Water is the medium for various enzymatic & chemical reactions in the body. It moves nutrients, hormones, antibodies, & oxygen through the blood stream & lymphatic system. The proteins & enzymes of the body function more efficiently in solutions of lower viscosity. Water is the solvent of the body & it regulates all functions, including the activity of everything it dissolves & circulates.

Dehydration leads to excess body fat, poor muscle tone & size, decreased digestive efficiency & organ function, increased toxicity, joint & muscle soreness, & water retention. Water works to keep muscles and skin toned.

You know that drinking water is good for you, but did you know that every system in your body depends on water? Here are 10 reasons why drinking water is good for you and why you should make drinking 8-10 glasses of water part of your daily routine.

1. Get healthy skin.
Drinking water moisturizes your skin from the inside out. Water is essential to maintaining elasticity and suppleness and helps prevent dryness.

2. Lose weight.
Increased water consumption can help you control weight by preventing you from confusing hunger with thirst. Water will also keep your body systems working properly, including metabolism and digestion, and give you the energy (and hydration) necessary for exercise.

3. Flush toxins.
By helping to flush toxins, appropriate water intake lessens the burden on your kidneys and liver.

4. Reduce your risk of a heart attack.
Researchers at Loma Linda University in California studied more than 20,000 healthy men and women and found that people who drink more than five glasses of water a day were less likely to die from a heart attack or heart disease than those who drank fewer than two glasses a day.

5. Cushion and lube your joints and muscles.
Water makes up a large part of the fluid that lubricates and cushions your joints and muscles. Drinking water before, during, and after exercise can also help reduce muscle cramping and premature fatigue.

6. Stay regular.
Water helps prevent constipation by adding fluid to the colon and bulk to stools, making bowel movements softer and easier to pass.

7. Stay hydrated, get energized, and be alert.
On average, most adults lose about 10 cups of fluid a day through sweating, exhaling, urinating, and bowel movements. Even minor dehydration can cause impaired concentration, headaches, irritability, and fatigue.

8. Regulate your body temperature.
Perspiration is your body's natural mechanism to control body temperature. And to sweat, you need plenty of water.

9. Reduce your risk of disease and infection.
Water can help prevent kidney stones and reduce your chances of getting bladder, kidney, and urinary tract infections. One study found that women who drank more than five glasses of water a day had a risk of colon cancer that was 45 percent less than those who drank two or fewer glasses a day.

10. Get well.
The traditional prescription to "drink plenty of fluids" when you're sick still holds strong. Water can help control a fever, replace lost fluids, and thin out mucus.

Your lung tissue are moistened by water as they take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Allergies and asthmatic symptoms may be a sign of not drinking enough water. When you increase your water intake these symptoms may lessen.

Water is your body's coolant regulating your body temperature through perspiration. Sweating keeps you from overheating, especially during exercise and hot weather. It's also important to remember that your body needs as much water in cold weather as it does in hot weather. Heat exhaustion can occur when your body doesn't have enough water to regulate your body temperature. Symptoms include excessive perspiration, dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea and vomiting. As little as 3% water loss results in serious health problems. A 15% water loss can result in death.

Your brain is about 90% water. Although the brain is only 1/50th of the body weight. It uses 1/20th of the blood supply. Water is an important key to concentration. When your body is well hydrated, you will notice an increase clarity in thinking. With less water the level of energy generation in the brain is decreased. Depression, headaches, memory loss and chronic fatigue syndrome are frequent symptoms of dehydration

Your heart is 75% water and your blood is 85% water. Good hydration increases the efficiency of your cardiovascular system. Hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure and cholesterol may all be lowered by an increase in water consumption.

Your kidneys are constantly filtering your blood, concentrating waste and sending them out into your urine. When there isn't enough water, your kidneys have to recycle dirty water as they work to remove waste from your body. Overtime dehydration can damage your kidneys permanently. When the kidneys don't have enough water to function well, the liver takes over some of the kidney's work, decreasing it's ability to convert stored fat and energy, which can result in weight gain. As you drink more, your bladder will become hypersensitive and you'll be making frequent trips to the bathroom. As your body adjusts, you'll urinate less often and in larger amounts.

Food needs water to properly digest. Water carries nutrients to the cells through the blood, increasing your water intake tends to reduce the symptoms of heartburn, acid stomach, gastritis and constipation. Chronic dehydration may result in weight gain, poor muscle tone, including size and water retention. Water is essential to any weight loss plan. For every 25 pounds that you exceed your body weight you should increase your water consumption by one eight-ounce glass.

Your bones are 22% water; your muscles are 75% water. Water lubricates your joints and allows you to move freely. The connective tissue around your joints needs plenty of water to maintain its elasticity and allow ease of movement. When the cartilage is well hydrated, the two opposing surfaces glide freely and friction damage is minimal. Increasing the amount of water that you drink may relieve arthritic pain.

The vertebrate in your back depend upon the hydraulic properties of water in order to move. The water stored in the spinal disc core supports 75% of the upper body weight, the fibrous materials around the disc support 25%. Back pain is a common symptom of dehydration. Drinking plenty of water will frequently decrease pain. Water also washes the harmful waste from muscle tissue, the actual cause of the pain associated with dehydration.

Most people, particularly men, don't consume enough water. The evidence that the resulting deficit may keep you from feeling your best or may help promote or worsen various health problems--including constipation, urinary-tract infection, kidney stones, asthma, dental disease, and possibly even colds and cancer--is not conclusive. But boosting your fluid intake is so cheap and simple that even a slight possibility of payoffs make that step a good idea for most people.

Try to consume at least 9 to 12 cups of fluid a day, depending on how much you weigh. Drink extra water when you exercise, when it's hot or dry inside or outside, if you're pregnant or breast-feeding, when you consume alcohol or caffeine, or have diarrhea or fever. Aim to get at least half your quota from water itself, the rest from healthful beverages or solid foods, especially fruits and vegetables.