LAST UPDATED: September 8, 2023
At Quench, we’ve built a business around hydrating your employees, co-workers, clients, and customers. We care deeply about the health and welfare of our community, which is why we provide an easier way to deliver safer water to your workplace.
Water and hydration can have a huge impact on your well-being. In fact, a well-hydrated human is more likely to have a stronger immune system than someone who is chronically dehydrated. But why is that?
The body is made up of 11 organ systems that are all largely supported by water. When you deprive your body of water, you remove the magical ingredient that keeps your organs functioning like well-oiled machines. And since all your organs are connected, if just one system stumbles, your entire body will feel the negative repercussions.
While staying hydrated is critical, it’s also important to understand how hydration works — even if it’s complicated. To help make it simpler, we’re answering the question, “Why is drinking water good for you?”
Why Drinking Water Is Good for Your Health
Not only does getting a nice, cold glass of H2O into your system quench your thirst, it’s also extremely beneficial for your health. It’s vital that people drink enough water on a daily basis for the following reasons:
Digestive System
The water in your body breaks down the food you eat into minerals and nutrients. Water in your digestive tract dissolves molecules from food and allows them to pass through capillaries within the intestinal walls to the blood and circulatory system. Water’s soluble components also break down fiber in your diet, so it can go on to improve urine and bowel movements. By drinking water first thing in the morning, you can better digest your food. This helps promote weight loss and, ultimately, boosts your mental health.
Excretory Systems
While healthy eating is beneficial, it’s normal to eat a variety of different foods throughout the day. When you treat yourself to a sugary drink, a salty snack, alcohol, etc., your kidneys must work hard to clean you out. Water intake aids the functionality of the kidneys by diluting toxins that are sitting in your system. When you don’t have adequate hydration, waste products cannot be removed effectively. This can lead to the content of your colon getting dried out and stuck, causing constipation, according to MediFlam.
That being said, individual bodies require different amounts of H2O to function properly. Although uncommon, it’s possible to have too much water consumption if you’re drinking significantly more than what’s recommended for your body weight.
Check out this article to determine how much water is right for you to avoid severe to mild dehydration.
Circulatory System
The blood in your circulatory system delivers nutrients and oxygen to all the cells in your body. That’s approximately 30 trillion cells, according to Healthline. When you deprive your body of water, the amount of blood circulating throughout decreases, and your heart must beat faster in order to compensate. A faster heart rate causes high blood pressure. So, give your heart a break and drink more water.
Respiratory System
It may sound ironic, but your body needs water to breathe. Studies suggest the average person loses between half to one liter of water per day just from breathing. Water helps to thin mucus and keeps your lungs moistened to take in oxygen and eliminate carbon dioxide. When you’re dehydrated, your mucus tends to thicken, slowing down overall breathing and making you more susceptible to respiratory issues.
Nervous System
Having trouble concentrating? Before self-diagnosing yourself with ADD, drink a few glasses of water. Your brain is made up of 80 to 85% water, according to Medical News Today. When you deprive your mind of its daily dose of H2O, your cognitive function takes a serious hit. Headaches, poor concentration, reduced short-term memory, and slowed psychomotor skills are all side effects of dehydration.
Endocrine System
The major endocrine glands in humans are the thyroid gland and the adrenal glands, and both are supported in part by water. The adrenal glands secrete a hormone that regulates water levels and helps you stay hydrated, says Bodyecology. Faulty adrenals can cause dehydration, so give your adrenals a boost by taking in the recommended amount of water every day.
Plain water can also support the thyroid gland by increasing metabolism. Certain waters like reverse osmosis water and spring water are better for thyroid function since they tend to be free of harmful chemicals like chlorine and toxic metals.
Integumentary System
The integumentary system consists of the skin and its appendages. Skin protects your insides from environmental damage and holds water in your body so other organs can use it effectively. When you don’t drink enough, your skin becomes dry and cannot function as well. To avoid this, reach for a glass of water to moisturize from the inside out.
Skeletal System
Water can be used as a natural pain reliever. Cartilaginous tissue at the ends of bones retains water to lubricate the movement of joints. When we keep our bodies hydrated, our joints can slide smoothly. Drinking a healthy amount of water can also reduce back soreness. The jelly inside the discs of our spines is mostly water, and those discs will shrink if not hydrated adequately.
Muscular System
Proper fluid intake can help you get more out of your daily physical activity. When you drink the appropriate amount of water, your muscles become energized and allow you to maintain stamina during strenuous movements and a high activity level. Furthermore, water lubricates your joints and allows for ease of movement. That added mobility can boost your tolerance for intense workouts. Drinking water can also help speed up recovery and reduce feelings of soreness by flushing out lactic acid build-up after physical activity.
Lymphatic System
A healthy, well-hydrated lymphatic system can detoxify and drain impurities, ensuring our body processes stay in equilibrium, according to the National Cancer Institute. When you’re dehydrated, you retain more water as a defense mechanism. That’s why when you don’t drink enough water your lymph nodes become congested and swollen. When this happens, waste and bacteria build up, which can eventually cause you to get sick.
Reproductive System
Staying hydrated can improve our fertility as well. Water boosts semen production and semen volume in men, according to Fertility Road. If a man’s body is dehydrated, it can cause his semen to thicken and his sperm to have trouble swimming. When women are well-hydrated, on the other hand, they are more likely to have regular ovulation cycles and enough cervical mucus to balance vaginal pH.
Are Workers Drinking Enough Water?
Even though there are serious problems that accompany not drinking enough water, only 23% of workers drink enough water on a daily basis, according to Pul Hydration. Outside of the health problems that arise when dehydrated, team members who don’t get enough H2O may also experience more anxiousness throughout the day. In fact, dehydration can be a critical underlying cause of anxiety due to feelings of restlessness, irregular heartbeat, dizziness, and lower brain function. Without your employees being at 100% capacity, production levels go down. This impacts your organization’s bottom line in the long run.
That’s why it’s essential for companies to provide an easy avenue for water consumption throughout the work day. One way to accomplish this is by installing a Quench bottleless water cooler to drive hydration levels, lower negative health impacts, and keep your business running smoothly and efficiently.
Take Care, Stay Safe, and Hydrate for Health With Quench
People lose about 2.5 to 3 liters of water every day just through normal body function. The liquid you lose needs to be replaced with extra water to keep your cells and organs functioning at their full capacity. Setting your body up for success is easy when you have access to great-tasting, clean water from a Quench bottleless water cooler.
When a Quench Water Expert installs a bottleless water cooler in your workplace, you’re never far from the life-sustaining ingredient your body craves.
There are Quench Water Experts across the country. Head over to our local water experts page to easily find a Quench water expert near you. You can also visit our Product Finder to see which machine is right for your workplace.
