It’s an age-old question that everyone for doctors to our own mothers ask constantly, are you drinking enough water? Although we may think the answer is yes, studies show that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated1.
But why is this such a problem? Is it really that much harm to not give your body the hydration it needs? In short, yes. Staying hydrated helps several body functions including:
Regulating body temperature
Keeping joints lubricated
Preventing infections
Delivering nutrients to cells
Keeping organs functioning properly
Not only that, proper hydration has also been linked to improved sleep quality, cognition, and mood2.
The old rule of thumb is eight glasses of water per day. Obviously this depends on many factors including gender, activity levels, locations, etc. But around eight glasses is a good general rule. If eight glasses seems daunting, there’s no need to worry. Our daily H2O intake comes not only from glasses of water, but also from solid foods including fruits and vegetables3.
Water is known as the elixir of life for good reason. Every system in your body requires it to survive. Do yourself a favor and start being conscious of how much fluids you take in per day. You may be surprised by the effects you see in your life, especially if you were unknowingly in the 75% of chronically dehydrated folks in America.
Footnotes
1 Jones & Taylor, 2022, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555956
2 Chan, 2017, hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/the-importance-of-hydration
3 LaMotte, 2017, cnn.com/2017/09/27/health/benefits-of-water-and-fluids/index.html
