Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Last Updated: Feb 2, 2023
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The benefits of drinking enough water throughout the day? This seems pretty obvious, right? Well, yes and no.
Also, to make everything a little more interesting, we asked our experts to give us their top 3 benefits of drinking enough water. This is how we received a multitude of different answers, which shows that varying focal points combined with years of experience lead to different emphases.
Question 2 covers tips that you can apply to ensure that the water you drink is clean and safe at all times.
So without further ado…
Let’s break down this roundup real quick to give you an overview of our baseline and findings.
First, our experts: We could convince 12 doctors, 7 nutritionists and 5 other health experts to participate.
Here is a statistical analysis of the 10 most common answers for our first question: “What are the top three health benefits of drinking enough water throughout the day?”
And we received even more different answers than that – interesting, isn’t it?
Of course, this does not mean that only a handful of our experts are right while all the others are wrong. In fact, due to the nature of our question, there really is no right or wrong here.
By the way, is there a difference between what only the doctors said versus the answers from our nutritionists & co.?
Looks quite similar. The biggest contrast was that the doctors weighted drinking enough water more important to prevent kidney damage. According to the other expert group, one of the top 3 benefits you get from proper hydration is cardiovascular health.
Second question: “Do you have a tip for people to apply so they can make sure that their water is clean and safe?”
Almost all experts said that you should be using a water filter, for example a reverse osmosis filter system, if you are concerned about the quality of the water you are drinking. This also includes having your water tested and using a glass or stainless steel water bottle instead of plastic when you are on the go to avoid recontamination.
Boiling water was mentioned only once.
Our bodies are >50% water and drinking water is essential to our survival. Some health benefits of drinking enough water are:
1. Keeps our minds sharp.
Our brains depend on adequate blood flow to function properly. Blood flow to the brain is governed by our blood pressure which is related to the amount of water that we drink. If we don’t drink enough water, our blood pressure can decrease for periods of time, reducing the blood flow to the brain.
Without adequate blood flow, our brains do not perform optimally, sometimes resulting in symptoms like a brain fog or trouble concentrating or even more severe symptoms such as fainting.
2. Detoxifies our body.
Our kidneys filter the blood in our body. The product of this filtration is urine, and urine is one way we release excess electrolytes and toxins from our bodies. If we don’t drink enough water, the pressure of the blood flow through our kidneys is diminished, reducing the ability of the kidneys to filter out toxins from the blood. Drinking clean water is one way to improve our intrinsic detoxification processes.
3. Keeps our skin and joints healthy.
Water is an important component of both the insides of cells and the spaces around them. Water helps cushion and lubricate our joints, allowing them to slide and bend more easily. Also, water helps to improve the elasticity of our skin, making it look young and healthy.
4. Helps us regulate body temperature.
Breathing and sweating, for example, are ways that we cool ourselves off using water from our diet. Without enough water, it can be challenging to regulate our temperature optimally.
While it is impossible to know how pure any source of water is without extensive lab testing, using a water filter is a way to improve your water quality. There are a number of filters – from portable ones designed for camping to larger water filters that you can put on your faucet or in your refrigerator – on the market. If you have concerns about the quality of your water, get a high-quality water filter and put it to use.
1. Immune boosting
Our immune system is more than just antibodies. Any barrier to the outside world is considered a valuable part of our immune system. Proper hydration ensures adequate production of saliva and keeps our skin from getting dry. Saliva can actually trap potential pathogens and kill them off before they even make it into our bodies.
Not drinking enough water leads to a drier mouth, allowing for more opportunity for illness! Same with dry skin. More cracks in the skin lead to more compromise in this wonderful barrier allowing pathogens to enter our bodies more easily.
2. Bowel movements
Fibre often gets the spotlight when it comes to keeping your movements regular but more often than not, we are often lacking enough water to keep the stool soft and moving through our system. All fibre and no water can actually back us up. Make sure to drink enough water to keep things flowing and you’ll even notice a bit of trimming around the waist!
3. Lose weight
We sometimes mistake our bodies cues for thirst and hunger. Drinking enough water throughout the day can actually lead to less calorie consumption. Staying properly hydrated can help us lose weight since reaching for a nice glass of water over a snack has quite the caloric advantage.
