5 Reasons to Drink More Water

Water (or lack there of) has been something I didn’t even know was the cause of a good portion of my breakouts. We all know water is good for us, right? “Drink eight glasses a day,” we’ve heard. But do we know why? How beneficial is water for us, truly? Can drinking water benefit your health? How about your skin? Let’s explore five reasons why drinking more water is a good thing:

1. 70% of the Human Body is Made up of Water

Water makes up two-thirds of the human body. So using those numbers alone is a pretty solid indicator that we should be consuming water on a daily basis. Our blood, cells, and organs need water to remain healthy and to keep functioning in the proper way.

Even if you’re not into strenuous exercise or your don’t live in a hot climate, your body still loses water every day through natural sweat and even breathing. While there’s no exact number of glasses or ounces we need to be consuming per day, the “eight ounces eight times a day” that we’ve all learned is a good target to keep in mind to stay hydrated. [1]

2. Drinking Water Can Help You Control Calorie Intake

No, water is not a magic weight-loss pill. But if you’re counting calories, drinking extra water – especially right before eating – can be a beneficial supplement to your other weight-loss strategies.

First of all, water is calorie-free! Sugary drinks and even many “diet” or “low calorie” drinks still count towards your daily caloric intake. Also, drinking water shortly before eating can help you feel fuller faster, thus acting as an appetite suppressant. [2]

3. Drinking Water can Help you Focus

Remember the first point about the body being two-thirds water? Well, that goes for your organs, as well, and your brain is an organ! In fact, the brain is 80% water. Drinking water daily can help with focus and concentration, reduce headaches, and even help you minimize or manage stress. [3]

4. Drinking Water Helps Your Organs

So you now know that your body and all of its organs are made up of well over 50% water. So what happens if you’re dehydrated? It’s more than just feeling thirsty – chronic low water intake can lead to kidney problems, like UTIs (urinary tract infections) and kidney stones. Increased blood pressure, constipation, and even joint pain can result from long-term dehydration. [1]

5. Drinking Water Helps Your Skin

There’s little scientific proof that drinking water will give you flawless, wrinkle-free skin. However, take into account several of the previous points: that the body and its organs are two-thirds water. Your skin is your largest organ, so therefore water intake would affect the skin.

If your skin is properly hydrated (through consuming water as well as using moisture-rich skin care products), then it’s more elastic (meaning wrinkles can appear minimized), and it’s healthy (meaning it can better fight off bacteria that can cause acne). [4]

Bonus tip: Make Sure you Don’t Over-Hydrate!

It is possible to drink too much water. Too much water in your body can result in an electrolyte imbalance, which can cause headaches, nausea, and even disrupt the central nervous system.

It’s uncommon to accidentally consume too much water. Even if you’re hot or thirsty, just sip water consistently over the course of several hours rather than guzzling several cups or quarts in a short time. [5]

Conclusion

While water is no magic pill for perfect health or perfect skin, it’s a vital nutrient that every human being needs, no matter the age, race, or gender. In most developed countries, clean water is easily accessible, so there’s really no excuse not to drink more water. Your body and your skin will thank you for it!

References:

*Picture from The Source Magazine.

The Acne Lie