Katie Cinquini The Benefits of Drinking Water I. Introduction A. Background B. Thesis Statement Drinking water is very important for the body. There are many functions of water in the body. (Show pictures) Because of these functions, it is important to really know how much water to drink to help sustain your body. Most of us have heard the ‘8 by 8’ rule’; drink 8, 8oz glasses or 1.9 Liters per day. Well according to the Institute of Medicine that’s close but not quite right. The Institute of Medicine states that the AI or Adequate Intake for men is about 3 Liters or 13 cups. The AI for women is about 2.2 Liters or 9 cups. (Show Figures) Although the ‘8 by 8’ rule isn’t exactly accurate, it is easy to remember. Therefore it is a good minimum to work towards. Now that we know how much water we need to drink, we can learn the benefits of drinking enough. There are three main types of benefits, psychological benefits, external physical benefits, and internal physical benefits. II. Sub-point 1 a. The Psychological benefits are lowers stress, natural remedy of headaches, and relieve fatigue. 1. Stress: Mayo Clinic of Digestive Health-70-90% of your brain tissue is water, so when you are dehydrated this makes your body and mind stressed 2. Headaches: Similar to stress, dehydration causes tension, which caused the headache 3. Fatigue: Water is used to flush out toxins and waste products. Lacking water requires your body to work harder pump oxygen to all the cells and keep vital organs working, making your organs exhausted as well as you. III. Sub-point a. The Internal Physical benefits are digestion and constipation, reduces kidney stones, reduces the risk of cancer and less likely to get sick/feeling healthier. 1. Water dissolves waste particles to pass more smoothly 2. Water dilutes the salts and minerals that cause kidney stones 3. Related to the digestive system, drinking a healthy amount of water can reduce the risks of bladder and colon cancers. Water dilutes the concentration of cancer-causing agents in the urine and shortens the time in which they are in contact with the bladder lining. 4. Helps fight against the flu and other ailments by improving your immune system. Especially lemon water helps fight against things such as respiratory disease, intestinal problems, arthritis high blood pressure and acne. IV. Sub-point 3 a. The External Physical benefits are builds muscle tone, better exercise, nourish skin and lose weight. 1. Build Muscle Tone: Water helps prevent muscle from cramping and lubricates joints. When you are hydrated you can exercise longer and harder and are less likely for injury, cramping or spraining. 2. Better Exercise: In conjunction with building muscles, water regulates to body temperature. This means you’ll feel more energetic when exercising and your muscles will be fueled. 3. Nourish Skin: Fine lines and wrinkles are deeper when dehydrated. Hydrated skin cells are pumped up looking fuller and younger. Water flushes out impurities causing improved circulation and blood flow, along with clearer, softer skin. 4. Lose Weight: Water helps with weight loss in multiple ways. A few of them from According to Mangosteen Natural Remedies. a. Curbs Hunger: Appetite suppressant, because your brain doesn’t differentiate between hunger and thirst. b. Feeling Full: Filling and calorie free, it takes up room in your stomach. Feeling more full, you will eat less and feel less hungry. c. Boosts you Metabolism: i. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism tracked energy output in 7 men and 7 women who were healthy and not overweight. After they drank 17 oz. their rate of burning calories increased by 30% within the time frame of 30-40mins. ii. Example: Increasing you water consumption by 1.5 liter a day would burn an extra 17,400 calories for a weight loss of approximately 5 pounds. iii. Cold water revs up your metabolism because your body has to work harder to warm the water up, so it burns more calories. V. Conclusion Water is very important to the body because of the things I have mentioned and many others. Often times thinking about how much you are supposed to drink a day can be over whelming and you are successful at doing do. An easy way to help yourself remember to drink water is to always carry water with you; in your car, backpack, purse, gym bag or on your desk at work. Having it where you see it will be a helpful, non-overbearing reminder to help yourself!