8 Unexpected Health Benefits of Drinking More Water Each Day

Most of us drink water almost every day, particularly if we're playing sports, working out, or engaging in other types of physical activity. The human body is made up of approximately 60% water, meaning that staying hydrated plays a crucial role in maintaining our bodily functions. But water does more than just keep us alive.

It's well known that drinking more water every day comes with a plethora of health benefits, which can improve your overall quality of life. There are many reasons you should be staying hydrated every single day, and below are just a few of the perks of drinking more water. Keep reading to learn eight key reasons why drinking water makes a difference in your health.

1. Water Can Increase Positive Emotions

Believe it or not, water plays a big part in our ability to stay focused and regulate our emotions. Though we often feel better once we drink water, that's not just because we're quenching our thirst. The human brain is composed of nearly 80% water, meaning if we aren't getting the amount that we need, our brains won't work as well as intended.

According to ACSMs Health and Fitness Journal, mild dehydration can start to impact your brain function. Even just a body water loss of 1-2% can start to impact the brain in unexpected ways. Ultimately, dehydration plays a big part in our mental state, more than some people may realize.

Unfortunately, dehydration can cause or make some mental health conditions worse, such as depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. If our brain isn't getting enough water, its ability to produce chemicals, such as serotonin, becomes negatively impacted. Experiencing increased anxiety due to dehydration may also occur, as it becomes harder for the brain to regulate stressful emotions.

A buildup of stress can result in problems with our muscles, respiratory system, nervous system, heart, and many other parts of the body. In order to prevent problems from developing, it's important to stay on top of your water intake, so your brain can function to the best of its ability. Drinking enough water every day may help you increase the likelihood of maintaining a positive mindset, too.

2. Water Can Treat Headaches

More than likely, you've experienced a headache from being dehydrated, even if you didn't know that was the cause. One study showed that 40% of people experienced headaches as a common symptom of dehydration. Unsurprisingly, water has also been shown to be a valuable method in treating headaches and migraines in individuals who experience them frequently.

A study published by the journal Family Practice reported a 47% improvement rate when it came to drinking more water and the reduction of headaches. That's more than a 20% increase from the control group, which only experienced a 25% improvement with their symptoms. In this study, the individuals in the water group increased their daily water intake by 1.5 liters while the control group kept their drinking habits the same. This study was conducted over a period of three months.

The study concluded that individuals can be recommended to drink more water to reduce their headaches or migraines as a non-invasive solution, being sure to monitor their symptoms to see if they improve in the short term. These results are still under investigation, and more research on this subject is necessary before we can draw definitive conclusions.

3. Water Can Minimize Joint Pain

Like the rest of the body, our joints contain a significant amount of water. The discs in our spine are similar. In these areas, there's a substance called synovial fluid, which plays a big part in keeping the cartilage lubricated, allowing for freedom of movement. It's the reason we're able to move and bend our arms, legs, wrists, and feet.

If we're dehydrated, our cartilage can have diminished ability to cushion our joints and spinal discs. Though drinking water isn't going to cure your joint pain, dehydration can contribute to some of the pain you may be experiencing. If you're noticing some minor joint pain, try increasing your water intake for a while to see if the pain starts to dissipate.

Even if your chronic joint pain has an underlying cause unrelated to your hydration levels, drinking water can still help you. The body's cartilage relies on water to function properly, so drinking water every day can improve some of your symptoms and make every day a little easier than before. Be sure to ask your doctor for more information about how water can help joint pain so you can monitor your results.

4. Water Can Relieve Constipation

The gastrointestinal system relies on water intake to keep things moving correctly. Sometimes, we start to experience problems with constipation, which is when our bodies experience problems with passing a stool and our trips to the bathroom become less frequent. This is an issue many older adults experience, especially those living in long-term care facilities — nearly 80% of individuals living in long-term care experience problems with constipation.

However, young people can also experience constipation, particularly if they aren't drinking enough water. Increasing daily water intake can help relieve constipation since it assists your gastrointestinal system with moving waste through your intestines. One study has found that proper hydration is an even better predictor of healthy gastrointestinal habits than fiber intake. It concludes that clinical recommendations to treat constipation with water, rather than fiber or exercise, likely lead to the best outcomes.

If you're experiencing symptoms of constipation, it may be because you simply aren't drinking enough water. It's smart to try drinking more water to see whether your symptoms fade. Whilehydration may not be able to completely prevent constipation, it never hurts to stay hydrated anyway.

5. Water Can Prevent Kidney Stones

A kidney stone is a hard mineral deposit that forms inside your kidney and passes through your urinary system. There are a few reasons why kidney stones can form, such as diet, medications, excess body weight, or medical conditions. These stones form due to a concentration of urine, giving time for minerals to crystalize and mold together. These stones can be incredibly uncomfortable — if not painful — to pass, and trying to prevent them is at the top of many people's lists.

Drinking water is a great way to pass more mild stones, since it'll assist with moving the stone through the urinary tract. More importantly,drinking water can also prevent kidney stones from forming in the first place. After all, the more water you drink, the more urine will move through your kidneys. This movement reduces the number of minerals collecting in one place and prevents the minerals from combining together into kidney stones.

