Nutritional Health Slideshow: The 7 Wonders of Water

Reviewed by Hansa D. Bhargava, MD, FAAP on Thursday, June 30, 2011

Trying to lose weight? Water revs up metabolism and helps you feel full.

Replace calorie-laden beverages with water, and drink a glass before meals to help you feel fuller.
Drinking more water also helps amp up metabolism - especially if your glass is icy cold. Your body must work to warm the water up, burning a few extra calories in the process.

If you're feeling drained and depleted, get a pick-me-up with water. Dehydration makes you feel fatigued.

Water helps the blood transport oxygen and other essential nutrients to your cells.
If you're getting enough water, your heart also doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood throughout your body.

Seventy to 80% of your brain tissue is water. If you're dehydrated, both your body and your mind will be stressed.

If you're feeling thirsty, you're already a little dehydrated.
To keep stress levels down, keep a glass of water at your desk or tote a sports bottle and sip regularly.

Drinking water helps prevent muscle cramping and lubricates joints in the body.

When you're well hydrated, you can exercise longer and stronger without "hitting the wall."

Fine lines and wrinkles are deeper when you're dehydrated. Water is nature's own beauty cream.

Drinking water hydrates skin cells and plumps them up, making your face look younger.
It also flushes out impurities and improves circulation and blood flow, leaving your face clean, clear, and glowing.

Along with fiber, water is essential to good digestion.

Water helps dissolve waste particles and passes them smoothly through your digestive tract.
If you're dehydrated, your body absorbs all the water, leaving your colon dry and making it more difficult to pass waste.

The rate of painful kidney stones is rising because people - including children - aren't drinking enough water.

Water dilutes the salts and minerals in your urine that form the solid crystals known as kidney stones.
Kidney stones can't form in diluted urine, so reduce your risk with plenty of water!

Generally, nutritionists recommend we follow the "8x8 rule."