Still, I was surprised to learn just how essential water is for so many body processes. Here—as Rachael Moeller Gorman reported in EatingWell Magazine’s July/August issue—you can see what water does for your body, from your head to your toes.
1. Brain
Staying hydrated keeps your memory sharp, your mood stable and your
motivation intact. When you’re well-hydrated, you can also think
through a problem more easily. Researchers hypothesize that not
having enough water could reduce oxygen flow to the brain or
temporarily shrink neurons—or being thirsty could simply distract
you.
Related: 5 Foods That Boost Brain Power
2. Mouth
Water keeps your throat and lips moist and prevents your mouth from
feeling dry. Dry mouth can cause bad breath and/or an unpleasant
taste—and can even promote cavities.
3. Heart
Dehydration lowers your blood volume, so your heart must work
harder to pump the reduced amount of blood and get enough oxygen to
your cells, which makes everyday activities like walking up
stairs—as well as exercise—more difficult.
4. Bloodstream
Your body releases heat by expanding blood vessels close to the
skin’s surface (this is why your face gets red during exercise),
resulting in more blood flow and more heat dissipated into the air.
When you’re dehydrated, however, it takes a higher environmental
temperature to trigger blood vessels to widen, so you stay
hotter.
5. Limbs
When you’re well hydrated, the water inside and outside the cells
of contracting muscles provides adequate nutrients and removes
waste efficiently so you perform better. Water is also important
for lubricating joints. Contrary to popular belief, muscle cramps
do not appear to be related to dehydration, but, instead, to muscle
fatigue, according to Sam Cheuvront, Ph.D., an exercise
physiologist for the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental
Medicine.
Must-Read: The 13 Biggest Nutrition and Food Myths
Busted
6. Skin
When a person is severely dehydrated, skin is less elastic. This is
different than dry skin, which is usually the result of soap, hot
water and exposure to dry air. And, no, unfortunately, drinking
lots of water won’t prevent wrinkles.
Related: Foods for Younger-Looking Skin
7. Kidneys
Your kidneys need water to filter waste from the blood and excrete
it in urine. Keeping hydrated may also help prevent urinary tract
infections and kidney stones. If you are severely dehydrated, your
kidneys may stop working, causing toxins to build up in your
body.
So now that you’ve read the total body benefits of drinking water, how much water do you actually need?
It isn’t eight 8-ounce glasses each day. The Institute of
Medicine says adult men need about 13 cups (3 liters) per day of
fluid; adult women need about 9 cups (2.2 liters) of fluid. (You
get about an additional 2 1/2 cups of fluid from foods.)
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“But one size doesn’t fit all,” says Leslie Bonci, R.D., C.S.S.D., director of sports nutrition at the Center for Sports Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and dietitian for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Your size and activity level affect your fluid requirements. Simply put, the larger and more active you are, the more you’ll need.
“The easiest thing that anybody could do on a daily basis is monitor their urine color,” says Douglas Casa, Ph.D., A.T.C., who studies hydration at the University of Connecticut. “Lighter urine color—like lemonade—means you’re generally well-hydrated. If it’s darker, like apple juice, you are most likely dehydrated.”
How much water do you drink every day?
Brierley's interest in nutrition and food come together in her position as nutrition editor at EatingWell. Brierley holds a master's degree in Nutrition Communication from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. A Registered Dietitian, she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont.
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