9 things you didn’t know about H2O and your health
1. Water affects our health in many more ways than you would expect. Drinking the right amount of water helps aid in digestion and speeding up weight loss. German researchers found, drinking water speeds up your metabolism (AKA you burn more calories). Other than helping us burn more calories, water makes us feel more full, leading us to eat less at dinner time.
2. Water makes up about 70% of the human body.
3. Drinking water helps you feel more energetic. When properly hydrated, blood-oxygen levels increase. The increase in oxygen mean higher energy levels and more efficient fat burning.
4. The brain is made up of about 70% water just like the human body. Proper hydration is a key factor in preventing headaches.
5. Proper hydration can help prevent or lessen arthritic pain. Water is a joint lubricator and helps reduce friction in joints. Water acts as a shock absorber throughout the body especially the spine.
6. Our bodies remove toxins 4 ways: defecation, urination, sweat and breath. Water is certainly important with sweat and urination. Increased water intake reduces constipation thus eliminating toxins faster from the body (lessening the time they have to do damage).
7. Although we think of our bones as hard mineralized structures, they are actually made up of about 22% water. Our muscles consist of about 75% water.
8. Dehydration can be interpreted by the brain as hunger. According to a Washington study, nearly all dieters who felt late-night hunger cravings ceased to feel the cravings after drinking a glass of water.
9. 8 cups of water a day is recommended but did you know drinking too much water can be harmful too. Hyponatremia, often called water intoxication, is caused by drinking significant amounts of water within a short period of time without replenishing electrolytes. When sodium drops to critically low levels it can result in cramps, headaches, coma, blurred vision and in some cases death.