The amazing health benefits of drinking water

Today's post is about the amazing health benefits of drinking plain, pure water! 

As you all are aware water constitutes about 55 - 78 % of the body weight depending upon the body constitution of different individuals. This simple fact illustrates how much human body values water every day. 

Are you providing enough water to your body every day?  

An adequate intake (AI) of water for males is about three liters (3 L) (roughly 13 cups), a day. The AI for females is 2.2 liters (about nine cups), a day, according to the Institute of Medicine. 

This is the total intake of fluids in all forms including beverages. This recommendation is for adults. For children, the quantity is different.

We lose water from our body mostly through urine, sweat, bowel movements and breath. This normal loss should be replenished by adequate intake of fluids for the smooth functioning of the body. Dehydration makes our body tired and weak succumbing ourselves  to diseases. It is this vital water that helps in flushing the toxins out of the body. Water helps in the smooth functioning of all systems in the body. Water carries all the important nutrients to the cells in the body. So any decrease in the water level in our body can have serious health consequences. But the negative effects of dehydration develop slowly. Also, it is difficult to prove that water deficiency is the direct cause of health problems. It is reported that humans have a great tolerance to dehydration and thirst is felt in a vague manner as a result of which we tend to postpone/drink less/inadequately resulting in health problems. Proponents of 'water therapy' claim that chronic dehydration is the root cause of all health problems. Passing dark colored, concentrated urine denotes a dehydrated state.  

Now ask this question again:

Are you providing enough water to your body every day?  

'Usha paana chikitsa', ('Usha' means in the morning, 'paana' = drink and 'chikitsa' is treatment) is mentioned in Ayurveda, the science of life, the traditional system of medicine in India. Water therapy was popular in ancient India. 

Water therapy involves drinking water first thing in the morning after getting up even before brushing teeth. It is advised to drink 1.5 liters of water. If it is difficult to drink the whole at a stretch, drink 4 or 5 glasses and wait for some time and drink again the rest. After one hour have breakfast. 

As you know after intake of a large quantity of water like this, people urinate more often and can expect good bowel movements. 

Initially, it may be difficult to do this but with practice this becomes easy. People with hypertension, gas problems, kidney ailments, and heart disease have to be careful if planning to do this. Always seek your doctor's opinion before doing water therapy.

Avoid alcohol intake, take enough fruits and vegetables, do mild exercises and provide an adequate intake of fluids rest of the day as recommended.

Proponents of water therapy claim that this is effective in curing constipation, normalizing high blood pressure, controlling diabetes, arthritis, prevention of kidney stones, acidity and dyspepsia, aids weight loss etc. etc. It is difficult to prove scientifically all these claims, but there are a lot of people who will vouch for the miraculous cure they have had. Many report better health and general well being! 

Whatever, always supply the adequate, recommended intake daily. Take more fruits and vegetables. Fruits like watermelon, tomatoes, oranges etc. have high water content.

Pure drinking water has become a rarity now-a-days. Water quality standards and the chemical components that are used in the manufacturing of plastic bottles are always topics of controversy. Leaching of these chemicals into the water that it contains is a great concern. And this makes us look for labels like 'BPA' free 😊. The testing standards differ in different countries. 

So are we sure we are drinking quality water? Is it pure? 

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