Water sources are important but not everyone can always implement expensive filters. Reverse osmosis systems are great, however how we handle our water once it leaves the tap is just as important.
My biggest tip that will help the most people would be to invest in a nice glass or stainless steel water bottle as opposed to plastic. Plastic can leach chemicals into our water and when heat is applied this effect is amplified. Try to make sure the water you do consume stays as clean as it was intended when you hydrate throughout the day!
1. The gold standard for hydration is to drink water throughout the day. When vigorously exercising outside, drink water with electrolytes to replenish what you are losing with sweat
2. Drinking water keeps your body satisfied, helps you to avoid stomach discomfort, and prevents peaks and dips in blood sugar and energy levels that may occur when consuming sugary beverages.
3. Drinking plenty of water gives your skin a radiant, healthy, younger-looking complexion. Water may also fend off breakouts by decreasing the concentration of oil on your skin.
It’s important to remember general healthy habits when it comes to hydration and to avoid sugary beverages, like lemonade, juices, sodas and sports drinks. Iced coffee and iced teas are also appealing, but the caffeine in these drinks makes you lose more water and if you are not compensating appropriately can lead to dehydration.
Carbonated (unsweetened) waters can be a part of your overall hydration intake, but keep in mind that the bubbles may make you feel fuller or cause some bloating that will prevent you from drinking enough fluids, especially during exercise.
Try filtered water with some fresh fruit, vegetables, and herbs for a refreshing flavor combo of your choice to make sure your water is clean and safe.
A few benefits of drinking water from my perspective:
1. Water keeps skin hydrated and supple. Improves the appearance of skin firmness.
2. Dilution is the solution to pollution. Drinking water helps remove toxins from the skin – this results in an improved glow and health of the skin as well as a reduction in the appearance of cellulite.
3. Drink water only. Drinking artificially colored and flavored drinks is toxic to your body and skin. Your body spends so much energy trying to remove these chemicals to extract plain water that can be used for every necessary metabolic process in the body.
Using those resources to detoxify food and drinks to obtain the necessary nutrients takes away from the natural repair and regeneration mechanisms we all need to stay healthy.
Never use plastic bottle as plastic chemicals (even BPA-free) leach into the water and cause toxicity and endocrine disruption. I recommend carrying around a reusable glass or stainless steel water bottle and reusing it throughout the day. It is better for the environment, also!
I don’t agree with fluoride in the water as this can severely damage the thyroid and lead to permanent thyroid destruction. I personally use a double filtered British Berkey system at home and work to remove heavy metals, fluoride, and chlorine.
1. Drinking water is necessary as over half our body is comprised of water making it an essential part of our overall health and body function including proper circulation, regulation of body temperature, along with digestion and absorption of nutrients.
2. Not only that, drinking at least 8 cups of water per day has been shown to burn an extra 20,000 calories every single year.
3. Making sure we drink enough water also prevents dehydration which can impact our physical appearance and contribute to wrinkles and dull skin.
You can get a copy of your local water quality report as well as running a test yourself to see what exactly is in your water. Once you do that, it is important to pick a quality water filtration system. There are many kinds available that vary on price, quality, and type of filter that you are looking for.
1. I always remind my patients that when they drink the recommended amount of water per day – at least eight 8-ounce glasses – they’ll likely experience physical, mental and emotional benefits.
2. People who drink plenty of water every day will feel physically stronger – whether they’re sitting at a desk all day or are hitting the pavement for a long run. That’s because proper hydration helps lubricate joints, which can keep you feeling fit and pain-free, no matter your activity.
3. Drinking water frequently throughout the day can benefit you mentally, too.
Dehydration can cause brain tissue to shrink, which can result in lack of focus, low energy and fogginess. But staying hydrated can help keep you focused for longer periods of time. You may also feel more energetic – in fact, feeling tired or drained is often the first sign of dehydration.
Sometimes when you’re dehydrated, you might experience mood swings and changes in emotion – for seemingly no reason. That’s because dehydration can often have neurological impacts that cause feelings of confusion, frustration and more. Next time you catch yourself suddenly feeling irritable in a meeting, try getting back on track with a glass of water.
