Question from a fan: What conditions can water help prevent, or even cure? – C. A.
A: Water can improve and prevent many conditions in your health. Water can boost your metabolism by in 30 percent in healthy men and women. A study showed that the boost happens within 10 minutes but reached a maximum 30-40 minutes after drinking.
Water can protect your heart. A study was done for six years and it was found that people who drank more than five glasses of water a day were 41 percent less likely to die from a heart attack during the study period than those who drank less than two glasses.
Water may be lower your risk for certain cancers. Research shows that staying hydrated can reduce risk of colon cancer by 45 percent, bladder cancer by 50 percent, and possibly reduce breast cancer risk, too.
“I don’t prescribe water enough and I should. Just like most people in healthcare… make it a more common recommendation,” said Dr. Sharon Bergquist, who practices internal medicine at Emory University.
Bergquist said she doesn’t believe water cures all, but said it is big part of the cure.
“Water will reduce your likelihood for example of developing urinary tract infections, kidney stones, constipation, having a fatal attack. So it can make you healthier in that sense, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s curing those problems,” she said.
Water prevents migraine headaches. In a study there were two groups of migraine sufferers: one took a placebo and the others were told to drink 1.5 liters of water in addition to their usual daily intake. At the end of two weeks, the water group had experienced 21 fewer hours of pain than those in the placebo group, as well as a decrease in pain intensity.
Water can improve brainpower. The brain needs a lot of oxygen to function at optimum levels, so drinking plenty of water ensures that it’s getting all it needs. Drinking eight to 10 cups of water per day can improve your levels of cognitive performance by as much as 30 percent.
I suggest you drink half your weight in ounces but be very scheduled about how much you drink and when so that you do not have to live in the bathroom.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ‘Ask Dr. Renee’. Follow me on Twitter @AskDrRenee and on my website.
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