Furthermore, dehydration can be a risk factor for developing kidney stones. Those who live in warmer climates or who sweat a lot may be at a higher risk since their bodies are losing water on a more frequent basis. By drinking enough water every day, you can possibly eliminate at least one risk factor for kidney stones.

Though it's thought that increasing your water intake can prevent kidney stones, you should note that enough study is still yet to be done to definitively prove that's the case. Regardless, it's still a good idea to drink water as it has the potential of reducing the chances you'll suffer from kidney stones.

6. Water Can Help With Weight Loss

Many people turn to water to help them lose weight when they start a new diet — and that's the correct mindset. There are studies that show water can help you lose weight, since drinking it can help you feel less hungry and change the way your body burns calories.

Proper hydration can increase your body's metabolic rate. One landmark study found that drinking 500 milliliters of water increases metabolic rate by 30% in both men and in women for over an hour. In a similar study 10 years later, overweight girls who drank 500 milliliters of water three times daily lost an average of 1.44 kilograms — a little over three pounds — in eight weeks.

Some research has examined whether replacing diet beverages with water will encourage weight loss in individuals classified as obese. In the study, it was observed that of the 71% of the group that completed the study over 24 weeks, replacing diet beverages with water after eating a meal could lead to an increased chance of weight loss during a weight loss program. Therefore, water could be the best weight loss beverage available.

Perhaps most importantly of all, the timing of your water consumption affects whether you lose weight. Since water can help you feel less hungry by tricking your stomach into feeling fuller, it works as a way to keep your appetite at bay. It's a good idea to drink water shortly before a meal, especially if you're older, so you don't consume as many calories once you begin eating.

To help with losing weight, you may want to replace all beverages high in sugar and calories with water, being sure to drink enough before and after each meal.

7. Water Can Improve Skin Appearance and Health

Beyond the benefits that water can provide our bodies internally, water also does a lot of good for our skin.

A study conducted by the International Journal of Cosmetic Science looked at how drinking water every day could improve our skin. The study noticed that drinking 9.5 cups of water every day for at least four weeks increased the density and thickness of the skin. Another study conducted looked at how drinking water affected blood flow, finding that drinking about 0.5 liters increased blood flow to the skin.

Why do density, thickness, and blood flow matter for skin? When our skin is thicker and our blood flow is increased, our skin looks brighter and more hydrated, and we're less likely to develop wrinkles early and the size of our pores is reduced. Adding drinking water to your skin care routine will ensure your skin's moisture barrier is as hydrated as possible, leading to softer, clearer skin.

8. Water Can Prevent a Hangover

A bad hangover can make you feel miserable, forcing you to cancel your plans and stay on the couch all day. Many of us have heard that drinking water while we consume alcohol can keep a hangover at bay. Is that true?

At the very least, drinking water while you consume alcohol and after you've stopped drinking can have some positive effects. Because alcohol is a diuretic, it acts to increase the amount of water and salt expelled from the body. That's why we use the bathroom more frequently while drinking and consequently become dehydrated more quickly. When we get dehydrated, we may experience headaches, body aches, and fatigue. These are some of the more common symptoms associated with a hangover.

To prevent a hangover while you drink, turn to water. The rule of thumb is to drink one glass of water for every alcoholic drink you have. Additionally, you may want to keep a glass of water on your bedside table to drink before you fall asleep. As a result, you'll likely skip some of the traditional hangover symptoms, like headaches and fatigue.

Drink Up These Benefits of Water

Thanks to continuous research, we now know the reasons behind why staying hydrated matters. Whether you're working hard at the gym or relaxing at home on the couch, drinking enough water every day can improve nearly every aspect of your life, from your mental health to your physical wellness. Consuming around 8 to 12 cups of water each day ensures you're completely hydrated, supporting your overall well-being.

Learn More About Multipure Today

If your tap water tastes or smells unpleasant, you're less likely to drink it and stay hydrated throughout the day. Fortunately, a drinking water system from Multipure helps you reduce contaminants in your home water, so you'll have plenty of fresh, clean water to keep you hydrated and make sure your gastrointestinal system functions optimally. While overall hydration is important, having high-quality drinking water is a must. For more than 50 years, Multipure has been dedicated to helping you keep your household hydrated and healthy.

Our drinking water systems have gone through the rigorous NSF Certification, so you'll know they're up to the essential task of providing clean, safe water for your home. Multipure Systems are effective against an extensive list of drinking water contaminants, including asbestos, chlorine, lead, pharmaceuticals, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Our Aquaperform can reduce additional contaminants like arsenic V, PFOA, PFOS, and microcystin, and our Aqualuxe goes a step further, purifying your drinking water to protect against harmful waterborne microorganisms like bacteria and viruses.

Using a long-term solution like Multipure drinking water systems also means your water costs will be minimal over time — virtual pennies to the gallon. Additionally, you'll be doing something beneficial for the environment, keeping plastic bottles from piling up as landfill waste.

At Multipure, your satisfaction with your drinking water system is our priority. We offer a 90-day money-back guarantee and a lifetime warranty on our drinking water system housing. Contact us today to learn more about our products. If you're looking for more tips and tricks, check out our blog to discover more ways to live a healthy lifestyle!