The benefits of drinking WATER & how to figure how much your body needs!

With the water shortage that has hit the city of Mumbai, we suddenly seem to have woken up to the importance of water in our lives which we never really give a second thought to in our day to day lives. Conserving water has become the need of the day and everyone seems to be waiting for the rains to hit the city so that we can do away with the issue. Bottled water companies have benefited a lot from this because drinking water is something that we need come what may. However coming to my point of this article, have you ever bothered to find out how much water do you need to drink every day and whether you are drinking enough? Well it sounds like a simple enough question to answer but despite years of research by subject experts, the question hasn’t yet received a convincing, unanimous answer and that is because each one of us is unique, lives in different places, is a different body type, performs different physical activities and has a different lifestyle from the other.

So while some experts recommend drinking 2 litres, others suggest at least 4-5 litres a day, which just shows that there is no fixed answer as to how much water you need to drink. But research tells us that a minimum of 2 litres is a must for every individual. I am going to tell you how to figure how much more water you need beyond those 2 litres, but first let me tell you how drinking water can bring about a positive change in your body.

1. Improves Energy Levels and Increases Brain Function

Research conducted over the last few decades suggests that the functioning of your brain depends largely on hydration levels. Dehydration, which causes reduction of 1-3% of your body’s water content, weakens certain areas of the brain thus affecting the functioning. A recent study conducted on young men came up with some startling results. A fluid loss of just 1.59% in their bodies increased feelings of fatigue and anxiety, while also impairing memory. This research also concluded that a fluid loss of 1% to 3%, which mainly occurred in the course of everyday activities, could result in fluctuating mood and energy levels.

2. Helps Boost Physical Performance

You might have felt your strength abruptly decreasing in the middle of a workout, or when you were out in the sun. When dehydration strikes, you will have lost over 2% of the water content in your body. It’s worse with athletes: if you’re one, you can lose 6-10% of your fluids under heavy training. The lack of adequate hydration alters your body temperature, leaving you prone to fatigue and mood swings, and makes it harder to focus on anything. However, all you need to do is hydrate yourself well; this is all it takes to reduce the stress caused due to oxidation that builds up during intense physical activity. When you’re sweating heavily and signs of fatigue start showing, re-hydration (drinking water) improves your physical and mental toughness, even bettering your performance.

3. Helps you Fight Kidney Stones

While you can buy a health insurance online to fight off ailments such as kidney stones, but why go through unnecessary hospitalization and medical expenses when your kidney stones can be naturally eliminated by consuming enough water? A majority of kidney stone problems around the country are caused by the lack of adequate hydration. When you take in more fluids, you increase the amount of urine passing through your kidneys. This dilutes the steadily building concentration of minerals that would otherwise crystallize and form tiny masses around your urinary cavity—kidney stones. 

4. Can Assist You in Losing Weight

Time and again, researchers have established that drinking water can help you lose weight; this is because it improves your metabolism. In fact, a study has claimed that drinking close to half a litre of water improves your metabolic rate by 30 percent. Also, if you drink water before a meal, you will feel a little full and this means you will end up eating fewer calories.

5. Will Make Your Skin Glow

Some toxins cause out skin to inflame. Drinking water regularly helps to flush out these toxins and thus helps to prevent breakouts. Also the largest ingredient of our skin cells is water and so drinking enough water aids in the building of new cells thus making our skin glow.

Now that you know why you need to, we’re back to that million-dollar question.

How Much Water Should You Drink?

No matter how many blogs you read or how many dietitians you consult, the only person that can determine how much water you should drink is you. So keep track of your consumption and need. While some people get by drinking relatively less water, others need to drink a little more. The optimal water consumption, however, is anywhere between 2 and 4 litres with 2 being the minimum like I said before.

To sum it up, the one sure shot way to find out how much you should drink is to be aware of your bodily functions, and the way your body feels and reacts. Measure the water you drink with the help of one litre bottles or a 250 ml glass for a few days to more or less exactly know the amount of water that you need to go through a day. This will help you plan your water intake and move towards a healthier lifestyle.

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