As it turns out, one of the best-kept secrets for healthier, younger-looking skin is as easy to find as turning the tap. Water makes up a large percentage of your body weight, and when you don't drink enough of it, it shows in your skin. Without enough water, your skin looks dull, and prematurely aged.
Media Articles on the Benefits of Drinking Water
It went: “Doctors recommend drinking 8 glasses per day; however, we say make it a habit to drink at least 12 glasses a day. Not only will these keep you healthy, but will leave a radiant glow on your skin, which will make you look younger.”
“Everyone wants a quick fix when it comes to making skin look better, but drinking more water isn't going to help get rid of wrinkles or plump up your skin unless you are extremely dehydrated,” says Elizabeth Damstetter, MD, a dermatologist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
If the outermost layer of the epidermis doesn't contain enough water, skin will lose elasticity and feel rough. Despite this connection, however, there's a lack of research showing that drinking extra water has any impact on skin hydration or appearance.
The more hydrated you stay, the fewer wrinkles and fine lines you'll see. Water helps your skin maintain moisture, which increases your elasticity. The more elastic your skin, the fewer wrinkles you'll see.
"You may feel a difference within minutes of drinking water," explains Mary Stewart, R.D., L.D., the founder of Cultivate Nutrition in Dallas. "In fact, one study found that participants experienced an increase in caloric burn 24 minutes after drinking water."
People who had just 2 or 3 more cups of water a day seem to have less fat, sugar, salt, and overall calories through the day. That means proper hydration could help you lose weight. Extra water can replace empty, sugary calories many people drink with meals.
In fact, water is about 60 percent of collagen's total weight. Experiments that remove water from collagen have shown that it dramatically impacts the tensile force of the protein, which has serious implications for skin health. Drinking more water will keep your collagen hydrated, and wrinkles at bay.
When you drink too much water, your kidneys can't get rid of the excess water. The sodium content of your blood becomes diluted. This is called hyponatremia and it can be life-threatening.
Bodily fluids that assist in blood circulation and nutrient consumption are also thrown out of balance, potentially leading to feelings of illness or fatigue. All these issues are triggered when your body is underhydrated and its fluid levels are out of balance. Drinking a gallon of water each day can address this.
By drinking ample amounts of water day-in and day-out, you can slowly tighten your skin and maintain a healthy glow.
A new study highlighted just how important it is to drink water. Not just for your current health, but down the road too. The study found proper hydration can slow down aging and lower your risk of chronic diseases. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) looked at serum sodium data from 11,000 people over 30 years.
Drinking plenty of water is a simple but effective way to manage your weight and prevent excess facial fat ( 8 ).
That's because the increased blood supply to your skin flushes blood to the surface of the skin and makes it appear rosy or glowing when reflected in the light. Increased blood flow also regulates temperature and may carry more waste or toxins to the sweat glands to where they can be cleared and cleansed through sweat.
Water is a key ingredient that supports vitamins, which contribute to your hair growth. Believe it or not, but water makes up almost 25% of the weight of a single strand of hair. Drinking at least two liters of water a day will help the strength of your hair, increasing growth.
Water helps your body:
Keep a normal temperature. Lubricate and cushion joints. Protect your spinal cord and other sensitive tissues. Get rid of wastes through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements.
When you drink a glass of water, it takes approximately 15 minutes for your body to absorb the fluid. However, when you're dehydrated, it can take about three times as long (45 minutes) for fluids to make their way from the stomach into the bloodstream and to the rest of the body.
Water. My favorite morning beverage is always water, first and foremost. Your body is deprived of water when you sleep, so it is best to rehydrate with water first thing before anything else. I then follow with coffee or a homemade matcha tea latte for a caffeinated boost.