Water Health and The Importance of Drinking Water

We have all heard that drinking 8 glasses of water a day is good for you. However, have you ever stopped to ask why? What is it about the nature of water that makes it good for us and does drinking tea or coffee count?

You can probably survive for at most 100 hours without water. It is responsible amongst other things for the transport of hormones and nutrients around the body, for the removal of waste and toxins and for temperature regulation in the body. Water is also a lubricant and the base for saliva and is one of the best detoxing agents as well as a key in eliminating constipation.

Now it is often said that drinking tea and coffee will dehydrate you. While it is true that caffeine extracts water from the cells there is still a fluid gain when you drink tea or coffee. The coffee would have to be extremely strong in order for you to record a fluid loss after drinking. Of course tea has all the antioxidant properties as well.

We loose water all the time through perspiration, waste removal and even breathing out. In fact you can loose two to four cups of water a day simply through breathing so you can see how important it is to keep up with your fluid intake. It is also important to remember that thirst is never a good way of remembering when to drink. By then you have lost too much water to get to that stage so it is best to take in frequent smaller amounts throughout the day and not wait for thirst to show up. It is actually quite easy to drink two litres of water a day. If you keep a two litre jug full of water at home and drink a little from it throughout the day you will see just how quickly it will go down.

Another important fact is acidity within the body. If the body is too acidic then this can lead to disease with the body. You will find it hard to loose weight, you might gain weight, bring on fatigue and in extreme cases heart disease and cancer. The gall bladder helps to maintain the alkalinity of the body by producing bile, yet with the modern diet we can often take in more acid than the gall bladder can handle. Water can help in protecting against too much acid and reducing red meat intake and limiting the consumption of soft drinks,which are very acidic, will also help. I also know from personal experience that I had more energy, less headaches and could concentrate longer when I drank plenty of water. I also noticed that after waking up in the morning I was not as lethargic and I lost that heavy morning feeling that I used to get.

Therefore if you are constantly tired, or suffer from frequent aches and pains, including headaches, then firstly see your doctor. You might also wish to look at increasing your water intake.