The average person is made up of between 55% and 60% water, so it comes as no surprise that we need to drink plenty of it to keep our bodies in good working order. After all, we aren’t camels – we don’t store reserves of water to keep us going if we don’t drink for a while!
If your New Year’s Resolution for 2018 is to drink more water, or if you already guzzle plenty of the clear stuff but want to know more about how it’s helping you, our 6 reasons to drink more water this year have you covered.
1. It’s essential to keep your body working
Water is the primary source of energy for the body. That’s why we can’t survive for long without it! It has a whole load of benefits essential to keeping our bodies ticking over. It increases the efficiency of your immune system, is the main dissolvent for anything we digest, cleanses out toxins from our bodies, and is the main lubricant in our joints to keep us moving freely. We also need water to keep up a regular sleep schedule and reduce fatigue, so we feel more energetic during the day.
2. It’s good for your skin
As well as the invisible benefits, there are plenty of benefits you can see to be had from drinking more water, too. Drinking plenty of water keeps our skin moisturised, making it softer to the touch and more resistant to the effects of ageing. It also makes your eyes brighter and more lustrous, so the extra energy you feel from drinking more water shows!
Read more: What happens to your brain when you smile?
3. It’s cheap, if not free
Tap water is safe to drink in the UK, and, in some parts of the country at least, downright tasty! If the tap water in your area isn’t delicious, you can buy gadgets that filter your water to attach to your taps, or bottles that will filter your tap water as you drink it on the go. If you go to a restaurant that serves alcohol, then by law they must provide free drinking water. You can ask for as much tap water as you like during your visit for free, even if you’re not otherwise drinking!
4. It can aid weight loss
A lot of the time, our bodies produce the same signals when we’re hungry and thirsty to let us know it’s time to do something about it. By reaching for a glass of water before a snack, you’ll not only save money on your food bill by reducing the amount of food you consume, but you’ll be giving your body a better balance of what it needs and be able to keep your weight under control more easily.
5. It can help your memory
If you drink more water, it can improve your short-term memory. A recent study found that even being a little bit dehydrated has a negative impact on your cognitive abilities. Individuals participating in the experiment randomly either did or did not consume 300ml of water during the experiment, and were tested on various things. Those who drank water during the experiment had better memories and focused attention than those who didn’t. So, if you need to concentrate and remember things often, get guzzling!
6. It can make you happy
We need water to aid the production of all our hormones, from the ones that help us digest food to the ones that affect our moods. In particular, we need water to create serotonin, the neurotransmitter largely responsible for our moods day to day. When our brains convert the amino acid tryptophan, it creates serotonin, and tryptophan needs water to get from our blood into our brains. Not drinking enough water means less tryptophan in our brains, which leads to decreased levels of serotonin. If our serotonin levels get low, we can start to feel irritable, anxious and low in mood.
What more reason do you need to get down your 2 litres a day?
