Good, clean H2O is essential to nearly every aspect of our body’s functionality. We’ve all heard that water comprises a 75% of our body’s composition, and we’ve all been advised to consume a good amount of water each day. Since this is easy and worthwhile advice to take, let’s reflect on the positive benefits we reap from consuming the requisite volume of water each day. Here are just a few:

Proper Digestion
Our digestive system requires water for the enzymatic processes that help us break down the food we eat. Acting as a solvent, water flushes uric acid and lactic acid that would otherwise be stored in the kidneys (to disastrous effect). Water also helps carries nutrients and oxygen to our cells by way of the blood, aiding in our cells’ rebuilding processes across the board.

Headaches
Water’s solvency also helps dilute excess toxins in your body that promote headaches. And should your headache be the result of dehydration, taking in a glass of water is a quick and natural cure for two ailments at once.

Anxiety
Generally speaking, 85% of our brain tissue is comprised of water. Considering that water is basic to our very survival, a lack of hydration can be cause enough for feelings of panic. Quelling dehydration restores order and functionality to the brain. By flushing away those same toxins that bring about headaches, simply drinking a glass of water can bring us back to a state of balance and harmony.

Arthritis
Water helps keep the cartilage in our joints well-lubricated, soft, and mobile. Absent a proper amount of water, our joints become much more prone to aches and pains, and could result in impaired movement should we neglect to replenish our hydration regularly.

Weight gain
Setting aside the excess intake of calories from taking in sugary drinks for a moment, weight gain can also come from dehydration. As with starvation, a dehydrated body will hold on to every drop it gets, resulting in water retention. Meanwhile, studies have shown that drinking more water alters metabolism in dieting women such that they were able to lose weight over time.

Drinking plenty of water aids athletic performance by keeping the body nicely during intense workouts. Water also assists with muscle tone by giving our muscles the ability to contract properly, and those who drink more water show improved metabolic rates.

Since the feeling of thirst arises after your body is already dehydrated, it’s important to drink up consistently throughout the day. Remembering to take a few swigs of water can be as simple as planning a regular reminder on your phone and bringing a BPA-free water bottle with you wherever you go.

More than just an adage we hear from time to time, drinking at minimum 8 full glasses of clean water per day is crucial to our continued health and happiness.

– Davis Erin Anderson, September 2014