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You’ve heard it before; your body is made mostly of water, and that’s why you should drink more of it. Water is healthy for your body and for your teeth. You can lessen your risk of tooth decay, bad breath, and oral diseases by drinking water instead of other beverages like sports drinks. If you want to learn why water is a healthier alternative to sports drinks, check out our post on why sports drinks are bad. It’s also essential to keep you hydrated. But just how much water should you be drinking? You don’t want to drink too little, but you also don’t want to drink too much. It’s a delicate situation because your body is always losing water through things like sweating and urinating.
The standard recommendation is eight 8-ounce servings per day of water. Health administrations typically recommend this as the optimal amount to stay healthy and hydrated. There are a few other schools of thought that involve the frequency at which you should drink throughout the day, but the amount typically stays the same.
Keep in mind this recommendation is based on an average, and isn’t necessarily correct for everyone. Some individuals might need more while some might need less. It can be based on a variety of factors such as height, weight, and even health. If you want to be sure, check with your physician.
Benefits Other Than Hydration
Hydration isn’t the only benefit of proper water consumption. Water is the healthiest beverage for your oral hygiene, it doesn’t stain or cause plaque and can wash away leftovers in the mouth. If you want to learn which drinks and foods to avoid, check out our post on food and drinks that stain your teeth.
Studies have shown that lack of hydration can impair brain function, making it harder to concentrate and even causing headaches. Dehydration also makes you tired, reduces your physical endurance, and can negatively impact your mood.
Weight Loss
Trading in your sugary soft drinks for water can help with weight loss. Switching over to water will drastically reduce your caloric intake. However, aside from reduction in calories, water can help with weight loss in other ways.
Consumption of enough water can also boost your metabolism, helping you to burn fat more quickly. Drinking enough water can also lead to a reduced appetite. A good strategy is to drink water approximately 30 minutes before a meal. It will naturally decrease your appetite so you’ll eat less food during your meal.
Preventing Health Problems
Water is linked to a reduced risk of numerous health problems.
Skin: Drinking water can hydrate the skin and help prevent acne.
Constipation: Water is known is help with constipation problems
Cancer: Studies have shown that people who drink more water are at a lower risk for bladder cancer.
You don’t have to completely quit other drinks, but just adding water to your regular drinking routine can greatly increase your daily health.
