7 Remarkable Health Benefits of Drinking Water in Arizona

There is no substitute for water. No sports drink or boosted water can compare to good, old water, especially when you live in Arizona. Sure, a sports drink might add some electrolytes, and a vitamin water might add a few extra essentials, but as a Phoenix doctor I can tell you that pure water is truly the best thing for you to consume during the hot summer months in Arizona. But, simply speaking, do you know how beneficial pure drinking water can be for your body?

 

The Health Benefits of Drinking Water in Arizona  

Heart Health – Drinking enough water actually can protect your heart. In a National Institutes of Health study, men who drank five to six glasses of water a day were nearly 70 percent less likely to die of a heart attack. While the correlation wasn’t as strong for women, it was still remarkably high, proving that drinking enough water does, in fact, assist in circulation and healthy heart function.
 
The amazing part about that study is that is wasn’t the only one. Dozens of studies have been conducted over the years on the effectiveness of drinking water on heart health
 
Water dilutes blood, which can make it less likely to clot.
 
Headaches – As a Phoenix doctor, we often see patients who suffer from unexplained migraines. In fact, migraines can be a direct response to dehydration. In a study published in the journal Neurology, migraine sufferers who drank an additional 1.5 liters of water a day found themselves in less pain, and when they did feel a migraine, it was with decreased pain intensity.
 
Brain Function – Your brain is made up of roughly 80% water, which means that dehydration can greatly impact your ability to concentrate and focus. Studies have shown that drinking eight to ten cups of water a day can actually improve your levels of cognitive performance. However, dehydration can reduce brain function.
 
Kidney Function – Your kidneys function to essentially rid the body of toxins. Drinking enough water facilitates the kidney’s in this enormously important function. As a Phoenix doctor, it is always a disturbing sign to see highly concentrated urine, as it could point to decreased kidney function due to dehydration. Poor water drinking habits can also lead to an increased risk for kidney stones, as many Phoenix doctors will attest to.
 
Awake and Alert – Dehydration causes you to feel tired, lethargic and possibly depressed. A Phoenix doctor will look into extreme fatigue and chronic fatigue as a possible symptom of simply not drinking enough water, especially during an Arizona summer. Many times, that 3:00 slump that we all fall into at work is no more than a lack of water in the body and an unhealthy lunch. Most Phoenix doctors will tell you that just a two-percent dehydration level can trigger short-term memory problems and extreme difficulty focusing, especially when it comes to computer work or reading fine print.
 
Muscle Fatigue – Much like brain function and that 3pm slump, dehydration in the slightest degree can affect your muscles and their ability to function at 100%. When exercising, be sure to consume an additional amount of water to make up for that which was lost from sweat. Muscle fatigue can start out simply as a tired feeling, but can quickly and unnervingly result in painful cramps. Many Phoenix doctors have seen young and older athletes suffer agonizing muscle cramps during the Arizona summer months simply because the athletes are not drinking enough water.
 
Control Calories – Every Phoenix doctor will tell you that without a doubt, drinking enough water can and will help you control calories and possibly even lose weight. Substituting water for many high calorie drinks such as soda and sports drinks, even just one or two substitutions a day, can truly make a difference and help you to control those everyday calories.
 
How many of these water benefits were you aware of? If you are worried about getting enough water this summer, or perhaps are worried about how certain prescription medications will affect your body’s ability to stay hydrated, talk to the doctors at Family Practice Specialists.