Top Twelve Reasons Why Water Matters
“Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” Unlike Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner, who was surrounded by undrinkable salt water, most Americans have an unlimited supply of clean water to quench their thirst. Yet, many still prefer sodas, coffee, juices, and tea over water. Convincing many people otherwise is challenging.
Why should you drink water?
To stay alive, in short. Leonardo da Vinci described water as the living force of nature. Most of the human body is water. Babies have the most water, being born at about 78%, which drops to about 65% in one year. Adult men’s body has about 60% water. However, fat tissue does not have as much water as lean tissue. In adult women, fat makes up more of the body than men, so they have about 55% of their bodies made of water. The brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery, 31%.
Water keeps every system in the body functioning correctly. Top twelve reasons our body needs water for are for:
carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells
flushing bacteria from your bladder
regulating respiration
regulating sweating
regulating internal body temperature
aiding digestion
preventing constipation
normalizing blood pressure
stabilizing the heartbeat
cushioning joints
protecting organs and tissues
maintaining electrolyte (sodium) balance.
Therefore, staying hydrated is essential for life. If you don't drink enough water each day, you risk becoming dehydrated. Warning signs of dehydration include weakness, low blood pressure, dizziness, confusion, or urine that's dark in color.
How much?
Each day we must consume a certain amount of water to survive, which varies according to age, gender, geographical location, work and recreational habits, exercise routine, underlying health conditions, etc. Generally, an adult male needs about 3 liters (3.2 quarts) per day, while an adult female needs about 2.2 liters (2.3 quarts) per day.
Like everything else, one size never fits all. For those individuals who are having no problems with hydration, there is no reason to change their habits. Most healthy people are generally good at following the signals that their body sends as to when to drink, and their kidneys and other organs perform just fine.
However, individuals who are having problems with hydration — for example, those experiencing symptoms of dehydration, which include dark-colored urine, low blood pressure, weakness, dizziness, or confusion — may need to drink more. A straightforward recommendation for those who become easily dehydrated is to drink enough such that you have to urinate at least every two hours. If you don't need to pee in two hours, you may not be drinking enough. Individuals with memory impairment may forget to drink liquids or eat meals. Individuals with cognitive impairment may also fail to make the necessary adjustments and drink more fluids when they are exercising or out on a hot day. Sometimes people will also deliberately drink less so that they will not need to find bathrooms when they are out of the house. Family members can help by scouting out the bathrooms before they go on an outing and also encouraging their loved ones to use the toilet every hour, whether they feel like they need to urinate or not (timed voiding).
People with advanced liver disease, heart failure, kidney failure, uncontrolled thyroid disease, or taking certain types of medications (anti-inflammatory, opiate, certain mental health medications) should consult their health care providers to ensure they are taking a proper volume of water. For those who sweat a lot, due to exercise or work, they should also individualize their water consumption. The usual recommendation for healthy people is to drink two to three cups of water per hour, or more if you're sweating heavily.
How to avoid dehydration?
Water is the best choice. However, if one is sweating fluids out, it needs to be replenished by water with electrolytes. It's not just water that keeps you hydrated. All beverages containing water contribute toward your daily needs. Yes, caffeinated drinks can add to your daily fluid requirement. Caffeine is indeed a mild diuretic, which means that it causes your kidneys to flush extra sodium and water from the body through urine. If you’re frequently urinating, it’s logical to think you could become dehydrated. Despite that, when you drink a cup of coffee, or you drink a glass of iced tea, you are necessarily taking in a volume of fluid along with caffeine. You won’t lose more fluid through urine than you take in by drinking a caffeinated beverage. Your body can absorb as much fluid as it needs and expel the rest. For that reason, your morning pick-me-up helps hydrate you, not the opposite. Coffee and tea count toward your daily eight-or-so cups of water per day. We should still remind ourselves that water is still the best option.
When you want to quench your thirst, you probably don’t reach for a steaming cup of coffee or tea. But despite what you’ve heard, coffee and caffeinated tea are not as dehydrating. And know that you also get fluids from water-rich foods, such as salads, fruit, and applesauce.
To ward off dehydration, drink fluids gradually throughout the day. Have a drink at each meal, as well as socially, or with medicine.
Why is water a better choice?
Water is not only essential for health, but it also helps promote weight loss. A recent study in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics provides even more evidence that we should choose water over other drinks if we want to control our weight. The researchers found that increasing plain water consumption by one to three cups a day could decrease calorie intake by 68 to 205 calories a day. That could add up to a lot fewer calories over time — and result in significant weight loss. Drinking water before meals and substituting water for sweetened beverages can cut down on calorie intake and improve weight control.
So next time you’re thirsty, instead of ignoring your kitchen sink at home or the water cooler at work, take a moment to savor the one drink that’s free, refreshing, and good for us: plain old water.
Have a happy 4th and stay hydrated!
References:
Dr. Amar Singh, MD, and Dr. Poonam Singh, MD, are board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and American Board of Obesity Medicine. They specialize in preventing, treating, and reversing chronic diseases using an evidence-based holistic approach. They are specifically interested in weight management, hormone rebalancing, and longevity. The American College of Physicians has recognized them as Fellows, FACP, for their excellence and contributions made to both medicine and the broader community. They enjoy teaching, volunteering, and advocating for their patients