Water! We all need water to live. 60 percent of your body weight is nothing but water. Every cell, tissue and organ in your body needs water to work smoothly.
There are so many myths and facts about water that one should be aware of to stay healthy. Some of these misconceptions might cause you more harm than good.
Lets Take this QUIZ on Water and check out which one is a MYTH and which one is a real FACT based on scientific and medical knowledge. Please watch this interesting episode till the end and it will certainly benefit your health during hot summer days ahead and rectify your mistakes to stay healthy.
So Lets begin busting these myths and know the true facts.
#10: Drinking Water during a meal is good for Digestion! True or False?
This is a Myth. Actually Drinking too much water, just before a meal, during a meal and immediately after a meal is not a healthy habit. Too much water can dilute the gastric acidic secretions that are necessary for digestion of food. Sipping small amounts of water during a meal will not cause any harm. So, What s the best time to drink water? Ideally avoid drinking water 30 minutes before a meal, then atleast 60 to 90 minutes after a meal.
But Some studies conducted on weight loss have shown that drinking water during meals can help reduce weight by preventing you from overeating and help in weight loss. We will look into this topic later on.
#9: You Must drink 8 glasses of 8 ounces each daily to be healthy! True or False?
This is Partly False! The amount of water your body needs for optimal hydration depends on so many factors, like the climate you live in and how active your lifestyle is, any pre existing kidney or heart ailments you have and so on.
The advice of : “Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.” That’s cool and easy to remember, and for normal moderately active adults and in temperate climates it’s a reasonable goal .
But Most healthy people can stay hydrated by drinking water whenever they feel thirsty. For some people, fewer than eight glasses a day might be sufficient. But some other people might need more.
#8: Drinking Water in three breathing pauses and not Gulping or Chugging water is a healthy habit!
Yes, this is True! We start gulping or chugging water heavily even in a single gulp when we are extremely thirsty specially after a workout. Remember drinking too much water within a short amount of time can be sometimes be dangerous and can dilute your blood sodium levels and lead to a condition called Hyponatremia or Water Intoxication which can cause your cells to swell and this can be dangerous when the cells in your brain swell up and cause a serious condition called cerebral edema.
If you drink one or two glasses of water when you exercise or when you are feeling hot, you will be fine. But you will run into problems if you are drinking way too much and too fast.
#7: Drinking lots of water is healthy for the skin! True or False!
This is a Myth. The actual beauty and appearance of your skin is the result of many factors like your genes, diet, lifestyle, weather and so on. But keeping yourself adequately hydrated is also important for your health including skin health. There is no scientific evidence or studies to say that drinking lots of water will keep your skin glowing and healthy.
#6: Drinking lots of water before meals helps in Weight Loss! True or False!
There is some scientific evidence that Water really does help you lose weight. Studies have shown that water consumption increases the rate at which people burn calories – that is the metabolic rate. And to avoid over eating and help you loose weight, its recommended you drink atleast two glasses of water 30 minutes before meals and not drink too much during or immediately after a meal as already discussed.
#5: Drinking Water in a Sitting Down Posture is a Healthy Habit! True or False!
This is absolutely true! Drinking water on the go! Whether standing, walking or even running can be harmful to your body. Drinking in a standing position, you are most likely to start gulping or chugging water and this we have already discussed. It is said that in a sitting posture, your muscles and your body are relaxed and also kidneys perform their function better in this posture. And moreover when you drink water on the go it can cause a splash on you stomach walls and can even cause choking sometimes aspiration of water into the respiratory passages.
#4: Drinking Ice Cold Water is Bad for Health! True or False?
This is actually controversial! One Hypothesis states that Having cold water or a cold drink reduces our body’s core temperature. It also causes our blood vessels to constrict. Therefore, the body spends valuable energy in bringing our core temperature back to normal. This energy could have instead been spent digesting the food we ate. Therefore, it affects our digestion by slowing it down.
Some also say that due to constriction of blood vessels in the throat, this can cause you a sore throat. So its always better to consume room temperature or warm water during meals.
#3: Your Urine Color is an Indicator of your Water Intake! True or False!
Yes its absolutely true. When you are dehydrated or when you are not taking enough fluids, urine turns darker. I have a detailed video on this very useful topic on Urine colors as an indicator of Your health.
#2: Drinking Water as soon as you are Wake up Early Morning even before brushing teeth is a good habit! True or false?
This is absolutely beneficial ! When you wake up after a long sleep, your body is naturally dehydrated. So drinking a full glass of water recharges the dehydrated cells of your body and provides other benefits like flushing out toxins, improving your metabolism, specially for weight loss, avoids constipation, hydrates your brain and so many other benefits of taking a glass of water as soon as you wake up.
#1: Drinking Water Just before Bed is Good for Health! True or False?
This is False!. There is little evidence to suggest any specific benefits of drinking water at bedtime. Actually Drinking too much water just before sleep can disturb your sleep by causing nocturia – thats urge to pass urine in sleep. This can disturb your sleep and affect your quality of life and work performance during the day. Specially diabetics and people with prostate problems should avoid this habit.
And Normally Your urine output decreases at night, allowing you to sleep six to eight hours without interruption. Drinking a glass or two of water before bed can change this cycle.
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