7 health benefits of water based on scientific studies

Easy diet food recipes - Your body is composed of approximately 60% water, hence loss control and water intake is so important.

Staying properly hydrated can benefit you in many ways, and protect you from various health problems.

Learn seven scientific reasons that drinking water contributes to better physical and mental health.

1. Promotes weight loss

It is a scientific fact that taking certain amount of water a day thins.

Water intake can help you lose those extra kilos through three mechanisms:

Decreased appetite.

Increased burning of calories.

Automatic reduction in consumption of total calories.

Drinking water 30 minutes before each meal reduces the number of total calories you eat during the day and increases weight loss by up to 44%, which could eventually amount to 2 kilos (1).

The recommended daily amount of water is 2 liters and drink that amount increases calorie burning 96 calories a day, increasing even more if you drink cold water.

On the other hand, you should know that when you drink half liter of water, your metabolism also increases by 30%.

Also, the water has no calories and several studies have concluded that the drinking water instead of other beverages such as sugary drinks or sodas, makes ingest 9% fewer calories a day, or what is the same 200 calories less (2).

It has also been discovered that drinking sugary drinks before a 7.8% increase in total calorie intake, compared to drinking water (3) food.

In conclusion, drink between 1 liter and 1 liter of water per day cause a significant reduction in weight reduces the body mass index and eliminates many abdominal fat (4).

2. It prevents and relieves constipation

Constipation is a digestive problem that many people suffer in silence and can become very annoying, even interfere negatively in your daily activities.

But there is a very simple and effective way to prevent ... drink water!

Insufficient water intake can cause you mild dehydration, one of the most common risk factors of constipation (5).

When you consume too little fluid, large intestine absorbs water from the stool, increasing its hardness and hindering their expulsion.

According to some studies, drinking water with gas is very effective in combating constipation and improve symptoms of dyspepsia, although it is not known whether the results are due to carbon dioxide or higher mineral content of this water ( 6).

Stay hydrated at all times and eating foods rich in fiber will help keep constipation at bay.

3. Maintains and increases your physical performance

Hydration during physical exercise is very important.

Water does not give you energy like fats or carbohydrates, but fluid loss can seriously affect your physical performance.

Dehydration, even though mild, can alter the body temperature, cause tiredness and fatigue, reduce motivation and difficult exercise, both physically and mentally (7).

People who begin a workout or physical activity with a deficit of liquid do not have the same performance as those that are fully hydrated, whether the exercise is short or long (8).

You must keep in mind that an athlete can lose up to a liter and a half of its liquid weight through sweating in just one hour.

It is for these reasons that a complete hydration before, during and after exercise is so important.

4. Reduce the risk of kidney stones

Kidney stones, also called renal calculi or stones are formed from traces of minerals in the urine.

The human body has its own mechanisms to eliminate toxins from the body and one of these mechanisms are the kidneys.

The kidneys are two small organs whose function is to expel waste and excess water out of the body (9).

When we drink little water, urine becomes more concentrated and is much easier than some debris crystallize and form stones.

Conversely, increased water intake increases the volume of urine seeping in the kidneys and facilitates dissolution of substances that can form stones, besides favoring even expulsion of existing stones.

Regarding the scientific evidence supporting this fact, studies confirm that drinking more water can reduce the recurrence of kidney stones, although more research is needed (10).

5. Prevents headaches

headache

One of the common symptoms of dehydration is headache.

In research, it was observed that increasing water intake reduced the total number of hours and intensity of headaches, but not the frequency with which these appeared (11).

Another study found that taking a half liter of water more per day improved the quality of life of those likely to have mild headaches to significantly reduce symptoms (12) subjects.

However, the effect may vary from person to person and depends on the type of headache.

6. Improving cognitive performance

Normally, the loss of 1% of body fluid is compensated within 24 hours.

But if this compensation does not occur and it is still losing fluids, cognitive and physical functions are affected.

Mild dehydration can alter many important aspects of cognitive, such as alertness, concentration and short term memory in children, youth and adults (7) function.

And this should not miss you, because 75% of your brain is made up of water.

A study conducted with male subjects concluded that mild dehydration increased stress and anxiety, as well as reduced alertness and visual memory (13).

And there are many other studies that have proven that reduced water along with a mild loss of fluids (dehydration) intake can seriously damage cognitive functions (14, 15).

In other words, not only foods affect one way or the other functions of your body; fluid intake is equally important when guaranteed good health.

Do not risk and always carries a bottle of water with you: drink occasionally but do not be really thirsty can prevent mild dehydration leading to serious consequences.

7. It prevents and reduces hangover symptoms

hangover

The hangover is a set of symptoms caused by excessive alcohol consumption, including throbbing headache, severe fatigue and dry mouth are included.

But do you know what this is all about?

Again, is dehydration triggered this chain so annoying symptoms (but not only): alcohol is a diuretic drink.

By consuming large amounts of alcohol, the volume of fluid in your body is significantly reduced, since alcohol contributes to dehydration (16).

Surprised?

Therefore, drink water between drinks can save you from a terrible hangover the next day or, simpler still, control your alcohol consumption if you do not want the hangover take over your body.

If there is no remedy to prevent hangovers because this has already attacked you, drink all the water you can to recover all liquids that alcohol did you lose during the night.

A large glass of water before bed can also help.