The Importance of Drinking Water

You might not be aware of the importance of drinking water, but your health is dependent on your body getting an adequate supply of water.

The human body is anywhere from 55% to 78% water depending on age, gender and amount of body fat, and water is essential to human life.

Water forms the basis for all fluids in the body, such as blood and digestive juices, and water is the catalyst in all metabolic functions throughout the body.

Your body is dynamic and always changing, and this is especially true with regard to water in your body. You lose water routinely when your body performs normal functions such as breathing, sweating and eliminating waste. In a typical day, you need to consume a substantial amount of water to replace this routine loss.

Here are the primary health benefits of drinking water:

Water removes toxins and waste products from the body.
Water carries nutrients to the cells of the body.
Water regulates vitamin and mineral metabolism.
Water helps the body metabolize stored fat.
Water enhances digestion and helps prevent constipation.
Drinking more water can often reduce joint pain and back pain.

It's commonly said that you should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to stay healthy, but this is just a general rule. The amount can vary widely from person to person depending on factors such as age, physical condition, activity level and climate. If you drink enough water so you rarely feel thirsty and you produce urine that's clear or light yellow, your water intake is most likely adequate.

You also need to make sure that the water you drink is as clean and healthy as possible. This is why I recommend drinking filtered water instead of tap water or bottled water.

Tap water contains trace amounts of a variety of contaminants, such as chlorine, lead and pesticides. Visit the Tap Water Facts page for more information on tap water.

Bottled water is often little more than tap water in a bottle. There are no government standards that require bottled water to be any better, purer or safer than tap water. Visit the Bottled Water Facts page for more information on bottled water.

Using a water filter is the only way to ensure that the water you drink is clean and healthy.

In conclusion, don't underestimate the importance of drinking water. Drinking plenty of good, clean water is one of the best things you can do for your health.