Most people recognize the importance of drinking enough water every day. Maintaining proper fluid intake is a necessity to support key bodily functions and provide valuable health benefits. But, have you ever wondered what the composition and nutritional value of water really are?
We’re taking a closer look at the makeup of water and why it’s essential to ensure your workforce has access to a clean supply.
The Nutritional Value and Content of Water
Our daily calorie consumption comes from 3 main nutrients: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Because water is void of these nutrients, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that plain water has no calories. This is why drinking water regularly can help manage body weight and reduce overall calorie intake — especially as water is increasingly substituted for soft drinks or other sugary beverages.
Despite a lack of nutrients or calories, regular water contains trace minerals of:
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Sodium
- Zinc
- Copper
These essential minerals are critical to helping your body build bones, make hormones, and regulate your heartbeat. But, it’s not uncommon to dislike the taste of plain water due to its limited composition. As a result, many have turned to carbonated water as an alternative.
The Composition of Sparkling Beverages
Carbonated water — often referred to as sparkling water, seltzer water, or club soda — is created when water is infused with carbon dioxide gas under pressure. According to nutrition facts reported by WebMD, sparkling water contains zero nutrients, calories, fiber, or sugar. With a composition similar to regular water, carbonated beverages are another incredibly valuable alternative to soda, fruit juice, sports drinks, or any other options with loads of added sugar.
The Health Benefits of Proper Water Intake
Staying on top of your daily fluid intake inevitably has a significant impact on your everyday life. The CDC reports that water is a key component in helping your body:
- Regulate body temperature
- Lubricate and cushion joints
- Protect the spinal cord and other sensitive tissues
- Remove wastes
Drinking water provides a considerable amount of health benefits as well. These include:
- Preventing dehydration and its repercussions
- Increasing energy levels throughout the day
- Maximizing cognitive function
- Aiding in weight loss
- Improving mood, motivation, and productivity long-term
How Much Water Do You Need?
The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released an official statement stating the adequate daily fluid intake as follows:
- About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men
- About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women
Keep in mind it’s even more important to manage and increase water intake if you’re physically active, located in a hot climate, running a fever, or vomiting.
The Value of Keeping Employees Hydrated
While the importance of staying hydrated is evident, a majority of Americans today remain chronically dehydrated. This widespread dehydration across age groups and industries inevitably impacts your workforce and their daily performance. More specifically, this leads to the following:
- Decreased mental performance
- Impaired physical performance
- Slowed reaction time
- Reduced productivity and efficiency
- Increased fatigue and absenteeism
The sum of these consequences is incredibly damaging to your organization’s bottom line — emphasizing the importance of ensuring workers are drinking enough water every day. With this in mind, workplaces are in pursuit of a drinking water solution that can promote rehydration and fluid intake at work. Elevating your water supply is not only crucial to foster a hydrated workforce but also provides advantages like:
- Boosted morale and motivation
- Reduced absenteeism
- Increased energy levels and brain function
- Sharper focus
- Improved productivity
A majority of employees attribute their dehydration to disliking the taste of the available water supply or not trusting its source. As a result, companies are turning to bottleless water coolers as a safer, cleaner, tastier, and more sustainable alternative.
Provide Clean, Great-Tasting Water at Work With a Bottleless Cooler
With a bottleless water cooler from a dependable vendor like Quench, you can upgrade your tap water supply and ditch bottled water solutions to drive hydration in your workplace. A bottleless dispenser leverages cutting-edge filtration technology and connects directly to your building’s existing water line to provide an endless supply of fresh, filtered water as needed — to support employee health and your business long term.
Explore our range of bottleless water coolers, and once you’re ready to take your water supply to the next level with advanced filtration and reliable service, get a free quote. Quench also has a selection of space-saving countertops and under-counter systems that offer ice and water or refreshing sparkling water to discover!
Need help figuring out what you need? Try our product finder to identify the dispenser that’s the right fit for your local water quality and unique business needs.