February 12, 2019
We’ve talked about water’s effect on our skin and hair in our blog post
4 Ways to Healthier Skin and Hair, and we know that drinking water has countless health benefits for our bodies, but what about our brains? Here are five reasons you should be drinking more water to keep your brain healthy!
1) It Helps Your Memory
Did you know that dehydration can actually impact your memory? Studies have shown that dehydration can hinder your short term memory and make it harder for your brain to recall long term memories. This is the last thing you want when you’re giving that big presentation at work or to trying to recall the name of that guy from your secondary school’s graduating class.
2) It Lowers Stress
Have you found your stress level to be particularly high lately? Maybe you’re not drinking enough water. Drinking a healthy amount of water can reduce stress in the brain. This isn’t simply because your water consumption is replacing other beverages that induce stress, such as sugary or caffeinated drinks (although that helps!) but also because it lowers cortisol levels. Cortisol is one of our brain’s main stress hormones. We know when life is stressful it can be easy to forget healthy habits, but making it a priority to drink more water could actually be the answer to your problem!
3) It Improves Concentration
Dehydration has also been known to inhibit attentiveness and focus. According to a study recorded in the journal
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, “Despite variability among studies, DEH impairs cognitive performance, particularly for tasks involving attention, executive function, and motor coordination when water deficits exceed 2% BML.” According to this study you don’t have to be very dehydrated to have a loss in concentration. You might not even know you are dehydrated! So try adding a couple extra cups of water to your day. It can only help!
4) It Can Help You Get Better Sleep
We’re constantly told that for our brain to function properly we need a full night’s sleep, but what if we’re having trouble getting that eight hours every night? Dehydration can not only cause things such as snoring and sore throats in the morning, but it can also mess up your body’sies natural rhythms, making it harder to fall asleep at night! In addition, studies show that not drinking enough water can make it harder for your body to produce the right amount of melatonin— leading to insomnia.
5) It Balances Your Mood
We now know that consistently drinking water throughout your day can help stabilize your mood and emotions. Dehydration can lessen blood flow to the brain causing increased anxiety, anger, and mood swings. So if you’re feeling extra irritable or anxious, maybe pay attention to how much water you are drinking!
