The Beneficial Effects of Drinking Water

This is really an eye opener. We all have heard that we need 8 glasses of water a day to keep our body functioning properly. Most of us don't drink the recommended amount. Here are some things to think about the next time you have a soft drink instead of a glass of water.

• 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated

• In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger

• Even mild dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%

• One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of dieters - from a University of Washington study

• Lack of water is the number one trigger for daytime fatigue

• Preliminary research indicates that 8 to 10 glasses of water/day could ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers

• A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or printed page

• Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, and it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer