Without water, it wouldn’t take long for your body to shut down. And yet, for all its importance, most Americans aren’t drinking enough. The National Institutes of Health reports that 75% of the population is chronically dehydrated.

While most people are drinking enough water to survive, few are reaping the full benefits that come from total, proper hydration. It might just hold the key to your aches, pains, weight issues and even job performance woes.

Here are seven reasons why proper hydration is critical to your overall health.

Body temperature regulation

Just as your car’s engine relies on coolant to prevent it from becoming overheated, your body requires proper hydration to regulate your body temperature. According to a study published on ResearchGate, improper hydration can cause your body to retain heat. That’s why optimal fluid intake is especially important when you’re physically exerting yourself.

“A higher core body temperature can negatively affect athletic performance, mood state, and cognitive function and can increase one’s risk for heat illness,” the study states.

When you’re drinking enough and supplying your body with the proper electrolytes, this promotes blood flow and your ability to sweat to cool yourself off.

Nutrient transport throughout the body

Water does more than just satisfy thirst; It helps transport essential nutrients all throughout your body.

“In addition to helping with food breakdown, water also helps dissolve vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from your food,” Natalie Silver writes for Healthline. “It then delivers these vitamin components to the rest of your body for use.”

Joint lubrication

People suffering from arthritis and aching joints may want to pay particular attention to their fluid intake.

According to Healthline, water helps cushion the joints — something you definitely want if you suffer from arthritis.

Water can also help reduce inflammation by flushing out toxins. Reduced inflammation will reduce swelling and help alleviate discomfort.

Digestion and metabolism

The most important part of a meal you eat at any restaurant is probably the free:glass of water. In an article for the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Michael F. Picco says, “[D]rinking water during or after a meal helps how your body breaks down and processes food (digestion).”

This process of breaking down the food helps you absorb the nutrients you need — but drinking plenty of water might also prevent you from consuming things you don’t need.

One study in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics found that adults who drank just 1% more water than usual consumed fewer calories and reduced their overall intake of sugar, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Another study published on PubMed Central found that overweight women who drank more water before meals lost weight and lowered their body mass index.

Flushing out toxins

Without proper hydration, your body would have no way of expelling harmful toxins.

“Your kidneys do an amazing job of cleansing and ridding your body of toxins as long as your intake of fluids is adequate,” Dr. Steven Guest, an adjunct professor of medicine at Stanford University, tells WebMD.

He adds that you can tell if you’re supplying your kidneys with enough fluids by looking at the color and smell of your urine. If it’s light and odor-free, you’re drinking enough. Darker, foul-smelling urine is a sign that your kidneys are trapping that extra fluid for other body functions.

Maintaining blood pressure

Hydration also plays a key role in maintaining a normal blood pressure. The Cleveland Clinic says a loss of water in the blood means you’ll have a low blood volume. That leads to a low blood pressure. Dr. Luke Laffin tells the Clinic, “In the simplest of explanations, you’re just not filling up the pipes enough for what your vascular system needs.”

On the other hand, when the body tries to compensate for lower blood pressure, it can actually overcorrect and cause high blood pressure.

By maintaining a healthy hydration level, you can avoid these uncomfortable shifts in blood pressure.

Improved cognitive function

Improved cognitive function might be the most important but most overlooked benefit of proper hydration. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) lists several different side effects associated with dehydration, including:

• Difficulty focusing
• Impaired short-term memory
• Difficulty recalling long-term memories
• Impaired ability to perform simple arithmetic

OSHA also cited several examples of studies that showed the positive impact of hydration on brain functions. One study found that a group of people who drank the most water performed the best on a visual attention test while those who drank no water performed the worst. Another study showed that young adults who drank 200 ml of water were able to sustain focus and attention longer on a task than those who didn’t drink water.

Obviously, proper hydration directly affects the brain, which directly affects performance. So it’s not much of a stretch to suggest that hydration impacts both your professional and personal life.

Feel your best with a hydration boost

Sometimes you may need a little extra help replenishing the liquid and nutrients your body needs for optimal health. Prime IV Hydration is a Utah company that offers a range of IV drips, each formulated to address specific health concerns and promote overall well-being.

Aside from the benefits mentioned in the article above, Prime IV Hydration treatments aim to address anti-aging, depression, migraines, weight loss and more.

To book an appointment, visit primeivhydration.com or call 385-383-6291 today.

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