While it’s no secret that water is the essence of life, most of us don’t realise just how much good hydration benefits our health. Simply put – hydration makes us work better. Be it our performance on physical tasks, our mental acuity, digestive health, our ability to maintain ideal weight or even how good our skin looks; hydration is the secret sauce that makes it all happen.
Benefit 1: Improved Physical Performance
When it comes to physical activity, hydration plays a vital role in performance. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, reduced endurance, and impaired strength. Studies have consistently shown that even mild dehydration can negatively affect exercise performance. With even a 2% reduction in hydration levels, one might experience fatigue, reduced motivation, and increased body temperature – all things that keep us from having a good workout, or even a good day.
Proper hydration ensures that our muscles and joints are well-lubricated, allowing us to perform at our best. So, whether you’re hitting the gym or going for a run, remember to hydrate adequately with not just H2O, but electrolytes too!
Benefit 2: Better Skin Health
Hydration is crucial to healthy and vibrant skin. Proper hydration helps to nourish the skin cells, improve elasticity, and promote a youthful appearance. It can also help in preventing common skin problems like dryness, dullness, and premature ageing.
Several scientific studies have highlighted the positive impact of hydration on skin health, showing that well-hydrated individuals tend to have smoother, more supple and more elastic skin. Water aids in expelling toxins and ensures efficient nutrient circulation to the skin. A study in the journal Clinical, Cosmetic, and Investigational Dermatology revealed that good hydration intake positively impacts skin physiology, including density and thickness.
Who knew that the best skincare resides in your humble water bottle?
Benefit 3: Boosted Brain Function
The brain is about 75% water. Hydration is critical in maintaining cognitive functions such as memory, attention, and coordination. Your brain is highly dependent on adequate hydration to function optimally and even mild dehydration can impair cognitive abilities.
So, alongside those almonds you take every morning, remember to stay hydrated. A study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reported that optimal hydration is associated with enhanced cognitive performance, specifically better short-term memory and reaction time. So, the next time you feel a little uncoordinated, distracted, or even forgetful, a little hydration might be just the medicine you need.
Benefit 4: Enhanced Digestion
Taking in the right amount of water, at the right time, can help break down food, facilitate the absorption of nutrients, and prevent common digestive issues like constipation. The Clinical Nutrition Research published a study revealing that water consumption positively influences the rate of gastric emptying, thereby playing a vital role in digestion. When we are adequately hydrated, our digestive system can function efficiently, promoting regular bowel movements and overall digestive health.
While drinking a lot of water along with your meal doesn’t work for most people, drinking enough water throughout the day works for everyone!
Benefit 5: Weight Management
Drinking water can expedite metabolism and curb appetite, thus serving as a potent tool for weight management. A study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism divulged that drinking about 500ml of water boosts metabolic rate by 30% in both men and women, facilitating calorie burning.
If you’re on a weight loss journey, hydration can be your best ally. Drinking water before meals can help to reduce appetite and calorie intake, leading to weight loss. Additionally, staying well-hydrated can boost metabolism, allowing your body to burn calories more effectively. Several scientific studies have shown that increasing water intake can aid in weight management and contribute to a healthier body composition. So, if you’re looking to shed those extra kilos, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
How to hydrate effectively
We all know how to drink water. The trouble lies in making it a habit to hydrate regularly. Here are our top tips:
- Carry a Water Bottle: Make it a habit to carry a reusable water bottle wherever you go. Having water readily available will serve as a constant reminder to drink and stay hydrated throughout the day. Choose a bottle that is convenient to carry and easy to use.
- Set Reminders: In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s easy to forget to drink enough water. Set reminders on your phone or use apps that track your water intake to prompt you to hydrate regularly. These reminders can be particularly helpful if you have a busy schedule or tend to get absorbed in work.
- Ditch the sugary drinks. Read labels – most sports drinks and ‘healthy’ hydration options are loaded with sugar. Not only is that much sugar bad for your waistline, it also makes dehydration worse!
- Pay attention to your electrolytes. Hydration is a carefully choreographed dance of water and electrolytes called ‘fluid balance‘. On hot days, even when we drink a lot of water, we can throw our bodies out of sync if we don’t replenish our electrolytes. This is when having ready access to a WHO approved ORS like Electral can be a game changer.
Understanding Fluid Balance
If this is the first time you’ve come across the term ‘fluid balance’, you’re not alone. Dehydration is a common phenomenon, even amongst those of us who consider ourselves health conscious. It’s a blind spot that unfortunately costs us dearly, particularly during heatwaves, illnesses, or other factors that lead us down the path of dehydration.
To address this lack of awareness, Electral and the News18 Network launched the Hydration for Health initiative in 2022. It is a fountainhead of knowledge and resources aimed at combating dehydration by building awareness about the little things we can do to improve hydration for ourselves and our families. This year, the Hydration for Health initiative will include panel discussions, knowledge articles and much more.
Fortunately for us in India, understanding fluid balance doesn’t need to be a precursor to good hydration. The World Health Organisation has invested years of research into refining and perfecting the formula for rehydration: the perfect ratio of salts, minerals and electrolytes our bodies need to recover from dehydration. Since 1972, we have had access to a WHO approved ORS: the trustworthy Electral. Electral is an integral part of our family first aid kits, and is now also available in Ready to Drink Tetra Pak form with an Osmolarity of 245 mOsmol/L – ideal for delivering quick hydration when we need it most. This is particularly useful when you’re on the road, or in any other situation where you don’t have access to a measuring cup!
Good hydration isn’t something that happens overnight – it is a habit that we diligently cultivate. Don’t let hydration be your blind spot. Join us at Hydration for Health , and learn more about how you can live your best life, with just a few small adjustments.
Drink wisely, live exuberantly.
This is a partnered post.
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