23 benefits of drinking water

23 benefits of drinking water| Sources of water | Recommended intake | FAQ | Summary

Drinking water offers  many benefits essential for maintaining overall health. It plays a vital role in various bodily functions, including lubricating joints, delivering oxygen throughout the body, preventing kidney damage, regulating body temperature, and aiding in digestion and nutrient absorption.

With approximately 60% of the human body composed of water and around 70% of the Earth’s surface covered by it, water is undeniably a crucial and abundant resource. However, its omnipresence often leads to its importance being overlooked, with many people failing to prioritize adequate hydration in their daily routines.

To further highlight the significance of water, staying hydrated also boosts energy levels, enhances skin health, supports brain function, and helps in flushing out toxins. Drinking enough water is a simple yet powerful way to promote overall well-being and vitality.

23 benefits of drinking water

Here are some reasons our body needs water:

1. Improved brain performance

Even mild dehydration—as little as 2% fluid loss—can affect memory, mood, concentration, and reaction time. Adding just a few glasses of water to your daily intake can have a positive effect on cognition, stabilize your emotions, and even combat feelings of anxiety. This is especially important for older adults who are at higher risk for both dehydration and impaired cognitive function.

2. Digestive harmony

Your body needs water in order to digest food properly. Without enough, you may experience irregular bowel movements, gas, bloating, heartburn, and other discomforts that can hurt your quality of life. When you make it a point to stay hydrated, it can help get things moving in the right direction again. Water aids in breaking down soluble fiber from your diet to keep your digestion process on track. Mineral water is especially beneficial—look for products enriched with sodium and magnesium.

3. It lubricates the joints

Cartilage, found in joints and the disks of the spine, contains around 80 percentTrusted Source water. Long-term dehydration can reduce the joints’ shock-absorbing ability, leading to joint pain.

4. It forms saliva and mucus

Saliva helps us digest our food and keeps the mouth, nose, and eyes moist. This prevents friction and damage. Drinking water also keeps the mouth clean. Consumed instead of sweetened beverages, it can also reduce tooth decay.

5. More energy

Dehydration can slow down circulation and affect the flow of oxygen to your brain. A lack of fluids can also cause your heart to work harder to pump oxygen all throughout your body. All of that expended energy can make you feel tired, sluggish, and less focused. When you stay hydrated by drinking more H2O, you’ll prevent dehydration and have more pep to get you through the day.

6. Weight loss and weight management

Since it provides a sense of fullness, water can help you feel satisfied in between meals—instead of heading to the snack cupboard. It can also help boost your metabolism. Consider this:

• One study of women with excess weight found that drinking additional glasses of water before each meal resulted in substantial reductions in body weight, body mass index, and body composition.2
• According to another study, adults who upped their water intake by just 1% consumed fewer calories. They also reduced their overall intake of sugar, cholesterol, sodium, and saturated fat.3
• Another analysis found that increasing daily water intake, replacing caloric beverages with water, and drinking water before a meal all led to weight loss averaging 5%.4/li>

7. Decreased joint pain

Did you know the cartilage in our joints contains approximately 80% water? Staying hydrated helps your joints stay well-lubricated, which helps reduce friction by creating more of a “cushion” between the bones. Less friction means smoother-moving joints and fewer aches and pains.

8. Kidney stone prevention

Kidney stones are clumps of mineral crystals that form in the urinary tract. If you’ve ever experienced one, you know how painful they can be. Staying hydrated with plenty of water can help dilute the concentration of minerals in your urinary tract and make stones less likely. Water also helps flush harmful bacteria from your bladder and can aid in preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs).

9. Healthier heart

Water makes up a significant portion of your blood, playing a vital role in maintaining its volume and enabling efficient circulation throughout the body. When you don’t drink enough glasses of water, it becomes concentrated, which can cause an imbalance of vital minerals (electrolytes). These minerals, like potassium and sodium, are key to the proper functioning of your heart.

10. Improved detoxification

Sufficient water intake supports your body’s natural detoxification systems, which remove waste and harmful substances through urination, breathing, perspiration, and bowel movements. Hydrating with plenty of water supports your own powerful, built-in detox processes and can help enhance your overall health.

11. Fewer headaches

Even a mild fluid loss can cause the brain to contract away from the skull, leading to headaches and migraines in some people. Staying hydrated may help keep head pain in check.

12. It helps maintain blood pressure

Dehydration can cause blood to become thicker, which is associated withTrusted Source decreased blood pressure.

13. The airways need it

When dehydrated, airways are restricted by the body in an effort to minimize water loss. This can worsen asthma and allergies.

14. It delivers oxygen throughout the body

Blood is more than 90 percentTrusted Source water, and blood carries oxygen to different parts of the body.

15. It boosts skin health

Water intake is associated withTrusted Source improved skin barrier. With dehydration, the skin can become more vulnerable to skin disorders.

16. It cushions the brain, spinal cord, and other sensitive tissues

Dehydration can affect brain structure and function. It is also involved inTrusted Source the production of hormones and neurotransmitters. Prolonged dehydration can lead to problems with thinking and reasoning.

