Hydration is so important: Top 8 health benefits of drinking water

Many people do not drink more than 1 - 1.5 liters of water per day. In the short term, nothing happens, but if your body suffers from dehydration for a long time, you can cause health complications. So what are the biggest benefits of a sufficient drinking regime?

1. Adequate drinking regimen helps maximize physical performance

If you do not get enough hydration, you will not progress in any sports performance. You can feel dehydration as soon as your body loses 2 % of its water content. However, active athletes usually lose or sweat around 6-10 %.

This can lead to altered body temperature regulation, reduced motivation and increased fatigue. Exercise will be much more difficult, not only physically but also mentally. Research shows that optimal hydration can even reduce oxidative stress, which is a common part of high-intensity training.

So be careful how much you drink during sports. If you sweat excessively, drink much more. Also increase your fluid intake even on hot days. Remember that a lot of vitamins and minerals then leave the body. If you do not add them to your body, you may suffer from muscle cramps or headaches.

It is ideal to drink clean water during shorter sports performances, but if you are going on a cycling trip, hiking or planning to exercise longer, get a mineral-vitamin or ionic drink.

2. Good hydration affects energy levels and brain activity

Even mild dehydration of the body (loss of 1 – 3 % of water) can disrupt many aspects of a properly functioning brain. For example, in a study with young women, they found that the loss of 1.4 % of fluids after physical exercise completely fluctuated their mood and concentration, even increasing the frequency of headaches.

During normal daily activities, fluids are lost if we do not replenish them regularly and in sufficient quantities. Surely it has sometimes happened to you that during a longer shopping or trip, when you drink at most a liter of water, you get a headache and you feel disgust and fatigue.

Be especially careful during the summer days.

3. Hydration prevents the formation of blood clots

Blood clots (thrombi) form on the walls of blood vessels. In some cases, they are very dangerous, and if a blood clot breaks off and clogs one of the important blood vessels, it can be fatal.

The formation of blood clots can be caused not only by congenital disorders, but also by a sedentary lifestyle, fatty diet, smoking and, of course, long-term insufficient hydration of the body. If we have a lot of fibrin in our blood and we drink little, our blood is automatically thicker and more prone to clots.

So the best prevention is to change the way of life - to move more, eat less fatty foods and ensure a sufficient drinking regime. Alternatively, you can cleanse your body of excessive amounts of fibrin with nutritional supplements that ensure clean blood circulation.

4. An adequate hydration helps prevent headaches

Many people are prone to headaches and migraines during dehydration. Research confirms that headache is the most common indicator of dehydration in your body. If you have a long-term lack of water, you may suffer from headache often. These pains can progress to migraines.

So if you suffer from frequent headaches, focus on finding the cause instead of suppressing the symptoms. Make sure you drink at least 2 liters of clean water a day, and in case of increased physical activity drink an ionic drink.

 You may think you drink plenty of water, but each body is different. If your head hurts even though you drink 2 liters of fluid a day, increase the volume by at least 0.5 L and see if the pain goes away.

5. Sufficient water in the body eliminates problems with constipation

Constipation is a common and painful problem. Part of eliminating constipation problems is not only increased fiber intake but also increased fluid intake.

Dehydration leads to constipation, especially in the elderly, but is not avoided in the younger age. Particularly good are mineral waters containing magnesium and sodium, which in combination with fiber get the intestines into motion.

6. Hydrated organism without kidney stones (renal calculi, nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis)

It has been shown that kidney stones and the hydration are related. Bladder stones are painful clusters of mineral crystals, which are gradually formed in the urinary system.

Higher fluid intake increases the volume of urine that passes through the kidneys. This dilutes the mineral concentration, so minerals do not tend to crystallize and form clumps.

7. With enough hydration alleviate the symptoms after drinking alcohol

Alcohol is a diuretic, which means that when you consume it, you lose more fluid than you take. The result is dehydration of the body with symptoms such as fatigue, headaches and dry feeling in mouth.

So if you drink alcohol, always drink water or mineral-vitamin drinks. Drink one glass of water between each glass of alkohol. Also drink water before sleeping.

 8. Water can help you lose weight

This is because fluids give you a feeling of satiety and also speed up your metabolism. Is recommended to drink one glass of water about half an hour before each meal. You will feel richer and eat fewer calories.

This has been confirmed by several studies. In one of them, they gave people 0.5 liters of water for 12 weeks before each meal. And the result? At the end of the experiment, they lost an average of 44 % more kilograms than people who did not drink water before meals.

So you already know that even mild dehydration can affect your physical and mental health and well-being. Therefore, make sure that you drink enough water every day, this is one of the best things you can do for your body.