The Health Benefits Of Drinking Water

One of the biggest health secrets is the value of drinking water. . .and drinking enough water each day.  Water, is truly everywhere; as a result, most people take it for granted.  Yet a person could live without food for about a month, but only about a week without water.

The human brain is composed of 95% water; blood is 82% water; the lungs are nearly 90% water.  How important is this composition?  A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.  Mild dehydration is also one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue.  How common a problem is this?  Estimates are that seventy-five percent of Americans have mild, chronic dehydration.

We have already discussed the benefits of drinking enough water for dieters or those trying to maintain a healthy body weight.  But drinking sufficient quantities of water daily can also have significant health benefits.  For example, it is well documented that drinking sufficient amounts of water will help reduce constipation, but most people do not know that drinking eight glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%.  Drinking enough water can also reduce the risk of bladder cancer (by 50%) and it can potentially even reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers. 

The best news about drinking water for health benefits?  It’s virtually free.  You can drink more than 4,000 glasses of tap water for the price of a six-pack of soda. 

Created: 10/21/2003  -  Donnica Moore, M.D.