Health Benefits of Drinking Water

Water is the liquid of Life." There is not an inch of exaggeration in this statement. We all know the value of water for our existence. Now we shall see how vital it is to us, in keeping us healthy and ailment free. Just off hand, I could remember 14 benefits of drinking adequate quantity of water.

This subject is vast and we shall briefly state the various benefits in a way for the non experts to understand its importance.. Nothing would please me more than to converting you into " waterholics".

Requirement of drinking water:

The normal requirement of water everyday, in ounces is weight in lbs divided by 2. So if you weigh about 180 to 200 lbs, you require about 100 ounces of water everyday, which is roughly = 3 litres, which again is roughly = 13 cups.

Though 3 litres is the requirement as per the say of some medical books, there are some who advocate 4 to 5 litres. And, in my opinion, a little extra water will not harm but only benefit. I personally consume 4 to 5 liters of water everyday.

However, this quantity increases in certain circumstances. For example, in hot weather you perspire more and thus tend to lose more body fluids through sweating, or a laborer working in the sun similarly sweats more and loses more body fluids. Such extra loss of body fluids has to be replenished with extra intake of water.

In certain diseases affecting the heart, the kidneys, the thyroid, the liver and the adrenal glands, there are limitations to intake of water and your physician should be consulted in such cases.

How to drink water:

This amount of water is to be drunk, spaced over the time that we are awake and not in just 2 or 3 sittings. Space it say between

From the time you get up to breakfast. Breakfast to lunch Lunch to snacks Snacks to dinner And dinner to bedtime..

Today, we see people carrying mineral water bottles and the embarrassment of carrying water bottles does not exist any more. So carrying a bottle of pure and clean water from home in your briefcase or your purse should not pose a problem.

Benefits of drinking adequate amount of water:

1. Keeps weight in check: Do not wait to feel thirsty to drink water as thirst indicates dehydration. Many a times, thirst is mistaken for hunger and the person tends to eat more leading to weight gain. Drinking water at regular intervals as stated above, will prevent thirst and overeating and thus weight is maintained.

2. Prevents acidity: Gastric acid in the stomach, which helps in digestion of food, causes acidity due to reasons such as regular and long hours of fasting or stress or eating spicy and oily food. Water drunk as mentioned above keeps diluting this acid and prevents acidity and ulcer in the stomach.

3. Prevents constipation: Drinking adequate water prevents hard stools and proper evacuation of the bowels.

4. Prevents kidney stones: Kidney stones are formed due to regular deposits of uric acid and calcium oxalate crystals in the kidneys. New deposits keep on getting deposited on the previous deposits growing in size over a time and forming stones. Regular drinking of water keeps flushing the crystals through the urine and prevents stone formation.

5. Prevents gall bladder and hepatic stones: Due to proper evacuation of stools, the secretion of bile is promoted and the gall bladder and the liver get flushed and their stone formation is prevented.

6. Prevents headache : As a result of proper flushing of the kidneys and the gall bladder, the toxins from the blood are eliminated. There are some toxins which cause headache and their removal prevents headache.

7. Prevents Rheumatism and Gout: Increase in uric acid levels in the blood give rise to the two problems: Gout and kidney stones. Drinking adequate water as mentioned above, flushes the kidneys and prevents excessive accumulation of uric acid in the blood and the onset of these problems is prevented.

8. Prevents Atherosclerosis: Excess of uric acid is responsible for clumping together of platelets in the blood, which get deposited on the inner walls of the arteries. They form plaques on the walls and reduce the lumen of the arteries. This deposition on the inner walls of the arteries is called atherosclerosis. Drinking plenty of water flushes out the excess uric acid as mentioned above and prevents atherosclerosis.

9. Prevents Heart attack: Atherosclerosis is the main reason for a heart attack as the reduction in the lumen of the artery leads to a reduced blood supply to the heart. As explained above, drinking plenty of water greatly reduces the chances of a heart attack by preventing atherosclerosis.

10. In hypertension, patients with adequate intake of water, respond better to anti hypertensive medicines due to loss of sodium through urination and sweat.

Sodium is taboo in high blood pressure and that is why salt, which contains rich amount of sodium, is contra indicated in hypertensive patients.

11. Body temperature stays cool due to more sweating.

12. Skin stays healthier and attains a healthy glow.

13. Metabolic Rate gets a boost and the person feels more energetic.

14. Alternative Medicine advices drinking plenty of water in the treatment of certain types of cancer.

So now, do scratch your heads to think and find out what else is there in the world that is available so freely, and yet bestows so many health benefits!