Water is a nutrient severely overlooked in the diet of many people. Everyone knows water is something that is necessary to our survival simply put. What we don’t realize are the extra benefits to drinking just a couple extra bottles of water a day.

To put into perspective the importance of water, our body is two-thirds water. The brain is 95%, blood 80%, and lungs 90% composed of water.

Even a 2% drop in water levels inside our bodies can lead to some of the first signs of dehydration: dizziness, fuzzy short-term memory, difficulty with basic math and focusing on small print.

Fatigue is a main symptom when water consumption is low. Feeling tired throughout the day can usually be solved as simply as drinking an extra couple glasses of water.

For teenagers, 8 cups is the recommended daily intake of water or other liquids, such as light juices with little sugar, or energy drinks.

Water is so widely available in our country, yet seventy-five percent of American suffer from mild chronic dehydration.

Nearly half of all Americans aren’t drinking enough water each day. This can have many negative effect on the bodies of those not consuming enough fluids. The benefits of water on our bodies is endless, as are the negative effects of not getting enough water in your diet.

Fatigue and dizziness, mood swings, muscle cramps, bad breath, joint pain and constipation are just a few side effects to mention some. All of our internal organs need sufficient water to function properly. By depriving the brain of water, it causes some adverse conditions. The body feels tired, weaker, and if you are an athlete, poor water consumption can contribute to making your muscles feeling significantly sorer. During activities, our bodies sweat and loose fluid. Drinking water during your workout is linked to preventing and lessening muscle fatigue, and improving performance immensely.

Skin benefits from water as well. Clearer, smoother, glowing skin is linked to drinking lots of water. Water helps to rid the body of toxins and cleanse the skin. Being dehydrated can make your skin dry and wrinkly.

Water helps the kidneys perform at a high level to rid the body of toxins as well. Urine will flow clear or light in color and odor free if your water intake is good; or dark and have a slight odor if your intake has been low. Patients drinking less water are more susceptible to develop kidney stones as well.

If drinking enough water is a difficult task, there are things that you can do to help yourself with consuming more water such as drinking something with every snack or meal that you have.

If one is drinking something that he enjoys, he will tend to drink more of it and remember to sip on it throughout that day.

Eating more fruits and veggies can help as well as many contain 20% water and are healthy, tasty snacks as well.

Keeping a bottle of water with you at work, school, in your car or in your backpack is a good idea too. Having easy access to water will help you drink more throughout the day.

The benefits of drinking water are endless, and it is probably the only thing that has zero negative effects on the body. Drinking water can improve your lifestyle and health in many different aspects.