National Hydration Day 2021: What Does Water Do For Your Body?

Water is a fundamental human need. The fact that it is essential to survival is why a holiday has been created in honor of it -- National Hydration Day.

Celebrated every June 23, National Hydration Day was launched to raise awareness on the key role that water plays in the health and protection of the body against dehydration, heat stroke and many more dangerous conditions.

For National Hydration Day 2021, here are five benefits of drinking water to remind you to keep hydrated, courtesy of Healthline and WebMD:

It maximizes physical performance

Exercising most often leads to sweating, and water is needed by the body to keep it going during intense exercises. When the body becomes dehydrated when working out, this hinders a person from performing at their best and may lead to increased fatigue and reduced motivation.

To put it simply, this would make exercise generally a lot more difficult, both physically and mentally.

Water helps prevent hangovers

Alcohol is known to be a diuretic, which means it makes people lose more water which could lead to dehydration. Although it is not commonly known, the main cause of hangovers is dehydration.

A good way to avoid getting a hangover the day after drinking alcohol is to drink a glass of water between drinks. Finishing at least one big glass of water before going to bed is also recommended by experts in order to avoid suffering the symptoms of hangovers, including thirst and headache.

It helps in treating kidney stones

Although water isn't the holy grail in treating kidney stones, it most certainly helps. This is because higher fluid intake increases the volume of urine that passes through the body's kidneys. This dilutes the minerals that form in the organ and prevents them from forming into clumps and crystallizing.

Moreover, water is also believed by some to prevent the initial formation of kidney stones, although this is yet to be confirmed by studies.

It can help people lose weight

People who are looking to lose a few pounds will find that water is their best friend. Drinking a lot of water increases satiety or the feeling of being full, and it also boosts the body's metabolic rate.

A study published in the National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health has found that women who drank an additional 500 milliliters of water three times a day lost a significant amount of weight when compared to their pre-study measurements.

Researchers said the timing plays a large part as well. The best time to drink water and maximize the body's potential to lose weight is about half an hour before meals. This is because the fluid will make a person feel full, resulting in them eating fewer calories.

It keeps your skin looking good

The skin on the face needs an ample amount of water to keep it looking plump and fresh. A lack of it will naturally leave the skin looking dry and dull.

"Dehydration makes your skin look more dry and wrinkled, which can be improved with proper hydration," said Atlanta dermatologist Kenneth Ellner. "But once you are adequately hydrated, the kidneys take over and excrete excess fluids."