You wash your clothes with it, you cook your meals with it, you make your hot beverages with it, and you bathe in it. Water is life’s most essential element; no human, animal or plant can live without it. People can go weeks even months with food depending on the situation, but rarely can anyone go without water for more than a few days and live. In most survival situations the need to find a source of drinkable water takes priority over the search for food. But water is much more than something that you use to quench your thirst. Water consists of up 70% of your body weight and is vital to the normal function or your internal organs. Also water has many health benefits as well one being the maintenance of your cholesterol levels.

The recommended daily consumption of water is 8 to 9, 8 ounce cups. Other sources of water are found in the foods you eat such as fruits and vegetables, fruit juices and other non caffeinated beverages. But the best source of your water allowance is water. Why is water essential? By not drinking enough water you can increase your body fat, you can develop poor muscle tone, you will experience decreased digestive efficiency and organ function, and you run the risk of increasing the toxicity levels in your body. Oddly enough by not drinking enough water you will also experience water retention, this is caused by your body compensating for the lack of water intake by building up fluids within the body. In fact fluid retention can sometimes be eliminated by drinking more water, not less. In addition, water is crucial for the removal of waste products through the formation of urine by the kidneys. For example development of kidney stones is directly associated with not drinking enough water, millions of Americans suffer from this condition because they go through the day subsisting on sodas, alcohol or coffee without drinking water to flush out the toxins found in these beverages. Like other nutrients, the benefits of drinking clean water can be diluted by other elements such as caffeine and carbonation. Most importantly, water is used to maintain blood volume, which is imperative for regulating body temperature and delivering oxygen and nutrients to the rest of the body.

You can also maintain your cholesterol levels by drinking water. When having high cholesterol the first thing you should do is consume more water. Water will keep your cells hydrated which in turn will keep the blood from thickening due to excessive amounts of cholesterol. It’s recommended that you show drink water at least 30 minutes prior to each meal because eating tends to take water from the blood to be used for digestion so drinking a glass or two of water will assure enough water for digestion. Dehydration is a result of loss of water from all systems in the body, including blood. It also causes loss of water from the inside of cells. As dehydration progresses, the body produces more cholesterol to firm up cell walls so more water will not exit its interior. This prevents further dehydration which contributes to increased cholesterol in our bodies. By drinking pure water as opposed to beverages high in sugar, sodium or caffeine certain studies have noted that coffee and caffeinated beverages can contribute to slightly higher levels of cholesterol, along with the cream or milk products many people add to their coffee. In addition to helping lower cholesterol, a 2002 study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that drinking a good amount of water will lower the risk of a heart attack.

Of course every effort to manage your cholesterol levels should include a diet and exercise program and the inclusion of water should be added as well. Also high levels of sodium combined with excessive cholesterol levels also contribute to heart disease. Drinking the recommended amounts of water on a daily basis will help flush out excess salt from your body. Additionally, cholesterol problems often come from overeating or eating improper foods. By drinking plenty of water, you won’t feel as hungry and will be less likely to overeat. As you all know a healthy diet can significantly reduce high levels of cholesterol. In addition to eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, grains and vegetables, drinking 6 to 10 glasses of water per day can help keep the blood clean and keep the body from becoming dehydrated. When you exercise you need more water. This makes sense because our bodies lose a great deal of water due to perspiration. We need to drink 2 cups of water for each pound lost through working out. Even when we sleep our bodies lose water. Drinking a glass of water before we go to sleep and when we wake up helps to offset this loss and keep our bodies functioning optimally. We should also learn to substitute sodas with water you typically go through the day consuming, as mentioned earlier this will also reduce the risk of developing kidney stones.

Without water all life dies, whether it comes from the ground, from pipes, or falls out of the sky; every living thing on this planet relies on water to survive. Americans take for granted that clean drinking is readily available for all of your needs. But you need to realize and understand the health benefits water has in keeping your body healthy. Make it a habit to drink water daily. Keep a bottle with you at all times and drink it throughout the day. Drink water daily and watch yourself become healthier and happier.