How Drinking Enough Water Supports Your Body

Water constitutes more than half of your body weight and it has a part to play in almost every process involved in keeping you alive. Water helps to keep the body at a stable body temperature. Moreover, it is involved in the transportation of nutrients, joint protection and disposal of wastes through urine and sweating. If you are not drinking adequate amounts of water, you will find yourself struggling to achieve these basic processes. Mild dehydration may make you feel tired, less focused and affect your mood. However, proper hydration does not necessarily have to be complicated.

What Happens Inside Your Body When You’re Hydrated

Water is essential for the proper function of every cell, tissue and organ of the body. Your blood is made up of water and should have a sufficient quantity of it to transport oxygen and nutrients effectively. The brain is made up of about 75% water and needs to be properly hydrated for it to transmit signals and interpret information.

If you drink a sufficient quantity of water, your body can:

• Control body temperature by sweating and breathing
• Reduce friction and provide support for the soft, delicate tissues (such as the spinal cord)
• Help break down food and absorb nutrients when you digest it
• Eliminate waste material by urine, perspiration and excretion.
• Keep the blood pressure and circulation healthy.

These processes occur all the time, whether or not you are conscious of them. For this reason, hydration is not a concept to be considered only when thirsty. Thirst is really a late sign which means that your body is already asking you for water before you realize that you need a glass.

How Water Supports Digestion and Nutrient Absorption

Water plays a crucial role in digestion. The substance that breaks down food is saliva, which is largely water.The first food that’s broken down is saliva, which is primarily water. Water is important for breaking down nutrients as they pass through the digestive tract, which allows your body to better absorb them.

Water also helps to keep stool soft, and helps it move through your intestines smoothly. If you are not drinking enough water, digestion slows down and you can get bloated, uncomfortable or constipated. Increase water intake and people will find improvement in their digestion in just a few days, just because their system has the water it needs.

That’s why, before meals, doctors advise drinking a glass of water: that’s because of the connection between water and digestion. It aids the digestive process right from the first bite.

The Link Between Hydration and Energy Levels

Daytime fatigue is not necessarily a sleeping disorder. Low energy is a very common and often overlooked cause of dehydration. If you are not getting enough water, the blood volume decreases slightly, forcing your heart to pump harder to get oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and organs.

This additional effort can make you feel lethargic even after a good night’s sleep. Loss of only 1-2% of body’s water content has been shown to cause a sense of fatigue, and decrease physical performance.

When you crave a drink or snack at the end of the day, try water first before choosing a coffee or snack. This is an easy test to make and for many, water is the missing ingredient.

Water’s Role in Mental Clarity and Focus

You brain is sensitive to changes in the state of your hydration. Dehydration has been consistently correlated with decreased concentration, slower reaction times and short term memory problems. Even if there’s only a little fluid deficiency, small tasks may seem harder than they should.

Students, professionals and anyone who is doing mentally demanding tasks will do well to have a water bottle handy. Drinking water throughout the day keeps the blood flow regular to the brain, aiding in good decision making and mental clarity.

Another symptom of dehydration is headache. If you are taking over-the-counter pain relievers on a regular basis, it may be worth examining if you are consuming enough water.

How Much Water Do You Actually Need

Each person’s hydration requirements will vary based on size, activity, weather and health, so there isn’t a single number that fits everyone. This is a general rule and is cited as being about 8 cups/2L a day.

Things that make you need more water are:

• Activity or work that makes you sweat
• When the weather is hot or humid.On a hot/humid day.
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Disease with fever, vomiting and/or diarrhea.
• A diet that contains lots of salty or processed foods.

One good way to assess hydration status is by watching the color of your urine. Pale yellow means well hydrated, dark yellow means more water needed! It is easy to do and is not a method that needs to keep the exact number being tracked all day.

Simple Habits to Stay Consistently Hydrated

Hydration doesn’t require any complicated routines. Little bits of water, regularly, are better than a lot of water once a while.

Here are some practical tips:

• Having a water bottle around the entire day that can be used more than once.
• Having a glassful of water first thing in the morning
• Remind yourself when you’re prone to forgetting to set reminders.
• Consuming foods with high water content such as cucumbers, watermelon and oranges
• Fluids before, during and after physical activity

This is what happens over time. Always remember that hydration is not a chore, it’s a routine that complements all of your activities throughout the day.

Final Thought 

It’s one of the easiest things to do for your health — and one you often neglect — and that’s drinking enough water. Water is involved in virtually every body function, from digestion and energy production to regulating temperature and more. It doesn’t take a lot of planning to keep hydrated. Small daily attention to body signals, availability of water, and the development of daily habits can make a difference. With regular hydration, you’ll feel better, think better and function better day after day over time.