I always tell my patients to talk to their water company representative. Water companies are required to monitor and report all possible contaminants that may affect the quality of the water they supply. As an added layer of protection, my family uses an in-home water filtration system. Some systems are in the form of a pitcher, while others attach directly to your sink nozzle. Some systems even protect the home as a whole.
When you’re out and about, I always prefer to opt for bottled water. To help eliminate plastic waste, carry around a reusable water bottle that you can fill up whenever you come across a filtered water fountain.
Hydration is a huge key to exercise and life in general.
1. Proper hydration helps the body operate efficiently.
Blood flows better, organs work better, etc. Obviously very important during bouts of exercise.
2. Keeps you awake and focused.
Drinking water first thing in the morning is very important as you dehydrate as you sleep. It then wakes up your cells, including your brain which helps with focus and clarity.
3. Many people mistake the feeling of dehydration for hunger pains. Being properly hydrated helps in the prevention of over-eating.
Always filter your drinking water.
I personally stay away from bottled water as several add sodium to extend the shelf life. Carry a liter or so refillable bottle with you everywhere which will encourage you to drink.
Water is essential for athletic performance.
A mere 2% water weight loss from sweating significantly decreases athletic performance.
Weigh yourself before and after physical activity, then drink 16oz to 20oz per pound lost to rehydrate. This is likely more than just quenching your thirst. Your taste buds will tell the brain to stop drinking before the cells are fully rehydrated, so measure your fluids.
2. Water is critical to proper digestion.
Fluid losses and dehydration increase the risk for constipation. Fluids are needed to keep blood pressure from dropping, and to efficiently move toxins and compounds through the body for excretion by the kidneys.
Without adequate hydration, the kidneys can get damaged from the higher concentration of solutes running through the tiny filtration units called nephrons.
Tap water can be loaded with contaminants.
Check with your local water authority to compare their testing with acceptable standards. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) website will also provide this information to you by searching your zip code.
Once you know the potential contaminants, EWG can help select the appropriate water filtration system type for you.
The benefits of drinking more water are:
1. Higher levels of energy and brain function
Our bodies are made up mostly of water and therefore require water to perform optimally in every area.
2. Can help you lose weight
Most of the time when we think we’re hungry, it’s really our bodies telling us that were dehydrated. By drinking plenty of water, we’ll feel more satiated throughout the day and it can also help increase our metabolic rate.
3. Water greatly impacts our digestive system
Drinking enough water helps prevent constipation and helps relieve some of the burden on our kidneys and liver by helping to flush out waste products.
If you live in a place with a public water supply then the water is most likely safe. However, if you don’t have access to public water, or are worried your water might not be clean, the easiest way to tell would be to get a sample of it tested at a certified lab.
1. Water, as everyone knows, is essential to daily living. We need it to keep our cells functioning properly which govern all our organs.
2. Being properly hydrated reduces one’s incidence of headaches, fatigue, overheating, muscle cramps, constipation, and renal stone formation.
3. One should drink at least 8 ounces of water before each meal to keep from overeating, as the thirst and hunger centers in the brain are right next to each other. Often times, we feel hungry and we really are dehydrated and need more fluids, namely water.
When camping or traveling outside the country, consume only bottled water. Also, do not ask for ice in other beverages as the ice may come from an unclean water source.
This is a tough one because there are just SO MANY benefits to drinking water.
1. Drinking adequate water can help prevent symptoms of dehydration such as headaches and dizziness.
2. Adequate water can help prevent constipation, or possibly alleviate it in those who aren’t drinking enough water.
3. Drinking enough water can help keep our kidneys, skin, and heart healthy, as well as help support optimal cognitive performance.
An easy marker to help you determine if you are drinking enough water? Check if your pee is clear!
Check with your city if you are concerned about water safety. They should have reports with information about contaminants.
Make sure you are selecting BPA-free water bottles, or are using stainless steel or glass bottles.
If you are in the path of hurricane Florence, make sure you stock up on at least 2 weeks worth of bottled water for each family member (including pets).
Since water is such a big part of our bodies, it’s easy to see that it does a lot.
