So, why is water important for health exactly? Water is important for your health in many ways, it is important to have a regular amount of water each day to remain healthy. Of course, there are the main reasons that everybody knows you need water for: helping your physical performance, aiding in digestion and it also aids against fighting illnesses.
Your brain and heart combined are made up of 73% water and the lungs are composed of 83% water. This means that it is very important for your brain to stay hydrated because water can help balance your hormone levels and it plays a large role in producing neurotransmitters and hormones too. In order to take in oxygen and eliminate carbon dioxide your lungs must be continually moistened with water. The average person loses between half and a full litre of water each day just by breathing. Here are some other reasons that water is important that aren’t so obvious..
A good example of why water is vital is it that it helps create saliva, water is a main a component of saliva. Saliva also includes small amounts of electrolytes, mucus, and enzymes. It’s essential for breaking down solid food and keeping your mouth healthy.
Secondly, water helps regulate your body temperature. Staying hydrated is crucial to maintaining a steady body temperature. Your body loses a lot of water when you sweat during physical activity and hot environments. You may not think this is much of a problem, but as sweating makes your body cooler it means that if this water isn’t replenished it can actually make temperatures rise. Drinking plenty of water to regain those electrolytes and plasma helps to stay away from dehydration.
As previously mentioned, water helps fight off illness. Some examples of this are kidney stones, exercise induced asthma and constipation. Contrary to popular belief, fibre isn’t the only way to prevent constipation. It is important to maintain your water intake so your bowel movements contain enough water. If you don’t consume enough water, magnesium, and fiber, you may be more likely to experience constipation. There are many other examples of why your body needs a steady water intake, all that can be learned about with a google search.
So, how can I stay hydrated? Well, it is recommended to have at least 6-8 cups during the day, this includes other fluids such as low fat milk and sugar free drinks, tea and coffee. Flavouring water can be a key method to increasing your daily intake, as well as challenging friends and tracking your intake throughout the day with personal goals. Water isn’t only important at home, but also in the work place as it can increase concentration levels. Your workplace, by law, has to provide ‘an adequate supply of wholesome drinking water for all persons at work in the workplace’ this can vary from water taps, water coolers and providing bottled water for employees.
