The amount of water in the human body ranges from 50-75%. That is why a sufficient fluid intake is really important for the human body. Drinking water is being underestimated a lot though. Research tells us that just 15% of our population drinks the recommended daily amount of water. The reasons for not drinking enough water are often: simply forgetting to drink and the fact that drinking water a lot makes you go to the bathroom a lot. The recommended amount of water we should drink every day is equal to 7 glasses of water. We often only drink 5 glasses though. This means that we should be drinking 2 more glasses of water on a daily basis, but why is this so important?
The importance of water
Every day we lose about 2 liters of body fluids through urine and transpiration. To keep the level of body fluids in balance, you have to compensate for this loss by drinking enough. Body fluids have multiple functions: it helps with absorbing nutrients, it helps with the transport of nutrients and waste and it controls the body temperature. When you drink too little, multiple symptoms of dehydration can arise. Especially your brain is affected, because your brain exist of 80% of water. You can for example feel drowsy, weak and confused and in the worst case you can pass out.
The consequences
Drinking too little does not only cause physical symptoms. It affects our attention, reaction time, concentration and short term memory in a negative way. It also has a big impact on your mood. Research shows that drinking less has a negative effect on your mood and sensations. This research has been done by observing everyday activities. People were asked to purposely drink less on one day, and drink more on the other. This subtle difference had a huge impact on their mood! By drinking less their mood deteriorated, but by drinking more it improved. It is amazing what a glass of water can do!
Become aware of your daily drinking habits and check if you meet the standard of drinking 1.5 – 2 liters (7 glasses of water) a day. It is also important to compensate on a hot day or after exercising, because you lose more body fluids then. During your sleep you can also lose at least 0.25 liter of body fluids. When you structurally drink too little, you will also structurally wake up dehydrated and start the day feeling less well. You should drink a glass of water 1 hour before going to bed and directly after you woke up!
NiceDay
If you find it difficult to drink the recommended daily amount of water, you could use the NiceDay app to plan a reminder to drink something. Schedule to have a nice cup of tea or a glass of milk multiple times a day and register how you feel!
