Why you must drink more water

Here are 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 per cent
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 colour and free of odour. When your body is
not getting enough fluids, urine concentration, colour,
and odour 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.
Source: Google