6 reasons to drink more water

From hangover cures to weight loss, water is good for you and here's why.

Recent findings of the National Cancer Institute’s Food Attitudes and Behaviours Survey conducted on more than 3000 individuals found that an alarming 78% of the people surveyed admitted to drinking less than 8 glasses of water a day.

Drink more water, here’s why:

Improves your mental abilities

Keeping the body well hydrated helps to improve cognitive abilities and mental functions. Dehydration reduces the brain’s capacity for short term memory.

Expels toxins

Drinking an adequate amount of water removes water soluble toxins from the body by sweat and through the kidneys. Water flushes your system and cleanses the body clean of certain toxic waste products that tend to build up in tissues and organs.

Helps with weight loss

Drinking more water can help you lose those extra pounds as it delays the hunger pangs. As water fills the stomach, it tends to allay the sense of hunger, so you eat less. Plus water also increases the body’s metabolism, so it's win-win!

Improves physical performance

Studies have shown that good water intake keeps the blood more fluid and increases oxygen transport to the muscles which helps the heart to pump better. Drinking more water also keeps you energetic and less fatigued throughout the day.

Reduces the risk of heart attacks

Drinking more water helps to keep the blood more fluid. This helps prevent clot formation in blood vessels which supply the heart and the brain.

Improves bowel function

We know – not the prettiest body part to discuss, but sometimes it’s needed. Constipation is common in people who consume less than the adequate amount of water required. Doctors often advise their patients to increase their water consumption as a first step to prevention.

Top three tips:

1. Do not drink more than 3 litres of water a day, more than that and you’ll dilute your body’s electrolytes, which are important minerals in the blood and other body fluids that carry an electric charge.

2. Try using apps such as Ounces to help keep track of you daily water consumption.

3. A simple guide is to drink enough water to produce a colorless and almost odourless urine.

Source:  http://home.bt.com