How Drinking Enough Water can Provide Surprising Health Benefits
Why Drinking Enough Water Matters
We know we need water. Almost everyone has heard the old saying about how the human body is almost entirely water. Most of us know that we should be getting 8 cups (about 2 liters) of water a day.
However, those who commit themselves to drinking enough water are often surprised at how much better they feel. They often experience greater energy, less stress, and and even less physical pain. Read on to learn why.
More Energy
Americans, it seems, are always tired. We know we lack shut-eye, but that may not be the only reason we’re yawning through our days. It may also have something to do with the caffeinated, sugary drinks we tend to live on. Though soda, coffee and “energy drinks” are water-based, the sugar and caffeine they contain are diuretics, which can steal as much water from the body than the drink supplies (Colbert, 2007).
When individuals put aside coffee and soda and reach for a glass of water, the liquid they consume stays inside their bodies, where it can do it’s job of delivering nourishment to the cells (Mayo Clinic, 2010). When cells have the nourishment they need, they work properly, and fatigue dissipates.
Better Mental Stability
A second health benefit of water is greater mental stability. Despite popular parlance, emotions don’t actually come “from the heart”. Biologically, they come from the head, specifically, from the chemical balance in the brain. Since brain cells are 85% water (while the rest of the body is about 60%) (Colbert, 2007), it makes sense that the mind, including the part that controls emotions, cannot operate properly without enough water.
A study reported by Reader’s Digest confirms this. The study results, which appeared in the June/July 2010 issue, said that mild dehydration (the kind being experienced when a person feels slightly thirsty) is enough to produce noticeable tension. Thankfully, this study also showed that rehydrating had an almost immediate effect on emotions. Water, said RD, can literally “quench crankiness.”
Less Pain
When people experience physical pain, such as headaches, back aches, and joint pain, their first reaction is often to reach for a bottle of painkiller. They might consider also reaching for a bottle of water. Adequate hydration can actually ease pain (though any doctor’s orders about pain management should, of course, continue to be followed).
Water relieves pain because muscles and joints need water to remain supple and well-lubricated. Well-hydrated muscles do not cramp easily, and well-hydrated joints do not allow bones to rub together. By drinking adequate water, individuals can assure that their bodies will not need to pull moisture away from the muscles and bones in order to sustain vital organs (Colbert, 2007).
For Further Reading
Interested in learning more about how drinking enough water and maintaining proper hydration can help you live a healthier life? Consider these thought-provoking books:
Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, by F. Batmanghelidj, (MD).
Water: The Ultimate Cure. By Steve Meyerowitz
References
Colbert, Don. (MD). (2007). The Seven Pillars of Health. Lake Mary, FL: Siloam.
Graham, J. (2010, June/July). News from the World of Health: Quench Your Crankiness. Readers Digest. Chappaqua, New York.
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2010, 17 April). Water: How Much Water Should You Drink Every Day? MayoClinic.com. Retrieved 18 May, 2010 from https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283.
