If you want to live a longer, healthier life, there is one simple piece of advice. Drink enough water.
Recent studies based on large-scale, long-term health data show similar findings. This supports previous research showing the importance of staying properly hydrated.
Water is essential for important processes such as regulating body temperature, digestion, circulation, and absorption of nutrients.
Research method
Research shows that adults who drink enough water appear to be healthier, develop fewer chronic diseases such as heart and lung disease, and live longer than those who don’t drink enough water.
The results of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) study, published in the journal eBioMedicine, used health data collected from 11,255 adults over a 30-year period.
60
%
Weight percent of water in a typical human body
Scientists analyzed the association between serum sodium levels, which rise with reduced water intake, and various indicators of health.
What they discovered was surprising. Adults with serum sodium concentrations at the upper end of the normal range are more likely to develop chronic diseases and show signs of advanced biological aging than adults with intermediate serum sodium concentrations.
early death
Adults with higher levels were also more likely to die at a younger age.
Proper hydration helps key body functions function smoothly. Needless to say, it is a necessity for a normal life and long-term health.
In fact, if your brain is too dehydrated to function properly, you’ll have trouble staying alert. Your memory begins to fade. Additionally, although some foods may contain water, the water in the food alone is generally not sufficient to meet hydration requirements.
The NIH study may also provide early clues about advanced biological aging and increased risk of premature death.
hydration
It is the process of making something absorb water. The human body requires adequate hydration to function properly.
In chemistry, hydration is the process by which substances and water molecules chemically combine.
Adequate hydration plays an important role in many of our body’s functions, including providing nutrients to cells, removing waste products, protecting joints and organs, and maintaining body temperature.
good news, bad news
That’s why it’s better to drink water regularly to maintain proper hydration levels.
Good news. If your body is properly hydrated, your brain will also be properly hydrated.
Proper hydration has many benefits, including keeping your body functioning, flushing out toxins with water, and keeping your kidneys working. More importantly, keep your mind sharp.
Easy way to check for dehydration
How can I tell if I’m properly hydrated? There are many useful ways to check.
One easy way to tell how much water you’re drinking is by looking at the color of your urine.
You don’t need high-quality gadgets to measure this.
It’s a good way to measure how hydrated your body is. If your pee is clear or bright yellow, it means you’re well hydrated. On the other hand, if it is dark yellow or brownish, it means it needs more water.
In fact, when you feel thirsty, it is already a sign of mild dehydration.
Facts about hydration
• 60 percent of our bodies are made of water.
• If you weigh 150 pounds (68 kg), 90 pounds (40 kg) is water. This equates to approximately 11 gallons or 22 liters of liquid.
• About half of it is lost every day through urine, feces, sweat, and even evaporation from the skin and breathing.
• Drinking water is the easiest way to replace lost fluids.
How much water should you drink on a typical day?
male: Total water from all beverages and food is approximately 3.7 liters (125 ounces or approximately 13 cups).
woman: Total water from all beverages and food is about 2.7 liters (91 ounces or about 9 cups).
Here are some general daily fluid intake recommendations for children, depending on age, activity level, and climate:
1-3 years old: The total amount of water per day is approximately 1.3 liters (approximately 5 cups).
4-8 years old: The total amount of water per day is approximately 1.7 liters (approximately 7 cups).
boy: The total amount of water per day is 2.4 liters (about 10 cups).
girl: The total amount of water per day is 2.1 liters (about 9 cups).
boy: The total amount of water per day is 3.3 liters (about 14 cups).
girl: The total amount of water per day is 2.3 liters (about 10 cups).
This recommendation takes into account total fluid intake, including water from foods (e.g. fruits, vegetables) and beverages. Typically, about 20% of your daily water intake comes from food and the remaining 80% from drinks.
These guidelines are in line with general hydration needs, but may change depending on factors such as climate, activity level, and overall health. For example, increased physical activity, hot or humid weather, or certain health conditions may require you to drink more fluids.
[Sources: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2004). “Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate”; Popkin, B. M., D’Anci, K. E., & Rosenberg, I. H. (2010). Water, Hydration, and Health, Nutrition Reviews.]
5 ways drinking enough water can help
Maintains bodily functions. Water is essential for important processes such as regulating body temperature, digestion, circulation, and absorption of nutrients. Proper hydration helps these functions function smoothly.
Supports physical performance. Staying hydrated helps maintain energy levels, muscle function, and endurance during physical activity. Dehydration can cause fatigue, muscle cramps, and decreased performance.
Improves cognitive function: Proper hydration improves concentration, attention, and memory. Even mild dehydration can negatively impact mood, mental clarity, and cognitive performance.
Promotes healthy skin: Water keeps your skin hydrated, improving its elasticity and appearance. It flushes out toxins and contributes to clearer, healthier skin.
Aids in digestion and detoxification: Hydration is essential for proper digestion, preventing constipation, and supporting kidney function. It eliminates waste and toxins from the body and promotes overall health.
Water tips:
• Staying hydrated is very important for both physical and mental health.
• Drinking water also reduces your appetite. Drink water before meals. This helps in weight loss. Drinking water stretches the walls of your stomach. Activates stretch receptors.
• These receptors send signals to the brain that suppress appetite. This simple trick will help you eat less and burn fewer calories.
• Drinking half a glass of water before meals and eating slowly can help control your appetite and pace.
• Always make sure that the water you drink is potable (safe to drink).
• Drinking water contaminated with bacteria, especially E. coli, can cause serious symptoms. E. coli comes from feces and contaminated water, and drinking it can cause diarrhea and water loss.
• When traveling to areas where water is unsafe to drink, it is important to have a way to stay hydrated with clean water.
• Kits are available to filter and purify your water, making it safe to drink again.
• Another common thing people do is drink water from a plastic bottle. Experts recommend avoiding plastic bottles as they release microplastics into the water.
Effects of lack of water
Drinking water regularly is actually very important. Dehydration impairs brain function, making you less alert and reducing your memory.
When you are dehydrated, your blood also begins to thicken due to the lack of water in your bloodstream.
This is a dangerous situation. Blood clots can form if the blood is too thick.
When it happens in the brain, it can lead to actual brain damage, such as a stroke.
There is a huge continuum between being well hydrated and not paying enough attention to hydration.
Staying hydrated is absolutely critical to your health, not only for your kidneys but also for your brain.
Staying hydrated is critical if you want to stay sharp, stay alert, improve your memory, and live a long, healthy life.
