15 Best Uses Of Water In Daily Life
Water is one of the most essential elements for the human body, as it is present in every cell, tissue and organ of the body. A good hydration enables nutrients to be carried by the bloodstream to all cells, nourishing these structures so that they can be well-formed. It also regulates our functions. A well-hydrated individual will have well-nourished skin, nails and hair. Water makes up a majority of your body weight and is involved in many important functions. This includes flushing out waste from your body, regulating your body temperature, and helping your brain function.
1. It helps create saliva:
Water is a main component of saliva. Saliva also includes small amounts of electrolytes, mucus, and enzymes. It’s essential for breaking down solid food and keeping your mouth healthy.
Your body generally produces enough saliva with regular fluid intake. However, your saliva production may decrease as a result of age or certain medications or therapies.
If your mouth is drier than usual and increasing your water intake isn’t helping, see your doctor.
2. It regulates body temperature:
Water that is stored in the middle layers of the skin comes to the skin’s surface as sweat when the body heats up. As it evaporates, it cools the body.
Some scientists have suggested that Trusted Source when there is too little water in the body, heat storage increases and the individual is less able to tolerate heat strain.
Having a lot of water in the body may reduce physical strain if heat stress occurs during exercise. However, more research is needed into these effects.
3. Weight loss:
Water may also help with weight loss, if it is consumed instead of sweetened juices and sodas. “Preloading” with water before meals can help prevent overeating by creating a sense of fullness.
4. It lubricates the joints:
Cartilage, found in joints and the disks of the spine, contains around 80 percent water. Long-term dehydration can reduce the joints’ shock-absorbing ability, leading to joint pain.
5. It helps excrete waste through perspiration, urination, and defecation
Your body uses water to sweat, urinate, and have bowel movements.
Sweat regulates body temperature when you’re exercising or in warm temperatures. You need water to replenish the lost fluid from sweat.
You also need enough water in your system to have healthy stool and avoid constipation.
Your kidneys are also important for filtering out waste through urination. Adequate water intake helps your kidneys work more efficiently and helps to prevent kidney stones.
6. It improves blood oxygen circulation:
Water carries helpful nutrients and oxygen to your entire body. Reaching your daily water intake will improve your circulation and have a positive impact on your overall health.
7. May help prevent and treat headaches:
- Dehydration can trigger headaches and migraine in some individuals:
- Research has shown that a headache is one of the most common symptoms of dehydration.
- What’s more, some studies have shown that drinking water can help relieve headaches in those who experience frequent headaches.
- A study in 102 men found that drinking an additional 50.7 ounces (1.5 liters) of water per day resulted in significant improvements on the Migraine-Specific Quality of Life scale, a scoring system for migraine symptoms .
- Plus, 47% of the men who drank more water reported headache improvement, while only 25% of the men in the control group reported this effect.
- However, not all studies agree, and researchers have concluded that because of the lack of high quality studies, more research is needed to confirm how increasing hydration may help improve headache symptoms and decrease headache frequency
8. Water boosts the immune system:
Not drinking enough water can lead to Chronic Cellular Dehydration. This is the state in which an individual’s cells are chronically dehydrated. This might lead to a weakening of the immune system, and subsequently cause vulnerability to other diseases.
9. Maintains your pH Balance:
Restore sensitive, acne-ridden, or blotchy skin to a healthy version with water. Your skin can glow and be free of blemishes if you drink enough water to help balance your body’s pH levels.
10. Promotes a Healthy Gut, Resulting in Clearer Skin
Adequate water intake helps maintain a healthy gut and aids with proper digestion. By helping regulate your bowel movements, it flushes toxins from your body. When you get enough water and your gut is healthy, your skin will remain clear and problem-free.
11. Faster recovery from hangovers:
Alcohol is a diuretic and makes us go to the toilet more which results in dehydration. Rehydrating helps the body as highlighted above and we recover more quickly.
12. Improves mood:
Some research suggests that if we’re mildly dehydrated by even 1 or 2 percent then it can negatively affect our mood and our ability to think.
13. Water Can Help You Eat Healthier:
It may be plain, but it’s powerful. In a study of more than 18,300 American adults, people who drank just 1 percent more water a day ate fewer calories and less saturated fat, sugar, sodium, and cholesterol, according to one study. Water may help fill you up, especially if you drink it before eating a meal, a notion that was backed up in a small study of 15 young, healthy participants.
14. Water Protects Your Tissues, Spinal Cord, and Joints
Water does more than just quench your thirst and regulate your body’s temperature; it keeps the tissues in your body moist. You know how it feels when your eyes, nose, or mouth gets dry? Keeping your body hydrated helps it retain optimum levels of moisture in these sensitive areas, as well as in the blood, bones, and brain, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In addition, water helps protect your spinal cord, and it acts as a lubricant and cushion for your joints.
15. Improves Muscle Health & Recovery:
Being adequately hydrated is very important when exercising. Drinking water helps prevent muscle cramping and lubricates the joints in your body.
The American Council on Exercise has suggested the following guidelines for drinking water before, during, and after exercise:
- Drink 17 to 20 ounces of water 2 to 3 hours before you start exercising.
- Drink 8 ounces of water 20 to 30 minutes before you start exercising or during your warm-up.
- Drink 7 to 10 ounces of water every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise.
- Drink 8 ounces of water no more than 30 minutes after you exercise.
Benefits of Water during Exercise:
- Helps to maintain adequate fluid in the body
- Keeps the body cool
- Prevents muscle fatigue
- Aids in quicker recovery after workout
What Should Be Your Daily Water Intake?
Its standard advice to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day, mainly because it’s easy to remember and a reasonable goal. But the fluid intake can differ from person to person, health and climatic conditions, etc. For example, a person who perspires heavily will need to drink more than someone who doesn’t. Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, may also mean you need to drink more water.
- For women: About 11 cups (2.7 liters or about 91 ounces) total daily fluid intake
- For men: About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters or about 125 ounces) total daily fluid intake
These recommendations cover fluids from water, other beverages, and food. About 20 percent of daily fluid intake usually comes from food and the rest from drinks.