1. It regulates body temperature, flushes waste and toxins, acts as a shock absorber, prevents and helps with constipation, helps dissolve and transport nutrients, aids red blood cells to deliver oxygen and so much more. Being dehydrated by even 1% can make you fuzzy headed, forgetful and less alert.
2. And water doesn’t just impact what’s inside us – it also can also help keep skin plump (aka more youthful).
3. Aid in weight loss. Drinking 2 glasses of water can increase metabolism (one study found about 25% for an hour) and also reduces the number of calories eaten when consumed before a meal. This simple tip works in two ways. Thirst can mask itself as hunger, causing you to eat more and water makes you feel fuller, causing you to eat less during a meal.
Tips to Drink More Water:
Make drinking water a treat by adding flavor. By mixing up your flavors you’ll never feel like you’re “just” having water. Try adding:
Other drinks count too! Make a spritzer with soda water and a splash of juice or reach for a simple herbal tea. Coffee counts too. While caffeine is a diuretic (aka: it dehydrates you), it’s been found that the water in coffee outweighs the loss.
If you drink a glass of water with every meal or snack you’ll need only a few more glasses each day to reach your daily goal.
Get a large water bottle and carry it with you. It’s much easier to stay hydrated if your bottle is nearby and you’ll know exactly how much you’ve had for the day and can stick to your goals. I recommend buying a 32-ounce water bottle and drinking one by the end of lunchtime and another by bedtime.
Go high tech by either tracking your water intake on your phone or buy a water bottle that will send you a reminder to drink more.
Eat foods with a high water content. About 20% of our daily water intake comes from food. Some fruits and vegetables, like watermelon, cucumbers, zucchini, melons, and tomatoes, have high amounts of water. As an added bonus you’ll also be ticking off one of your servings of fruits and vegetables for the day, getting some disease-fighting antioxidants, and eating fiber which will help fill you up.
Top 3 health benefits of drinking enough water throughout the day:
1. It helps to remove toxins and increase energy.
On an average day, you lose about 2.5 liters of fluid, which for most people is replaced by eating or drinking. However, if you exercise, have a very active day, sweat, or if you’re sick (fever or diarrhea), that’s going to cause dehydration. Dehydration causes fatigue and if chronic, kidney disease.
2. Proper hydration decreases stress in your body: headaches, back pain, allergies, weight gain, asthma, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s Disease — all things associated with being dehydrated.
3. Cellular health/anti-aging.
Water helps cells to replicate properly and heal faster. Your cells will live longer.
My favorite tool is the GoPure Pod. It’s a portable water purifier made with a food-grade diatomaceous earth that I leave in my refillable glass water bottle. 1 pod lasts 6 months. I refill at any water fountain and the water tastes great and I know will be cleansed of sediment and metals that might otherwise found in municipal water.
Hydration within the body is as important as oxygen is to the brain. Hydration helps every system within the body to properly function and perform. Drinking fluids, preferably water and consuming foods with high water content are ways to hydrate the body. The main three health benefits of drinking enough water throughout the day are as follows:
In order to make sure that your water is safe and clean, invest in a water purification system, filter pitcher, water filter, or use water quality test strips.
As our bodies are 60% water, give or take, it is very important to drink the recommended eight, 8-ounce glasses of water a day to stay hydrated. Here are some health benefits to staying hydrated:
1. Improved Cardiovascular Health
Your heart works harder when you are dehydrated, as your blood volume is decreased and the heart still needs to pump the reduced blood level and get oxygen to all of your cells. Staying hydrated keeps your heart pumping at a normal rate and makes everyday activities easier!
2. Preventing Headaches and Migraines
Dehydration can induce headaches and migraines in people prone to them. Staying hydrated not only prevents these headaches but if you are dehydrated, it can relieve them also.
3. Healthy Skin
With skin being your biggest organ, it needs a sustainable amount of water to stay healthy, just like all of your other organs. If your skin is dehydrated, it will become flaky, tight, and prone to premature wrinkles. Staying hydrated keeps your skin healthy and glowing.
To make sure you are drinking clean water, purchase a reusable water that has a filter in it, or use filtered water fountains. Not only does this make sure your water is clean and safe to drink, but it also reduces the waste of using plastic water bottles.
