calories. For years, dieters have been drinking lots of water as a weight
loss strategy. While water doesn't have any magical effect on weight loss,
substituting it for higher calorie beverages can certainly help.
Food with high water content
tends to look larger, its higher volume requires more chewing, and it is
absorbed more slowly by the body, which helps you feel full. Water-rich foods
include fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, oatmeal, and beans.
3. Water Helps Energize
Muscles. Cells that don't maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in
muscle fatigue. "When muscle cells don't have
adequate fluids, they don't work as well and performance can suffer," says
Guest.
Drinking enough fluids is
important when exercising. Follow the American College of
Sports Medicine guidelines for fluid intake before and during physical activity. These guidelines recommend
that people drink about 17 ounces of fluid about two hours before exercise.
During exercise, they recommend that people start drinking fluids early, and
drink them at regular intervals to replace fluids lost by sweating.
4. Water Helps Keep Skin
Looking Good. Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a
protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss. But don't expect over-hydration to erase wrinkles or fine lines, says Atlanta
dermatologist Kenneth Ellner, MD.
"Dehydration makes your skin look more dry and
wrinkled, which can be improved with proper hydration," he says. "But
once you are adequately hydrated, the kidneys take over and excrete excess
fluids."
You can also help "lock"
moisture into your skin by using moisturizer, which creates a physical barrier
to keep moisture in.
.........................................................MARIKI HEAVENLIGHT.
