You need to drink more water not simply because you’ve heard that you’re supposed to. But do you know about all of the amazing health benefits that come along with it?
Every part of your body needs water to function properly.
It can help you maintain healthy body weight, energize your muscles, keep your skin clear and keep your digestive system running smoothly, among other benefits. On the flip side, not getting enough water can be extremely detrimental and dangerous to your health.
Here are 10 signs that your body is desperately trying to tell you to drink more water:
1. The urine will be dark yellow
The usual color of the urine should be light yellow-amber, and if you don’t have enough water, then the kidneys will excrete more waste in the urine like blood cells, toxins, and proteins that results in darker urine.
The urine can be dark also when you consume some meds, beets, B-Vitamins, food coloring, asparagus, and blackberries. In case you notice changes in the color of your urine, you should increase the consumption of water and observe the color if it becomes lighter.
If the urine stays darker for a longer period of time, then it may denote health problems like gallstones or hepatitis.
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2. Your Urine Output is Reduced
Most people urinate between 6-7 times within a 24-hour period. When you don’t drink enough water, there is less fluid available to replace the fluids being excreted from the body.
The kidneys attempt to retain as much fluid as possible to prevent dehydration. If you urinate less than 6 times a day, consider your water intake and increase if necessary.
3. Constipation
Lack of water in the body causes constipation. If you don’t drink enough water, your body will absorb water from wherever it can, including the colon. An insufficient amount of water in the large intestine will lead to harder stools. So, consuming a lot of water is important if you want to prevent or treat constipation.
Constipation can also be caused by physical inactivity, hypothyroidism, intestinal inflammation and dysbiosis, food sensitivities and stress.
4. Your skin is dry and wrinkles are more defined
According to Dr. Diana Howard, dehydration can lead to irritated, inflamed, itching and sensitive skin. In severe cases, the skin can even become red with cracks and bleeds. The lack of water also causes the appearance of wrinkles. So, you should drink more water to revitalize your skin.
5. Hunger and Weight Gain
Dehydration can cause your body to become confused and receive mixed signals about hunger. You may think you need to eat when really you just need water. This is how not drinking enough water can lead to overeating.
6. Thirst and Dry Mouth
Believe it or not, feeling thirsty for water is a sign that you are already slightly dehydrated. A dry mouth often occurs with thirst and signifies that the mucous membranes in the body need hydration. The only way to resolve thirst and a dry mouth is to drink water throughout the day.
7. Headaches
Not drinking enough water can cause the body to absorb water from other tissues in order to compensate for the lack of fluids. For this reason, the brain tissue loses some of its moisture and shrinks, pulling away from the skull, triggering the pain receptors and resulting in a headache.
When you don’t consume enough water, the blood volume drops and then reduces the amount of oxygen that is carried in the brain. The blood vessels, in response to this, will dilate and the headache will intensify.
8. Fatigue
One study conducted in 2011 showed that mild dehydration can cause fatigue, lower energy, and tiredness. Once the body lacks water, the heart needs to work harder in order to push the oxygen and nutrients through the body, thus when you feel tired, skip our coffee, (it is dehydrating) and drink water. Water should not be substituted with soda, tea, coffee, and sports drinks.
9. You’re Experiencing Joint Pain
Water is extremely necessary to keep your bones and joints working properly. It helps nutrients move through your blood and into your joints, and it allows waste products to move out of your joints. Without water, your joints can become dry and rub together, causing pain.
10. Weak immune system
Dehydration can cause an increase of toxin concentration in the blood and this can weaken the immune system. It is highly important to drink enough amounts of water in order to eliminate the toxins and help the immune system defend from infections.
ADDITIONAL TIP!
Reduce the intake of some beverages such as coffee and juice, because they can actually dehydrate the body due to their caffeine and sugar content.
Source: runhealthylifestyle.com