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Water is essential for life and plays an indispensable role in the proper functioning of the human body. Indeed, insufficient intake of water can cause a whole host of health problems. Here are 21 health reasons why you should increase your daily water intake.

1.      Helps you lose weight

A very special property of water is the absence of energy. Country to other drinks like juices, smoothies, and sodas, or alcoholic beverages such as wine and beer, water has no calories.

Even our coffee is often mixed with calorie-containing products such as milk, cream, or sugar.

If we replace some or all of these drinks with water, we will save hundreds and even thousands, for some, of calories every day.

2.      Fuels your muscles

Water helps the muscles recharge their batteries. Indeed, sweating causes the muscles to lose water. And when muscles don’t have enough water, they get tired. So, drinking enough water before or during a workout, will recharge your muscular reserves and increase your performance. At the same time, you will also reduce the likelihood of cramps and sprains. 

3.      Enhances your metabolism 

Various studies have proven that if you drink half a liter of water within 30-40 minutes, you will burn up to 30% more calories. At the same time, water increases your feeling of satiety. Forget diets – with water you can finally declare war on your excess pounds!

Learn more about why your metabolism may not be working well.

4.      Promotes cognitive performance

Our brain is made of 85-90% water and is embedded in a waterbed, the cerebrospinal fluid. Indeed, water helps restore nutrients, fluid, and oxygen to the brain so it can better interpret and interact with stimuli.

However, when you’re dehydrated, organs in the body, including the brain, lose lubrication and oxygen. Dehydration, therefore, can lead to attention deficit, lack of concentration, poor cognitive performance, and headaches.

In addition, up to 1200 liters of blood flow through the brain every day to supply it with oxygen and carbohydrates. A particularly severe lack of water can lead to the collapse of this circulation.

5.      Keeps your skin healthy and beautiful

Certain toxins in the body cause your skin to become inflamed and block your pores. Water not only prevents dry skin but also efficiently flushes all toxins and bacteria out of your body. In this way, you reduce pimples, improve the appearance of your skin – and can look healthier and younger! 

6.      Prevents headaches

Dehydration is one of the most common causes of headaches. Before you reach for a pill, you should therefore reach for a glass of water. With regular water intake, you can cure most headaches – even if they are caused by fatigue.

Learn more about how to prevent headaches naturally.

7.      Helps create saliva

Saliva is essential for breaking down solid foods and keeping your mouth healthy. Your body usually produces enough saliva with regular fluid intake. However, your saliva production may decrease as a result of age, certain medications or therapies, or low water intake.

8.      Promotes a stronger immune system 

Water strengthens the immune system and helps fight colds and the flu. It lubricates the mucous membranes of the throat, loosens mucus in the nose, and relieves congestion.

Learn more about how to strengthen your immune system naturally.

9.      Facilitates kidney functions

Our kidneys are the waste disposers of our bodies. Through the kidneys pass all sorts of toxins and wastes, including urea. The latter is a water-soluble waste that is excreted in the urine. The kidneys need enough water to flush out the wastes out of the body optimally.

In fact, chronically low fluid intake is associated with an increased risk of kidney stones, especially in hot climates.

10.     Facilitates the transport of nutrients and other elements

Our blood plasma consists of 90-95% water. Almost 6 liters of blood in the human body transport oxygen, nutrients, and degradation products through our blood vessels.

This works best when we drink enough and keep blood volume at a high level. In the event of water loss or lack of water, the blood thickens and makes this logistics more difficult.

The cells are then poorly supplied with oxygen and nutrients and degradation products can no longer be disposed of so well.

Drinking enough water helps our body to transport everything to where it belongs: nutrients into the cells, degradation products to the kidney, and used gases to the lungs.

At night while we sleep, our body works at full speed.

Cells are renewed and various metabolic products (toxins, excess acids, and pollutants) are broken down and transported to the kidney.

In the morning we go to the toilet and get rid of these pollutants accumulated at night in the form of urine.

Accordingly, water is the most important solvent and means of transport that helps our body to detoxify and dissolves deposits.

With the color and smell of your urine, you check whether your cleaning crew has enough liquid available. It should hardly smell and be clear to light yellow.

11.      Removes bacteria from the bladder

Generally speaking, drinking plenty of water every day keeps the bladder active and free of bacteria. In fact, if you have a urinary tract infection, it is even more important that you drink a lot of water during and after treatment because every time you urinate, your bladder is cleaned a little more.

12.      Increases productivity

A regular water supply helps your brain work faster, increases concentration and your ability to think clearly. A study in London found that students obtain better grades when they drink water during an exam.

Just as a car with more gas can travel more distance, your productivity increases with more water. 

13.      Improves digestion 

Good hydration ensures that everything flows well along your gastrointestinal tract and helps prevent constipation. Water makes it easier for waste particles to dissolve and gently pass them through the digestive tract. Conversely, if you’re dehydrated, your body draws water from your stool to maintain hydration, leaving your colon dry and making it harder to pass waste.

14.      Maintains normal fluid balance in the body

Around 60% of the body is made up of water. It is therefore not surprising that water plays an important role in many bodily functions. If you drink enough water, you will maintain the fluid balance of your water. This has many advantages: nutrients can be transported more efficiently in the body, the body temperature is kept constant, saliva formation is promoted, and your circulation is improved.

15.      Maintains body temperature

This is an especially important benefit for people who love to exercise or live in warm places. Hydration is crucial to maintaining your body temperature!

Your body loses water through sweat during physical activity and in hot environments. That sweating works as a mechanism to keep your body cool, but your body temperature will rise if you don’t replenish the water you lose.

16.      Improves your mood

Water promotes the flow of nutrients and hormones and releases endorphins. If your body is adequately supplied with water, you will look and feel better! 

17.      Facilitates breathing and respiratory functions

With an adequate supply of water, the red blood cells store more oxygen. This is important because we lose almost 1.5 liters of water every day through breathing and our skin. However, the alveoli must always be moistened. If this does not happen, the risk of respiratory diseases increases. 

18.      Protects the spinal cord and other sensitive tissues

This benefit of water is often overlooked, but it is highly important.

The spinal cord transmits to the brain several external and internal stimuli and therefore connects us with our environment and allows us to perceive and enjoy the world we live in.

Water lubricates and cushions the spinal cord and other tissues.

19.      Lubricates and cushions joints

Joints such as our knees and elbows also play a key role in our role; they unite the bones of the body so that we can move freely without pain. Drinking water helps lubricate and cushion these articulations so you can enjoy exercising and lessen the discomfort caused by conditions like arthritis.

20.      Relieves fatigue

As we have seen before, water plays a major role in blood circulation. Indeed, when the body is dehydrated, the heart needs to work harder to circulate oxygenated blood to the cells and organs. This can lead to fatigue.

In addition, when approaching a state of dehydration, the body will decrease muscle performance, which causes that feeling of tiredness.

21.      Prevents bad breath

Bad breath can have multiple causes. But one of its most benign causes is dehydration. When we don’t drink enough water, saliva production is reduced, leading to dry mouth and accumulation of bacteria. Therefore, you have been experiencing bad breath without a clear explanation, you might need to increase your water intake.

Video Summary

Jenny Zhang

Jenny holds a Master's degree in psychiatry from the University of Illinois and Bachelors's degree from the University of Texas in nutritional sciences. She works as a dietician for Austin Oaks Hospital in Austin, Texas. Jenney writes content on nutrition and mental health for the Scientific Origin.