Learn about good hydration | Why is it so important to stay hydrated?

hydration
Consider to make hydration a healthy way of improve your life. Read about the benefits of a healthy and great hydration.

Hydration is an essential aspect of many bodily functions. So staying hydrated is the most important nutrient we can consume in our diet.

It is recommended to drink six to eight glasses of water a day (250ml), but you can also consult your doctor.

Hydration makes healthy bodies

Water makes up about 60% of the human body.

Water is not just for quenching thirst. A fully hydrated body performs a number of optimal vital functions:

  • Provides a healthy body temperature
  • Optimizes a healthy blood level
  • Lubricates joints and cartilage
  • Transports blood, energy, and nutrients to the heart and throughout the body
  • It enables the liver and kidneys to remove waste with body fluids.
  • There is a better quality of sleep and rest
  • Improves mood
  • Prevents infections
  • Improves brain function
Learn about good hydration

Symptoms of dehydration

When we don’t drink enough water, our bodies immediately show signs of dehydration. This lack of hydration can cause:

  • Dry mouth
  • Thirst
  • Weakness
  • Daze
  • Nausea
  • vomiting
  • Muscle cramps
  • Confusion

Dehydration can escalate into organ, cell, and tissue failure. Your body can go into shock if you are severely dehydrated.

When you do a lot of physical work or exercise, especially in hot or dry environments, try to drink plenty of water.

Scientifically proven benefits of hydration

You have to remember that staying hydrated is important, regardless of the science behind it.

1. Performance for exercise and physical activity

Without proper hydration, your physical performance can decline or be interrupted.

Since you lose 2% of the water content in your body you can experience dehydration. Now imagine athletes who lose 6-10% of their weight in water and their muscles contain 80% water.

Thus, dehydration affects the control of body temperature. It also reduces your motivation and increases fatigue. In short, it makes your exercise session more complicated.

Hydration plays a key role in preventing this from happening. Drinking water helps reduce oxidative stress caused by high-intensity exercise.

It is for the sake of your performance and your well-being after physical activity.

2. It affects your energy and the functioning of your brain

Learn about good hydration

Hydration plays a key role in brain function. Even mild dehydration (1-3%) can harm this body aspect.

It has an impact on your mood and concentration, especially after exercise without hydration. Headaches can become frequent and subsequently affect working memory, fatigue, and anxiety.

A person with an average weight of 70 kg loses 0.5 to 2 kg of body weight when he loses 3% of his fluid. It is something that happens easily in the face of exercise or intense heat. Take care of your cognitive process with hydration.

3. Treats and prevents headaches

Some people experience headaches and migraines due to dehydration.

Studies show that drinking water may be associated with relieving headaches, especially in frequent headache sufferers.

Starting with 1.5 liters of water, it can significantly improve your quality of life when living with conditions like migraines.

However, the researchers also conclude that more research is needed on increased hydration versus headache frequency and symptom intensity.

If you have similar conditions, do not hesitate to consult your doctor before trying simple home remedies such as just drinking water.

4. Hydration helps relieve constipation

Learn about good hydration

Constipation is characterized by infrequent bowel movements and difficulty passing stool. There is evidence to support this recommendation to increase fluid intake as part of constipation treatment.

Constipation is associated with low water consumption in both young and old people.

Hydration, especially with mineral water (rich in magnesium and sodium), has been shown to improve bowel movements related to constipation.

5. Treats kidney stones

Kidney stones in the urinary system are clusters of mineral crystals that cause a lot of pain.

In people who have had kidney stones, hydration can help prevent a recurrence.

The kidneys produce more urine when you consume more fluids. As a result, crystallized minerals are less likely to clump together.

This also requires further study, especially for stone formation in its earliest stages.

6. Hangover Prevention

Learn about good hydration

When you drink alcohol in excess you can experience a hangover as you lose more water than you drink with this diuretic.

Although dehydration is not the main cause of hangovers, it can cause symptoms such as thirst, tiredness, headaches, and dry mouth.

Drink water between alcoholic beverages and drink at least one large glass of water before bed to reduce a hangover the next day.

7. Lose weight with healthy hydration

You can lose weight by drinking water. Water increases satiety and speeds up metabolism.

In addition to increasing your water intake, increasing your metabolism can also increase the number of calories you burn each day, leading to weight loss, with an average of 8 weeks.

Timing is also important to consider. It is more effective to drink water half an hour before meals. You can eat less when you feel full from the water you drink. You can lose 44% more weight than those who do not drink water and go on a diet.

In conclusion

It is possible to suffer mental and physical effects from even mild dehydration.

Drink enough water every day. The hydration goal should be around 1.9 liters of water, sometimes more or sometimes less. It all depends on your physical activity and your good habits. With sufficient hydration, you will have several proven benefits for your health.

Are you interested in the subject of hydration? Read about other aspects of your health at Essential Medical Clinic: