Thirsty? 7 Reasons You Definitely Need to Hydrate More

Chances are, you ask yourself at least once a day, “Am I drinking enough water?” After all, water is important: it makes up 60% of our bodies and has even been linked to good mental health. Plus, no one likes feeling dehydrated, which can cause symptoms like headaches, fatigue, muscle cramps, and more.

Dehydration can also affect your overall health and well-being in more ways than you might think, leading to urinary tract infections, digestive issues, and even kidney problems. It turns out that water can be the cure-all for several common ailments, but some people still struggle to drink enough and stay hydrated.

These are just a few of the great things drinking enough water can do for you, and how to tell if you’re hydrated. And before you reach for a disposable plastic bottle, try one of these reusable bottles.

Benefits of drinking more water

1. You feel energetic

Drinking more water gives you more energy to do everything from strenuous physical exercise to staying awake at your desk after lunch. Many studies have shown that dehydration decreases athletic performancemaking you feel lethargic and unfit. It can also make you feel tired or drowsy, so if you’re getting enough sleep but can’t keep your eyes open, you may just need to up your water intake.

One study suggested that dehydration impairs physical performance in any activity lasting longer than 30 seconds. Even if you’re not working out for hours, climbing short flights of stairs or walking around your city will feel a lot easier if you’re hydrated.

2. You are less likely to suffer from constipation

Drinking more water also helps acute constipation (if you have a chronic condition, the solution is likely to be more complex). Dehydration is a common culprit of sluggish bowels, so your toilet problems may be resolved quickly. The effect is not well understood, but drink carbonated water could specifically help with stomach complaints.

While we’re on the subject of the bathroom, you can lose a lot of water through your GI tract. If you have diarrhea, you need to drink extra water to make sure you stay hydrated and healthy.

3. You will be in a better mood

Dehydration can disturb your mood and cognitive functioning. While a little thirst won’t make you brainless, a study showed that dehydrated people consistently had increased fatigue, confusion, and anger. The subjects also had problems with concentration, alertness, and short-term memory.

In a degraded mood, tasks feel more difficult and it becomes harder to concentrate, both in Gentlemen And womenIf you feel anxious, upset and unable to concentrate, dehydration may be the cause.

4. Keep headaches at bay

Another unfortunate side effect of dehydration is a headacheespecially migraines. The effect is not particularly well documented, but drinking water has been observed to help relieve pain. In one study, being consistently more hydrated helped reduce the duration and intensity of headache.

Some researchers believe that certain migraines are caused by the brain shrinking due to loss of fluid from the skull. Drinking more water helps the brain return to its full size and reduces the pain.

5. No more mindless snacking

We often confuse hunger with thirst, and eat more when we don’t really need to. While you shouldn’t try to use large amounts of water as an appetite suppressant, hydrating before you eat can help you not exceed your energy needs. In one studyDrinking water before a meal helped obese adults consume less. The effect was especially pronounced in older adults– in another studyThe group that drank water before meals lost 44% more weight in 12 weeks.

6. A lower resting heart rate

Even within the normal range of 60-100 beats per minute, a lower resting heart rate is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseaseWhen you are dehydrated, less blood circulates through your body and you heart has to work harder to circulate it to all your extremities. If you don’t drink enough water, your resting heart rate will be higher, so grab that bottle and give your heart a rest.

7. Your kidneys will thank you

Your kidneys remove toxins out of your blood and urine, and they need plenty of water to work. Their function is compromised by dehydration, so if you don’t get enough fluids, toxins can build up in your body. Forget fancy green juices and broths — drinking enough water is a detox that really works.

Hydration also helps to prevent kidney stones and urinary tract infectionstwo of the most painful conditions I know of. If that’s not motivation enough to drink more water, I don’t know what is.

How much water should I drink?

We all know the old adage of 8 glasses of water a day, but in reality, everyone has different hydration needs. Instead, doctors recommend paying attention to the signals your body is sending.

In general you should try to drink before you are thirsty. By the time you feel dehydrated, you are already slightly dehydrated. Another way to keep track of it is to check your urine. It should be a light yellow color. If it is dark yellow, it is time to drink some more water.

If neither of these gives you enough clues, there is another interesting test to try examine the elasticity of your skin. To do this, pinch the skin on your forearm or stomach with two fingers. Hold for a few seconds to form a tent-like shape, then release. If it quickly pops back into place, you are adequately hydrated. If it takes a while to return to its shape, you are probably dehydrated.