
Scientifically speaking, water is the basis of life, but beyond being
essential to your very existence, water serves all sorts of purposes
that help you feel your absolute best. No, it can't cure
cancer
(though it may help prevent it), pay your rent (though it does save you
money), or take out the trash, but here are six reasons H2O can help
solve many annoying day-to-day health issues-and possibly prevent a few
big ones-from headaches to those last few pounds.
1. It boosts metabolism
Trying to lose weight? Drinking water can boost your body's ability to burn fat. A study published in the
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that
drinking water
(about 17oz) increases metabolic rate by 30 percent in healthy men and
women. The boost occurred within 10 minutes but reached a maximum 30-40
minutes after drinking.
Studies also suggest that drinking one or two glasses of water before a meal can fill you up so you naturally eat less, says
Andrea N. Giancoli, MPH, RD spokesperson for
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Plus, even mild
dehydration will slow down metabolism by as much as 3 percent.
2. It safeguards your heart
Speaking of essential for life…drinking a good amount of water could lower your risk of a
heart attack. A six-year study published in the
American Journal of Epidemiology found
that people who drank more than five glasses of water a day were 41
percent less likely to die from a heart attack during the study period
than those who drank less than two glasses. Bonus: Drinking all that
water may reduce
cancer
risk as well. Research shows that staying hydrated can reduce risk of
colon cancer by 45 percent, bladder cancer by 50 percent, and possibly
reduce breast cancer risk too.
3. It prevents headaches
The most debilitating kind as well: Migraines. In one study published in
the journal Neurology, scientists recruited migraine sufferers and
divided them into two groups: one took a placebo, the others were told
to drink 1.5 liters of water (about six cups) in addition to their usual
daily intake. At the end of two weeks, the water group had experienced
21 fewer hours of pain than those in the placebo group, as well as a
decrease in pain intensity.
4. It boosts brainpower
Your brain needs a lot of oxygen
to function at optimum levels, so drinking plenty of water ensures that
it's getting all it needs. In fact, drinking eight to 10 cups of water
per day can improve your levels of cognitive performance by as much as
30 percent.
The door swings both ways: Research shows that a
dehydration
level of just 1 percent of your body weight reduces thinking functions,
so staying well-hydrated is super important for your mental
performance.
5. It makes you rich
Making water your go-to drink saves a lot of money in the long run. Even though 60 percent of the U.S. population buys
bottled water,
it's still cheaper, on average, than juices, sodas, and Starbucks-
especially when you buy it by the case. What's even cheaper: buying a
filter and
drinking water
out of the tap. To put it in perspective, replacing your daily can of
soda at lunch with a free-from-the-tap glass of water (or
water cooler if you have access to one) can save you about $180 a year.
6. It keeps you alert at work
Dehydration is the single most common cause of daytime fatigue, so if
your afternoon slump is more like a desperate need for an afternoon nap,
guzzle a glass of water. It can also make you better at your job, or at
least prevent you from being bad at a it-just a two percent dehydration
level can trigger short-term memory problems and difficulty focusing on
a computer screen or printed page.
http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/6-reasons-drinking-water-solves-problem-143000170.html