We all know water is essential, but are we actually drinking enough of it? Staying properly hydrated does more than just quench your thirst. It sharpens your focus, supports digestion, and even keeps your skin soft and healthy. And yet, for something so simple, keeping up with daily hydration can be surprisingly tricky. So how can we make it easier to get enough water each day?
In this article, we will explore some benefits of staying hydrated and share tips to help maintain good hydration throughout the day.
We know that consuming adequate water is vital for our health and essential for all living things. Water accounts for a large percentage of our makeup, which is approximately 60-70% in adults.1 Keep in mind that this amount may vary depending on age, gender, and body composition.1
Yet for many of us, it seems like it may be a chore to get in enough fluids throughout the day, without having to ‘remind’ ourselves. Being preoccupied with our daily routine, work, and chores at home may sometimes cause us to press ahead with our tasks and bypass our needs for hydration.
But let’s take a look at how drinking adequate water and staying well hydrated is essential for supporting so many bodily functions and processes.
Sipping on water or other fluids like unsweetened beverages throughout the day can not only stave off that parched, low-energy feeling that we sometimes experience, but it goes much deeper than that. The science of why we need to consume adequate fluids supports so many processes in our bodies. Remember, reading about just a few of the many benefits of staying hydrated can certainly serve as a clear reminder of the importance of maintaining a healthy balance in your overall health and well-being.
Water makes up the majority of our cells, tissues, and the fluid that surrounds them in the body. This fluid is essential for cells to work properly. Water helps keep cell structures strong and allows ions to move where they need to go.2 Sodium, potassium, and chloride are key nutrients that help keep cells hydrated.2 These important minerals are known as electrolytes. The body works hard to balance the fluid inside the cells with the fluid outside. This balance is crucial for good health and proper functioning.
One of the main functions of water in our diet is to help regulate our body temperature and keep it homeostatic, or in balance.3.4 This is a multisystem undertaking that is maintained by the brain, kidneys, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract. There are specific receptors in the brain that signal to our body when it is dehydrated.3 This triggers thirst in the hypothalamus in the brain and tells the kidneys to conserve water.3 When this happens, the kidneys will decrease urine volume and output while concentrating the urine – something you can often see by checking the color.3,4
Isn’t our body utterly amazing?
Water plays a vital role in digestion by helping to move food through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It also transports nutrients to different parts of the body and aids in waste removal.5 Drinking enough water throughout the day, combined with high-fiber foods, supports healthy bowel movements. This may help to avoid dry, hard stools and keep the digestive system functioning smoothly.
Despite all of the topical, expensive serums and moisturizers that we might buy to turn back the clock, one of the most important factors that affects our skin health is being well hydrated. One of the benefits of hydration is healthy looking, radiant, and youthful skin.
Water is essential for supporting the elasticity of the skin.6 Another benefit of staying hydrated is that it helps flush toxins out of the body.6 Ensuring you drink enough water throughout the day can also help your skin retain moisture. Perhaps being well hydrated allows those serums and creams to work even better after all.
Let’s be honest, our overall health goal is to prevent dehydration. Over time, if you aren’t consuming enough water, your skin may start to feel tight, look dull, and make fine lines and wrinkles look more noticeable.6 Proper hydration supports healthy skin and may reduce some obvious signs of aging skin, as well as support a healthy skin barrier.6
If you have ever experienced an energy decline or a lapse in concentration, you understand the importance of maintaining hydration and ensuring sufficient quality sleep. Water intake not only affects us physically, but also mentally.
Research shows that hydration impacts both cognitive skills as well as mood.4 Severe dehydration can lead to problems with short-term memory.4 Drinking water can help improve thinking, especially supporting tasks involving cognitive function and focus.4 It can also support mood and overall mental clarity. Therefore, the benefits of staying well-hydrated are critical to support and maintain cognitive health and emotional balance.4
Staying well-hydrated helps keep your joints moving smoothly by ensuring they stay lubricated. Cartilage contains a lot of water, which helps cushion your joints. Synovial fluid, found in knees, hips, shoulders, feet, and hands, also protects bones from rubbing together.7
When fluid levels drop, lubrication decreases and may lead to some discomfort. Drinking enough water ensures this fluid remains plentiful, providing nutrients and support for easy movement.7
Your body is constantly using fluids to keep everything running smoothly, which means your internal water supply always needs to be replenished. Drinking water regularly throughout the day helps you stay ahead of dehydration and keeps your body functioning at its best. To make hydration easier, keep these five simple tips in mind:
Drinking enough water and maintaining proper fluid balance are essential for your body to function well. Staying well-hydrated aids digestion, moves nutrients through your body, keeps your skin healthy, and supports brain function. It can also help boost your energy and improve your focus. While the commonly recommended eight cups of water a day is helpful, your individual needs can vary. Several factors influence how much water you need, so talking with your healthcare provider can help determine what’s right for you. This ensures you get the most benefits from staying properly hydrated.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent any disease. Individual results may vary.
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