If you have ever wondered why you should drink more water, then today’s blog is here to help. Here are just a few of the countless upsides of drinking water (truly, we tried to count them but couldn’t keep up) and the powerful things hydration does for your body.
Cells are the basic structural, functional, and biological unit of all known living organisms. So, it’s safe to say these guys are pretty important. Water makes up about 70% of our cells and is essential for them to function properly. It also feeds our cells and fuels them to work. In essence, water is life.
Imagine a fish tank. Now imagine not cleaning it out for a few weeks. The water would get murky, grime would accumulate, and we’d have some sad little fish on our hands. This is a good analogy of what happens to our bodies when we don’t get into the habit of flushing out toxins. Proper hydration helps filter out our kidneys and liver and rids our bodies of the excess bad stuff floating around.
Ridding your body of toxins also leads to better-looking skin. Skin is our largest organ and works as a barrier to the conditions of the outside world. As an organ, it is made up of hundreds and thousands of water-loving cells (remember these guys from before?). Hydrating your body helps fill those cells and leads to plumper, livelier looking skin. Did someone say the fountain of youth?
In a study, led by Coleen Muñoz, 120 healthy female college students documented everything they ate and drank for five days. The researchers calculated the water intake from all sources (food and drink), and controlled for known factors that affect mood, such as exercise and caffeine.
What they found was that the greater the water consumption, the better the mood. Tension, depression and confusion scores went down when water intake went up. Cheers to that!
Our brains depend on proper hydration to function at their best. Brain cells require a delicate balance between water and various elements to operate, and when you lose too much water, that balance is disrupted. Your brain cells lose efficiency.
Years of research have found that when we’re parched, we have more difficulty keeping our attention focused. Dehydration can impair short-term memory function and the recall of long-term memory.
Drinking water assists weight loss in several ways. Can we get an “oh yeah”! Firstly, it boosts your metabolism – every time you eat or drink, your body goes into “diet-induced thermogenesis” where it works to process what comes in. This works the same for water, which revs your metabolism into gear without the extra calories to burn. Drinking water also makes you feel full so you are less likely to overeat, and it also keeps you from drinking other things like calorie-laden sodas and beverages that do more harm than good.
If you struggle with hydration or aren’t sure how much water you should be drinking, make sure you check out our smart water bottle, Spring for the easiest way to level-up your hydration game.
Read related topics:
