Great Reasons to Drink More Water
(Family Circle) As if we had to convince you. Okay, maybe we do:
It boosts your mood
Turns out happiness can be found at the bottom of a glass of water. When researchers asked study participants to increase their water intake from 5 to 10 cups per day, subjects reported feeling calmer and more satisfied with their life in about five days.
You may heal faster
If you cut yourself, treat the wound and then sip 16 ounces of water. Research shows dehydration can impair the recovery process, but drinking water improves microvascular circulation in your skin import for healing in just 30 minutes.
It can lower your odds of a stroke
A Johns Hopkins Hospital study of people who’d suffered strokes found that 44 percent were dehydrated. Dehydration may cause your blood to thicken and have a harder time passing through blood vessels. Furthermore, the more hydrated these stroke patients were, the better their recovery.
You won’t ruin your workout
There’s a reason you Zumba instructor is constantly reminding everyone to drink up between songs. Having water before, during and after exercise can prevent problems like heat stroke and painful muscles cramps, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
It can quiet a headache
The next time your forehead starts pounding, slowly drink anywhere from 1 to 6 cups of water. If you’re experiencing a migraine triggered by water deprivation, you could be pain free in as little as half an hour.
You’ll be a better driver
Not drinking enough water before a long car ride may cause you to make more mistakes behind the wheel, one small study showed. We get it: You don’t want to stop to pee. “But you may become dehydrated enough to impair your driving,” says study co-author Ronald J. Maughan, Ph. D., emeritus professor of sports and exercise nutrition at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. Sip around 16 ounces of water before departing and have another 7 ounces ever hour you’re on the road.
Increase your brainpower
Even mild dehydration can suppress blood vessels in your brain. The result: Short-term memory problems, poor attention and slow reaction times. Refilling your water bottle might not get you a bonus, but it’ll help you stay sharper.