Sixty percent of your body weight is made up of water. To put it another way…if you weigh 150 pounds, then 90 pounds of that is “water weight”.
That being the case, it should come as no surprise that health experts universally consider proper hydration crucial to good health.
Why You Need Water
- Cardiovascular health
- Waste removal
- Proper digestion
- Muscle and joint performance
- Temperature regulation
- Healthy skin
- Mental acuity
Under normal conditions, ninety percent of your blood is made up of water. When you become dehydrated, your blood becomes thicker and more difficult to pump through your blood vessels…increasing your blood pressure.
As a result, your heart has to work harder to pump this thicker blood through your blood vessels to deliver necessary oxygen and nutrients to your body. This results in lower energy and increased cardiovascular stress.
Your kidneys require water to flush waste from your blood and turn it into urine. Proper hydration also helps prevent urinary tract infections and kidney stones. As far as solid waste goes, constipation can result if your colon doesn’t have enough water to do its job effectively.
When you chew, saliva moistens your food so it will pass more easily through your esophagus into your stomach. Saliva also begins the process of breaking down food into nutrients. Without water, there would be no saliva.
Your stomach and intestines also require water to extract nutrients from food and transport it throughout your body.
Your muscles require oxygen and glucose during exercise. Both are transported by your blood…which is mostly made up of water. In addition, the fluid found in muscle cells allows them to receive nutrients and eliminate waste during exercise. Proper hydration also lubricates your joints to prevent wear and tear.
When you get too hot, your body responds in two ways…and both require water.
First, blood vessels close to the surface of your skin expand to dissipate more heat. However, dehydration actually raises the temperature needed to trigger this response…which makes your body hotter.
Second, your body produces sweat when you get hot. Sweat cools your body through evaporation. Since sweat is 99% water, it’s no surprise that dehydration severely limits this important cooling mechanism. In short, without proper hydration your body can’t properly regulate its temperature. The consequences can include heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Drinking enough water doesn’t prevent wrinkles (contrary to popular opinion).
However, your skin does need an adequate supply of water to maintain its elasticity.
Researchers have found that drinking enough water enhances mental performance and keeps your memory sharp. Proper hydration also has a positive impact on mood.
The reason is simple. Like the rest of your body, brain cells need water to receive nutrients and remove waste. Also, the chemicals and hormones that transmit your brain’s messages require fluid to travel through your body.
How Much Water Do you Need?
You’ve probably heard the conventional wisdom that you should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day.
There’s actually no scientific basis for this number. But experts generally agree that men need about 13 glasses of water per day while women need 11 glasses.
Although plain water is usually best, any liquids count toward this goal. This even includes caffeinated beverages. However, you should take into consideration that caffeine will make you lose fluids through more frequent urination. One exception to the “any fluids” rule is alcohol. This is one fluid that doesn’t count toward hydration (sorry!).
At Renew Youth we know that balanced hormones are just part of the healthy aging equation. Lifestyle habits like drinking plenty of water are important, too. Have questions? Call us at 800-859-7511 or use our contact form to set up your free 30-minute consultation.