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6
Reasons to Drink Water
It's no magic bullet, but the benefits of water are
many.
By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Feature
People seem to carry bottled water
everywhere they go these days. In fact, it has
become the second most popular drink (behind soft
drinks).
But water lovers got a jolt recently
when we heard that a new report had found that the
benefits of drinking water may have been oversold.
Apparently, the old suggestion to
drink eight glasses a day was nothing more than a
guideline, not based on scientific evidence.
But
don't put your water bottle or glass down just yet.
While we may not need eight glasses, there are
plenty of reasons to drink water. In fact, drinking
water (either plain or in the form of other fluids
or foods) is essential to your health.
"Think of water as a nutrient your body needs that
is present in liquids, plain water, and foods. All
of these are essential daily to replace the large
amounts of water lost each day," says Joan Koelemay,
RD, dietitian for the Beverage Institute, an
industry group.
Kaiser Permanente nephrologist Steven Guest, MD,
agrees: "Fluid losses occur continuously, from skin
evaporation, breathing, urine, and stool, and these
losses must be replaced daily for good health," he
says.
When
your water intake does not equal your output, you
can become dehydrated. Fluid losses are accentuated
in warmer climates, during strenuous exercise, in
high altitudes, and in older adults, whose sense of
thirst may not be as sharp.
Here
are six reasons to make sure you're drinking enough
water or other fluids every day:
1. Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body
Fluids. Your body is composed of about 60%
water. The functions of these bodily fluids include
digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of
saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance
of body temperature.
"Through the posterior pituitary gland, your brain
communicates with your kidneys and tells it how much
water to excrete as urine or hold onto for
reserves," says Guest, who is also an adjunct
professor of medicine at Stanford University.
When
you're low on fluids, the brain triggers the body's
thirst mechanism. And unless you are taking
medications that make you thirsty, Guest says, you
should listen to those cues and get yourself a drink
of water, juice, milk, coffee -- anything but
alcohol.
"Alcohol interferes with the brain and kidney
communication and causes excess excretion of fluids
which can then lead to dehydration," he says.
2. Water Can Help Control Calories. For years,
dieters have been drinking lots of water as a weight
loss strategy. While water doesn't have any magical
effect on weight loss, substituting it for higher
calorie beverages can certainly help.
"What works with weight loss is if you choose water
or a non-caloric beverage over a caloric beverage
and/or eat a diet higher in water-rich foods that
are healthier, more filling, and help you trim
calorie intake," says Penn State researcher Barbara
Rolls, PhD, author of The Volumetrics Weight Control
Plan.
Food
with high water content tends to look larger, its
higher volume requires more chewing, and it is
absorbed more slowly by the body, which helps you
feel full. Water-rich foods include fruits,
vegetables, broth-based soups, oatmeal, and beans.
3. Water Helps Energize Muscles. Cells that
don't maintain their balance of fluids and
electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle
fatigue. "When muscle cells don't have adequate
fluids, they don't work as well and performance can
suffer," says Guest.
Drinking enough fluids is important when exercising.
Follow the American College of Sports Medicine
guidelines for fluid intake before and during
physical activity. These guidelines recommend that
people drink about 17 ounces of fluid about two
hours before exercise.
During exercise, they recommend that people start
drinking fluids early, and drink them at regular
intervals to replace fluids lost by sweating.
4. Water Helps Keep Skin Looking Good. Your skin
contains plenty of water, and functions as a
protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss. But
don't expect over-hydration to erase wrinkles or
fine lines, says Atlanta dermatologist Kenneth
Ellner, MD.
"Dehydration makes your skin look more dry and
wrinkled, which can be improved with proper
hydration," he says. "But once you are adequately
hydrated, the kidneys take over and excrete excess
fluids."
You
can also help "lock" moisture into your skin by
using moisturizer, which creates a physical barrier
to keep moisture in.
5. Water Helps Your Kidneys. Body fluids
transport waste products in and out of cells. The
main toxin in the body is blood urea nitrogen, a
water-soluble waste that is able to pass through the
kidneys to be excreted in the urine, explains Guest.
"Your kidneys do an amazing job of cleansing and
ridding your body of toxins as long as your intake
of fluids is adequate," he says.
When
you're getting enough fluids, urine flows freely, is
light in color and free of odor. When your body is
not getting enough fluids, urine concentration,
color, and odor increases because the kidneys trap
extra fluid for bodily functions.
If
you chronically drink too little, you may be at
higher risk for kidney stones, especially in warm
climates, Guest warns.
6. Water Helps Maintain Normal Bowel Function.
Adequate hydration keeps things flowing along your
gastrointestinal tract and prevents
constipation. When you don't get enough fluid,
the colon pulls water from stools to maintain
hydration -- and the result is constipation.
"Adequate fluid and fiber is the perfect
combination, because the fluid pumps up the fiber
and acts like a broom to keep your bowel functioning
properly," says Koelemay.
5 Tips to Help You Drink More
-
If you think you need to be drinking more, here
are some tips to increase your fluid intake and
reap the benefits of water:
-
Have a beverage with every snack and meal.
-
Choose beverages you enjoy; you're likely to
drink more liquids if you like the way they
taste.
-
Eat more fruits and vegetables. Their high water
content will add to your hydration. About 20% of
our fluid intake comes from foods.
-
Keep a bottle of water with you in your car, at
your desk, or in your bag.
-
Choose beverages that meet your individual
needs. If you're watching calories, go for
non-caloric beverages or water.
©
WebMD. All rights reserved.
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"Think of water as a nutrient your body needs
that is present in liquids, plain water, and
foods. All of these are essential daily to
replace the large amounts of water lost each
day" |
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