The top 3 health benefits of drinking enough water throughout the day include:
It can be challenging as many factors influence the quality of our water – location, the weather, the delivery of it – so do the best you can to have access to a good filtration system.
1. Drinking enough water will keep you young.
2. Adequate hydration helps you to eliminate toxins.
3. Drinking enough water is essential for the health of your kidneys.
You can use boiled and cooled water or purified water to ensure purity. *Note from BOS: Find the best water cooler dispensers here!
Making sure you drink enough water each day is vital to keep your body and mind healthy and functioning well.
After all, our bodies are made up of around 60% water, so we need to keep our water levels topped up.
And doing so leads to many awesome benefits, such as greater concentration levels, an improved mood, healthier skin, and better athletic performance.
Which are all vital for living a healthy life.
But as someone who helps people to get over and prevent back pain, my top 3 benefits all revolve around water’s ability to keep us out of physical pain.
1. Drinking water regularly helps prevent stiff joints
Water acts as a natural lubricant for your joints because it keeps your cartilage healthy and functioning as it should. And having a healthy cartilage allows your joints to move easily, and prevents your bones from rubbing together, which is a major cause of joint pain and stiffness. So, if you feel that your joints are a bit sore and creaky, make sure you are drinking enough water.
2. Staying hydrated increases blood circulation
Drinking water regularly keeps the blood pumping around your body as it’s meant to. And this is vital for your health because blood helps to deliver the oxygen and nutrients to your muscles that they need to repair, recover and stay healthy. And it also helps to flush away waste and toxins, which when trapped can lead to muscle knots and aches. So, drinking water will help you to reduce and prevent muscle pain.
3. Drinking enough water keeps your spinal discs healthy
Your spinal discs are vital for keeping your back healthy and pain-free, as they cushion and support your vertebrae as you move throughout the day. But like most of our bodies, these discs are made up mostly from water. And they are designed to lose some of this water as we move around.
So, to stay healthy they need to reabsorb this lost water during periods of sleep and rest. However, when you are dehydrated they can’t replenish themselves, and this can cause them to shrink over time, leading to less support for your lower back. And this lack of support results in a higher risk of developing back pain. So, help to keep your spine supported and healthy by drinking your full quota of water each day.
It goes without saying that making sure the water you are drinking is clean and safe is vitally important, and we are lucky in the western world to have this precious commodity readily available to us.
But if you don’t trust the tap water in your local area, then there are things you can do about it, with my top tip being to invest in a home filter system.
These filters are great, as they remove any harmful impurities from within the water.
And they can be attached to your kitchen sink so that you can get filtered water directly from the tap.
This will give you drinking water that is clean, safe and good for you every day.
And as a secondary tip, if you use a water tumbler to carry your purified water around with you (which is a great thing to do), make sure you clean it thoroughly every night.
And allow it to air dry completely before refilling it.
In my opinion, the top 3 benefits of drinking enough water are:
Tips for safe drinking water:
Use a water filter system at home
Drink your water from a steel water bottle of plastic. Plastic, when heated by sitting in the sun or in a car, can leach into the water your drink. By using a reusable steel water bottle you can safeguard your health, stay hydrated, save money and help the environment.
1. One of the first things you’ll notice when your brain needs more water is moodiness and irritability. When you’re dehydrated, your brain is working harder to maintain its standard functioning. That means there is less available energy to engage with higher functioning tasks like mood regulation. It’s your body’s way of telling you that it needs more water.
2. Without plenty of water, your cognitive ability goes down. You might feel like you aren’t thinking clearly or having difficulty concentrating. The cells in your brain, known as neurons, begin to slow down when you don’t give them adequate water. In some cases, they can even malfunction. Studies have even shown that brain mass itself shrinks during severe dehydration.
3. Proper hydration also gives your brain access to essential amino acids through the blood-brain barrier. Amino acids are the building blocks of neurotransmitters, like serotonin. Inhibiting serotonin production decreases your ability to experience feelings like happiness.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to clean water. The effects of dehydration are terrible, but getting sick from unclean water is much worse. If you’re worried that you aren’t drinking enough, keep an empty water bottle in your car. That way, you can fill up when you have access to safe water and take it with you wherever you go.
