How Much Water Do You Need?

Water Is Essential

Water is one of the most important elements of the human body. It makes up approximately 70 percent of our muscles, and about 75 percent of our brains. It is also an essential part of a healthy diet and plays a vital role in the proper functioning of the body. Some of water's many benefits:

• Transports essential nutrients throughout the body and rids the body of waste
• Acts as a lubricant for the body, moistening eyes, mouth, nose, and skin
• Helps maintain adequate blood volume
• Helps regulate body temperature, especially in warm weather
• Helps prevent constipation
• Helps medications to work
• Helps prevent urinary tract infections
• Acts as an appetite suppressant
• Is calorie-free
• Boosts metabolism when drunk cold (we burn 2 calories per glass as we warm it up to body temperature)

Drinking water also forces fat to be used as fuel. How does this work? Without water, the kidneys are unable to function properly, so the liver picks up the slack. But the liver cannot properly metabolize stored fat as energy. The result is a decrease in fat metabolism, leading to more fat stored in the body. So, drinking lots of water helps avoid extra fat deposits.