17. It regulates body temperature

Water that is stored in the middle layers of the skin comes toTrusted Source the skin’s surface as sweat when the body heats up. As it evaporates, it cools the body.

Some scientists have suggested that when there is too little water in the body, heat storage increases and the individual is less able to tolerate heat strain.

Having a lot of water in the body may reduce physical strain if heat stress occurs during exercise. However, more research is needed into these effects.

18. The digestive system depends on it

The bowel needs water to work properly. Dehydration can lead to digestive problems, constipation, and an overly acidic stomach. This increases the risk of heartburn and stomach ulcers.

19. It flushes body waste

Water is needed in the processes of sweating and the removal of urine and feces.

20. It makes minerals and nutrients accessible

These dissolve in water, which makes it possible for them to reach different parts of the body.

21. It prevents kidney damage

The kidneys regulate fluid in the body. Insufficient water can lead to kidney stones and other problems.

22. It boosts performance during exercise

Some scientists have proposed that consuming more water might enhance performance during strenuous activity.

23. It reduces the chance of a hangover

When partying, still water with ice and lemon alternated with alcoholic drinks can help prevent overconsumption of alcohol.

A person should avoid alternating between alcohol and carbonated drinks, as these drinks can speed up the absorption of alcohol into the body.

Sources of water

The body receives part of its necessary hydration from foods rich in water content, like oranges, watermelon, and spinach. However, drinking water and other beverages contribute the majority of the required hydration.

The body loses water during everyday activities, and replacing it is essential. Sweating, urination, and even breathing contribute to water loss, which highlights the importance of staying hydrated throughout the day.

Drinking water, whether from a tap or a bottle, is the best source of fluid for the body.

Milk and juices are also good sources of fluid, but beverages containing alcohol and caffeine, such as soft drinks, coffee, and beer, are not ideal because they often contain empty calories. Drinking water instead of soda can helpTrusted Source with weight loss.

It was previously thought that caffeinated beverages had diuretic properties, meaning that they cause the body to release water. However, studies showTrusted Source that fluid loss because of caffeinated drinks is minimal.

Recommended intake

The amount of water needed each day varies from person to person, depending on age, sex, activity levels, and so on.

There is no fixed amount of water that must be consumed daily, but there is general agreement on what a healthy fluid intake is.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the average recommended daily intake of water from both food and drink is:

11.5 cups per day for women

15.5. cups per day for men

5-11 cups for children, depending on their age

Fresh fruits and vegetables and all nonalcoholic fluids count toward this, and usually account for 20% of a person’s daily water intake.

Times when it is most important to drink plenty of water include:

when you have a fever

when the weather is hot

if you have diarrhea and vomiting

when you sweat a lot, for example, due to physical activity

Do we drink enough water?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source, during 2015–2018, US children and adolescents drank an average of 23 ounces of plain water daily. Meanwhile, US adults drank an average of 44 ounces.

This equates to just under 3 cups and 5.5 cups respectively. This is 10 cups less than is recommended for men, 11 less than is recommended for women, and at least 2 less than is recommended for children.

They found that water intake was significantly lower in the following people:

younger children

non-Hispanic Black children or Hispanic children, compared to non-Hispanic White children.

youth in lower-income households

youth whose head of household had less than a high school education

those with underweight or normal weight, compared to those with obesity

older adults

non-Hispanic Black adults, compared to non-Hispanic White adults

adults with lower income and less education

adults without obesity

Frequently asked questions

How many liters of water should a person drink in a day?

How many liters of water a person should drink in a day will vary according to factors such as age, sex, and activity levels.

What are the benefits of drinking a lot of water?

There are various benefits to drinking lots of water, including:

 it helps with cognition and reasoning

Also helps with weight loss

it lubricates the joints

it prevents kidney damage

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the average recommended daily intake of water from both food and drink is:

11.5 cups per day for women

15.5. cups per day for men

5-11 cups for children, depending on their age

This equates to 2.7 liters for women, 3.6 liters for men, and a minimum of 1 liter for children.

Is 4 liters of water a day too much?

Whilst rare, it is possible to drink too much water. This is known as water intoxication.

A 2021 study suggests that the median intake of water needed for water intoxication is 5.3 liters over four hours. However, this is an average and may not be an accurate threshold for everyone.

Generally speaking, women should aim to drink 2.7 liters a day, men should aim for 3.6 liters, and children should drink a minimum of 1 liter.

Summary

The benefits of drinking water for overall health are numerous, as various bodily functions are positively impacted.

Joint lubrication is supported, body temperature is regulated through sweating, digestion is assisted, waste is flushed out, airways are kept open, and weight loss is aided.

Adult females should drink 11.5 cups of water daily to stay adequately hydrated, while males should aim for 15.5 cups, and children should consume 5 to 11 cups depending on their age. Water intake needs to increase during periods of illness, exposure to heat, or intense physical activity to meet the body’s hydration demands.

In the United States, water consumption falls below these recommended levels, particularly within certain demographic groups.