It seems like a no-brainer that good hydration is vital for overall health and well-being. However, water is often overlooked as an essential nutrient, and along those lines, even very mild dehydration is linked to a variety of chronic diseases and can lead to impaired performance. Along those lines, here are 3 top health benefits of proper hydration, which includes consuming enough water:
1. Mental sharpness
As little as 2% dehydration can impair cognitive performance, leading to poor focus, brain fog, crappy energy levels, impaired memory, and more.
2. Physical performance
Again, even modest dehydration leads to impaired physical performance, making you slower, weaker, and less powerful. It also impairs your body’s ability to cool itself and puts more stress on the cardiovascular system.
3. Metabolism
Considering that the human body is about 60% water, you better believe that optimal hydration is key to a humming metabolism. In fact, just a minor drop in hydration can significantly reduce metabolic rate.
When it comes to consuming enough water, we obviously want to make sure that we’re drinking pure, clean, and safe water — and eating plenty of vegetables, some fruits, and other foods with a high water content. As far as drinking water, I prefer and recommend spring water (bottled in glass), such as Mountain Valley Spring Water, which you can have delivered.
As far as water filtration systems, Berkey Filters consistently rank at the top. If neither of those are an option, the Environmental Working Group also publishes a water filter buying guide that helps consumers choose a filtration system that fits their needs and budget.
Lastly, I think it’s worth mentioning that drinking enough water is only a part (albeit a big part) of the hydration equation. Also vital is making sure you’re consuming enough electrolytes (e.g., sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, bicarbonate) for optimal body water balance.
While it’s another topic for another day, I do think we’ve been misled about sodium. Not only is it not as bad as we’ve been led to believe, if you’re active and eating mostly whole, minimally processed foods, there’s a good chance you’re not getting enough of this critical nutrient.
1. Drinking enough water keeps your organs at a good size and keeps the body functioning properly. If you don’t drink enough water your organs can swell and make it look like you gained weight.
2. It helps to prevent headaches, kidney stone, and aging.
3. You have energy, your mind can function better, and you don’t get overheated
Use a filtering system with reverse osmosis water, put a filter on your faucet to help keep your water safe.
I fix people’s pain by removing fascial adhesion, or glue between the muscles.
When someone is dehydrated, the muscles and fascia become stickier, causing adhesion to develop more quickly and the recovery from muscle damage to slow down.
1. The primary benefit when it comes to getting out of and staying out of pain is allowing the muscles to operate at 100% by being able adequately hydrated.
2. No headaches.
3. Help your body detox so it can recover from pain faster.
Check how clean your water is by looking at the EWG’s database and typing in your zip code.
1. Heart health
By keeping your volume of blood at the correct levels so that your cells get enough oxygen. Inadequate hydration will make your heart work harder.
2. Kidney health
Hydration acts as a cleanser so that your kidneys can filter waste from your blood and eliminate it through your urine. Without sufficient hydration, your body can build up toxins and hinder proper kidney function.
3. Muscle and Joint health
Your muscles and joints need lubrication to work properly and hydration provides that lubrication and hydration also deliver minerals and nutrients to muscles and facilitates the removal of cellular waste.
Proper hydration must include minerals/electrolytes as water alone does not properly hydrate the body. Water follows minerals inside the cells where it is necessary for optimum metabolism and cellular hydration. So proper clean mineralized water with magnesium, sodium, and potassium are vital for proper hydration.
Guidelines: Drink 1/2 your body weight (in pounds) in ounces of water. Add ¼ tsp of sea salt, Celtic salt, or Himalayan salt to every quart of drinking water along with a tsp of magnesium citrate powder.
Important Note: Not all forms of magnesium are easily absorbed by the body. Magnesium citrate powder, mixed with water and added sea salt is a highly absorbable form that is easy to take and can be sipped throughout the day is a well-balanced combination of the key minerals/electrolytes.
A big thanks to everyone who contributed to this roundup!
We hope you now know why drinking enough water is so important and how to make sure your water is always clean and safe.
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