If you want to live longer and healthier, here’s one simple advice: drink enough water. A recent study based on large-scale and longitudinal health data says as much. It affirms previous research showing the importance of staying properly hydrated......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
Water is essential for vital processes like regulating body temperature, digestion, circulation, and nutrient absorption.
Research results found that adults who stay well-hydrated appear to be healthier, develop fewer chronic conditions, such as heart and lung disease, and live longer than those who may not get sufficient fluids.
Findings in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) study, published in the journal eBioMedicine, used health data gathered from 11,255 adults over a 30-year period.
60%
per centage of water in a typical human body, by weight
Scientists analysed links between serum sodium levels – which go up when fluid intake goes down – and various indicators of health.
What they found was startling: adults with serum sodium levels at the higher end of a normal range were more likely to develop chronic conditions and show signs of advanced biological aging than those with serum sodium levels in the medium ranges.
Early death
Adults with higher levels were also more likely to die at a younger age.
It turns our proper hydration helps ensure your key bodily functions operate smoothly. Needless to say, it’s a necessity to live a normal life and for long-term health.
In fact, if you are so depleted from water that your brain isn’t working well, you lose your attention span. Your memory starts to go. And although water can be found in food, generally water in food is not enough to satisfy your hydration requirements.
The NIH study may also provide early clues about increased risks for advanced biological aging and premature death.
Hydration
It is the process of causing something to absorb water. The human body requires adequate hydration to function properly.
In chemistry, hydration is the process of combining a substance chemically with water molecules.
Proper hydration plays a key role in many of our body’s functions, including bringing nutrients to cells, getting rid of wastes, protecting joints and organs, and maintaining body temperature.
Good news, bad news
That is why you had better drink water regularly in order to maintain the right level of hydration.
Here’s the good news: as long as your body is properly hydrated, so too will be the brain.
Proper hydration has numerous benefits: it maintains bodily functions, water flushes out toxins and keeps your kidneys working. More important: it keeps your mind sharp.
Simple ways to check if you’re dehydrated
How to check if you’re properly hydrated? There’s lots of handy ways to check.
One simple indication of how much water you are consuming is by looking at the color of your urine.
You don’t need a high-quality gadget to measure this.
A tidy method to gauge your how well-hydrated body is when your pee is clear or light yellow, it signifies that you are well-hydrated, whereas dark yellow or brownish means more water is needed.
In fact, when you’re feeling thirsty it’s already a sign that you’re a bit dehydrated.
HYDRATION FACTS
• Our bodies are made of 60 per cent water.
• If you weigh 150 pounds (68 kg), 90 pounds (40 kg) of you is water. This equates to about 11 gallons or 22 litres of liquid.
• You lose about half of that daily through urine, stool, sweat, and even evaporation from your skin and breath.
• Drinking water is the easiest way to replenish these lost fluid.
How much water do you need to drink on a normal day?
Adults
Men: Approximately 3.7 liters (125 ounces or about 13 cups) of total water from all beverages and foods.
Women: Approximately 2.7 liters (91 ounces or about 9 cups) of total water from all beverages and foods .
Children
Depending on their age, activity level, and climate, here are the general daily water intake recommendations for children:
1–3 years old: Approximately 1.3 liters (about 5 cups) of total water per day.
4–8 years old: Approximately 1.7 liters (about 7 cups) of total water per day.
9–13 years old:
Boys: 2.4 liters (about 10 cups) of total water per day.
Girls: 2.1 liters (about 9 cups) of total water per day