Benefits of Drinking Water for Healthy Living
Some health experts recommend eight glasses of water each day for healthy living, healthy bodies, weight loss and more; some even claim that the human body uses two or more liters of water each day. There are many myths and half truths about water; many of which have become so popular in belief that science that disproves these common misconceptions are ignored by the public at large. The eight glasses a day standard may not have any real medical footing; many doctors and nutritionist do not know where the magic number of eight stems from as the body only actually looses (on average) about one liter of water each day; most of this lost water is replaced by the food that each person eats every day. In extreme conditions of course people do need more water; but for the average person the benefit of drinking water more frequently is not causing any real change in their bodies, short of the more frequent trips to the restroom.
Caffeine and Hydration
Some of these myths surround caffeine consumption, it is a very popular belief that caffeine actually dehydrates the body especially heavier caffeinated ones such as coffee. Some science has actually proven that drinks such as coffee, teas, and sodas do not dehydrate the body, but have the same hydrating effects as water. In addition a drink like tea can be particularly beneficial as it has healthy antioxidants that lend to overall heath and wellness. Coffee and sodas don't have the same antioxidant benefits, but they do still hydrate as well as water for regular consumers, for people who are occasional drinkers still find a net gain of water even after the small amount of initial fluid is lost.
Water and Weight Loss
There are also myths surrounding weight loss as a benefit of drinking water; that it will in fact curb the appetite and can help people to eat less. Studies have found however that this is not always true, in fact the only way it has been conclusively shown to be true is in the form of soup; in a study 2 groups of women were given the same dinner calorie wise, one meal on a plate the other made into a soup, the group of women who ate soup did actually consume less overall calories.
Healthy Benefits of Drinking Water
Drinking extra water for heath is another common area of debate, while it is agreed that for some people there is in fact a larger benefit to drinking water than others; elderly people in general, women who are pregnant or nursing, athletes, people which work in extreme conditions, and the like can benefit from drinking water in larger quantities. Some people however can actually be harmed by drinking too much water diabetes is one example, and diabetic should consult a doctor about how much water is appropriate for them. More conditions may be aggravated by drinking too much water, there are also benefits from drinking water; kidney, liver, and bladder problems are all good examples as drinking lots of water will often "flush" these organs out helping them to heal faster.
Most doctors agree overall that drinking should be dictated by thirst first and foremost; a person normally receives the "thirsty" trigger from the brain when the body looses one to two percent of its overall moisture. This has not shown to be harmful however excessive dehydration can cause memory loss, confusion, headaches, and so forth as it affects the moisture levels in the brain. In short, water is not necessarily the medial cure all popular belief has led the majority to believe and caffeine habits are not necessarily contributing to any dehydration in most people. The benefits of drinking water are there, but the bottle is not necessarily bottled youth, beauty, or health.
