READ....6 HEALTH BENEFITS OF DRINKING WATER

Americans 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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.