How water keeps your health humming right along

You know water is vital to sustain your life. The average percentage of water in the human body is about 60%, and it’s everywhere: in your cells, muscles, organs, blood and tissue — even in your bones. Every part of your body needs water to function.

Staying hydrated is a simple, yet critical part of remaining in good health. But according to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), most people aren’t getting the fluids they need every day: Research shows 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

In adults age 60 and older, dehydration can occur because of natural drops in thirst levels, body composition changes, and the use of diuretics and other medications that cause fluid loss in the body.

If you struggle to drink an adequate amount of water every day, remind yourself of the many ways water helps your body function at its highest — so you can feel your best. Proper hydration can:

• 🧠 Improve brain performance

  Even mild dehydration — as little as 2% fluid loss — can affect memory, mood, concentration and reaction time. Adding just a few glasses of water to your daily intake can have a positive effect on cognition, stabilize your emotions, and even lower anxiety.

• 😞 Decrease joint pain

  The cartilage in our joints contains approximately 80% water. Staying hydrated helps your joints stay well-lubricated, which helps reduce friction by creating more of a “cushion” between the bones. Less friction means smoother-moving joints and fewer aches and pains.

• 🔋 Give you more energy

  Dehydration can slow down circulation and affect the flow of oxygen to your brain. A lack of fluids can also cause your heart to work harder to pump oxygen through your body. When you drink more water, you’ll prevent dehydration and have more pep to get you through the day.

• 💪 Help with weight loss and weight management

  Water can help you feel full in between meals. It can also help boost your metabolism. One study showed that increasing daily water intake, replacing caloric beverages with water, and drinking water before a meal all led to weight loss averaging 5%.

• 🍽️ Help with your digestion

  Your body needs water to digest food properly. Without enough, you may experience irregular bowel movements, gas, bloating and heartburn. Water aids in breaking down soluble fiber from your diet to keep your digestion process on track.

• ♥️ Help your heart

  Your blood is made up largely of H2O. When you don’t drink enough water, your blood becomes concentrated, which can cause an imbalance of vital minerals (electrolytes). These minerals, like potassium and sodium, are key to the proper functioning of your heart.

• 🪨 Help prevent kidney stones

  Kidney stones are clumps of mineral crystals that form in the urinary tract. Staying hydrated with plenty of water can help dilute the concentration of minerals in your urinary tract and make stones less likely. Water also helps flush harmful bacteria from your bladder and can help prevent urinary tract infections.

• 🌡️ Help regulate your temperature

  When you’re dehydrated, your body stores more heat, making you less tolerant of hot temperatures. Hydrating with plenty of water helps you produce sweat when you’re overheated during activity, which cools your body down. This built-in cooling mechanism is critical in preventing heat stroke and other potentially deadly heat-related conditions.

• 🌿 Improve your body’s detoxification ability

  Water supports your body’s natural detoxification systems, which remove waste and harmful substances through urination, breathing, perspiration and bowel movements. Drinking plenty of water supports your powerful, built-in detox processes and can help enhance your overall health.

• 💆🏻‍♀️ Reduce headaches

  Even a mild fluid loss can cause the brain to contract away from the skull, leading to headaches and migraines in some people. Staying hydrated may help reduce your headaches.