Our bodies rely on water to survive and thrive. Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body needs water to work properly, in fact, our bodies contain 55 to 78 percent water, depending on body size.
A person can live about a month without food, but only a week without water. Your brain, lungs, lean muscle tissue and blood contain water. Drinking an adequate amount of water each day is vital to good health.
While the role of water in our health and daily lives is often overlooked, staying hydrated is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to improve our health. Even so, a majority of adults in the U.S. don’t drink enough water. There are a number of reasons why you might be neglecting proper hydration habits – often times other beverages can be more appealing, or we simply get caught up in our daily lives and forget.
Regardless of the reasons you may not be including enough water in your diet, there’s always time to make a change. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends adults drink around 3.7 liters of water per day; that is about eight to 10 glasses of water in a 24-hour period. This might seem daunting, but with the help of hydration tracking apps or other reminders, it is attainable.
But why try in the first place? Below are a few key reasons to make a daily habit of staying hydrated.
Water helps to regulate your body temperature
When your body temperature increases, the brain triggers the sweat glands to produce sweat, which is mostly water. Heat is lost as the sweat evaporates from the surface of the skin cooling the body.
Transports nutrients and oxygen to cells
Water is the primary mode of transportation for all nutrients in the body and is essential for proper circulation. Water consumption improves overall health by flushing out wastes and bacteria that can cause disease.
Helps maintain a healthy metabolism
Water helps to maintain healthy body weight by increasing metabolism and regulating appetite.
Moisturizes skin and helps give you a glowing appearance
Water naturally moisturizes your skin and ensures proper cellular formation underneath layers of skin to give it a healthy, glowing appearance.
Protects your joints and fights pain
Drinking water can significantly reduce joint or back pain. It helps protect joints and muscles by keeping the cartilage soft and pliable. Conversely, a lack of water, or dehydration, pulls fluid out of your tissues, which causes overall body aches and pains.
Still not convinced?
Beyond the in-depth reasons listed above, there are countless other reasons to prioritize daily hydration. If you’re still not convinced, here’s a list of even more ways water benefits our bodies.
- It flushes body waste
- It helps maintain blood pressure
- It makes minerals and nutrients accessible
- It boosts performance during exercise
- It prevents kidney damage
- It can prevent heartburn
- It reduces the chance of a hangover
- It helps create healthy saliva and mucus
- It aids the healthy function of airways
Are you looking for assistance with your health journey? If you live in the Jacksonville, FL area and are interested in improving your health contact our team today!
Our health and wellness team is now taking appointments for new patients and is standing by to assist you with medically proven, therapeutic treatment programs to help you reach your wellness goals. When walking through our doors, you can expect friendly, compassionate care and dependable access to your doctor. Request an appointment today or call us at 904-724-5767.
