7 interesting facts about staying hydrated

“Water no get enemy!

  Omi o l’ota o

 Water no get enemy!”

The above lyrics are from Fela Kuti’s (the multi-talented musician and Afrobeat legend) “Water no get enemy” song of 1975 and it suggests that water is amicable and ubiquitous; yet many decades since the release of the song, many people are complacent about their hydration status and they don’t drink enough water.

60% of our body weight comprises water and our body depends on water to survive.

There is more than enough evidence that drinking adequate water helps us stay hydrated, reduces fatigue, flushes toxins, and revitalizes our body, yet many people are getting more dehydrated- which is the absence of sufficient amount of water and fluids in your body- in recent times and this is quite alarming.

If you need more convincing to drink water and stay hydrated, here are some more exceptional science-backed facts to help you:

Drinking water helps deliver oxygen throughout your body. Your blood contains about 90% of water, and blood carries oxygen to different tissues of the body.

Drinking water helps you lose weight. Water helps you lose weight by increasing your satiety (the psycho-biological process that suppresses hunger after eating and prevents further eating) and ramping up your metabolic rate, which helps to curb overeating and promotes weight loss.

 It is suggested to drink water thirty minutes before meals, which makes you a little full and allows you to eat moderately. Also, drinking water is an excellent substitute for your favourite high sugar-containing beverages and soft drinks.

Drinking water improves your cognition and brain health. Several studies reveal that the human brain depends on good hydration status, and a mere decrease in your body’s water levels could alter your cognitive function and may cause brain fog.

Drinking water may help prevent and manage headaches. More often than not, headaches result from dehydration, and drinking enough water relieves headaches and migraines.

Drinking water relieves constipation. The digestive system needs a sufficient amount of water to function properly, and dehydration could lead to different digestive problems, including constipation, which is a condition when there is difficulty in emptying the bowels and is usually associated with hard faeces. Drinking water prevents this!

Drinking water regulates body temperature. Your body loses more water in hot environments and during physical activity, and this is demonstrated through sweating. Sweating prevents the body from overheating and maintains body temperature. However, drinking enough water enhances this process.

Drinking water improves your skin's health and helps you stay youthful. Adequate water intake promotes collagen production- which is a protein that serves as a building block for the skin, bones, muscles, tendons, and ligament-and this means fewer wrinkles and smooth skin.

 You might be familiar with the age old advice to drink eight glasses of water a day, which is reasonable advice, but this advice is not backed up with scientific evidence. Because the required water intake differs for many people, based on their gender, physical activity, and overall health.

To stay on top of your game and for your body to function effectively, carry a bottle of water with you wherever you go and consume beverages and foods that contain water, such as milk, watermelon, coffee, etc.

Stay healthy and prosper!

References:

Get the facts: drinking water and intake. (2017, May 12)

https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/data-statistics/plain-water-the-healthier-choice.html

How much water should you drink? Health.harvard.edu. Available at <https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-much-water-should-you-drink>

Sawka, M. N., Latzka, W. A., Matott, R. P., & Montain, S. J. (1998, June). Hydration effects on temperature regulation [Abstract]. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 19(2), S108-10

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/96944

My Short Bio: 

Marvellous Olayinka is a medical student and a freelance medical writer. In her spare time, she reads fiction and non-fiction books, watches Kdramas, and draws with lead pencils.

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