The Importance of Water Consumption and Hydration
Why water consumption and hydration is more important than you may think
Dehydration is one of the most common preventable medical conditions. Anyone can become dehydrated and for many different reasons. That is way it is important that you always hydrate yourself with filtered water. Two thirds of your body is made of water. Water plays a large role in many of your bodily functions such as lubricating your joints, eliminating toxins, and proper digestion. Research has shown that your brain is the first organ to be effected by dehydration. According to the American Journal of Neuroradiology, dehydration decreases brain tissue fluid, which can result in changes in brain volume. CRAZY, right?
Effects of Dehydration
Over time, failure to drink enough water can contribute to a wide array of medical complications from fatigue, joint pain, weight gain, headaches, ulcers, to high blood pressure and kidney disease. Some moderate symptoms include sleepiness, dry skin, dry mouth, headaches, muscle cramps, and digestive issues. Some more severe symptoms are low blood pressure, increased heart rate, fever, dark colored urine, and confusion.
Why Drink More H2O?
Water is necessary for the body to digest and absorb vitamins and nutrients. It’s also key to proper digestion; it detoxifies the liver and kidneys and carries waste away. If your urine becomes darkly colored you are likely dehydrated.
How can you tell exactly how much water you need to be drinking per day?
Getting enough water can be tricky if you are not aware that many beverages do not have a hydrating effect on the body. Many people think they are doing a good job at staying hydrated by consuming juice, sports drinks, or carbonated beverages. BUT, the downfalls of those types of drinks are that they are extremely high in sugar and can often decrease your hydration. They are also mostly acidic, making your body susceptible to disease.
Instead of consuming these beverages, replace them with water to ensure you are getting the most hydration possible. AVOID drinking tap water whenever possible as it is likely to contain fluoride, as well as heavy metals and disinfection byproducts that can have negative effects on your health. Did you know most water treatment plants will NOT tell you what chemicals they add to the water to treat; it is classified information?
Only you can determine if you are hydrated enough. If you feel thirsty or you have been sweating a lot, this is an indicator that you need to replenish your body with water and sooner than later. Don’t wait for symptoms of dehydration to occur. The average healthy person urinates seven to eight times each day, so if you're not urinating frequently it means that you're not drinking enough water.
Here is a guideline for how much water you should be drinking if you are a mostly sedentary person:
https://visual.ly/community/infographic/health/daily-water-chart