Water is a very important component in your life and can determine many things about how you live. Your body uses water in all its cells, organs and tissues to help regulate temperature and maintain other bodily functions. Water takes up about three quarters of the body. Some reasons why your body needs water are: It lubricates joints, it forms saliva and mucus, delivers oxygen to the rest of your body, boosts skin health and beauty and it flushes body waste. A fun fact is that drinking cold water can help you burn off a few calories as you digest it. 

Health officials recommend drinking half a gallon of water each day to prevent dehydration. Dehydration is a condition that can occur when the loss of body fluids, mostly water, exceeds the amount that is taken in. Some early symptoms of dehydration are dry mouth, lack of energy, dark-colored urine and dizziness. Dehydration can cause headaches, lethargy and constipation. Although we lose a lot of water throughout the day as we breathe, sweat and urinate, we must replenish our bodies with tons of more water. 

Water can even aid in weight loss! Water boosts your metabolism, and can act as an appetite suppressant. But how much water should you drink? Well, nutritionists suggest that you should drink at least 8 cups of water or half of your body weight in ounces. When you keep drinking the right amount of water each day your body will thank you and reward you by losing fat, but what if you drink too much water?

Drinking too much water can be damaging and dangerous. Overhydration can lead to water intoxication. Water intoxication happens when the amount of salt and other electrolytes in your body become too diluted. Your kidneys can eliminate about 20-28 liters of water a day, but they can’t get rid of more than 27-33 ounces per hour. Therefore, in order to avoid water intoxication you should not drink more than 27-33 ounces of water per hour, on average. 

Drinking water is very important for our bodies to survive, but we must know the right amount of water to drink daily. Not drinking enough or too much water can be damaging. Drinking water helps our lives, so drink your water.