Seven Surprising Benefits of Drinking More Water
How much water do you drink daily?
Once a year I like to offer up a challenge for October. It’s called “Aquatober.” The goal is to cut out empty calories from sugary beverages and drink nothing but water the entire month. Up to 60% of the human adult body is made up of water and it’s a critical part of our everyday lives. Here are a few of the benefits you get from drinking more.
Drinking Water Helps You Lose Weight
Two studies found that drinking 16 ounces of water 30 minutes before meals helped people lose more weight when combined with a weight loss program.
In one study of 48 adults aged 55 to 75, water drinkers lost about four more pounds over three months compared to people who did not drink water before meals.
The effect appears strongest for people over 40. Researchers think water makes older adults feel fuller before meals because their stomachs empty more slowly. Younger adults may not get the same benefit.
Drinking More Water Helps Your Kidneys
The higher volume of fluid dilutes the concentration of salts and minerals passing through your kidneys. That extra water prevents those minerals from crystallizing and forming kidney stones.
People who have had kidney stones should aim to produce at least 2.5 liters of urine per day. Water should be your primary source of fluid.
A simple way to check if you are drinking enough is the color of your urine. A darker color generally means you need to drink more. A pale yellow or straw color means you are on track. Vitamins and certain medications can alter urine color, so do not rely solely on this test if you take supplements.
Drinking Water Supports Training and Recovery
Muscles are about 75% to 79% water. You start to feel tired if you lose as little as 2% of your body weight through sweat. Athletes sometimes lose much more during intense workouts or on hot days. Water loss reduces muscle strength and endurance.
Staying hydrated helps you push harder during workouts and recover more effectively. Muscle growth comes from progressive training, enough protein, and adequate sleep. Water supports all three.
Common sweat rates during exercise range from 2 to 8 cups per hour, with higher rates in hotter temperatures. Losing 1% to 2% of body weight in an hour is possible. Higher losses raise your risk of heat illness.
Drinking Water Helps You Think Better
Studies show that fluid loss as little as 1% to 2% of body weight can impair concentration, attention, and working memory. A 2018 review of 33 studies found that mild dehydration caused small to moderate problems with attention and tasks requiring focus.
Rehydrating after mild dehydration improves short-term memory, attention, and reaction time in most people.
Drinking Water Can Reduce Headaches
Dehydration triggers migraines and headaches in some people. Consuming enough water throughout the day helps reduce the frequency of headaches in those prone to dehydration.
In one study of 102 adults who added about 6 cups of water daily, quality of life scores improved. The benefit for headache frequency was modest. Try increasing water intake for a few weeks to see if your headaches improve.
Drinking Water Saves You Money
A 16-ounce glass of tap water costs less than a penny. A 16-ounce soda costs anywhere from $1 to $3. Sports and specialty drinks are even more expensive. If you drink only one a day and get the soda on sale, you still spend over $365 a year.
Most Americans can meet their hydration needs from tap or filtered water at a far lower cost and with a significantly reduced environmental impact compared to bottled water.
Replace Sugary Drinks with Water
Cutting sugar-sweetened drinks saves hundreds of calories per day. Some people use diet drinks as a substitute. Evidence on diet drinks is mixed. A 2023 study found slightly better weight loss with diet beverages compared to water in a structured program, but the World Health Organization advises against relying on diet drinks for long-term weight control.
Water is a safe, neutral choice for hydration that doesn’t confuse your body’s calorie signals.
How Much Water Do You Need
The National Academies sets guidelines at roughly 15 cups daily for men and 11 cups for women from all sources. About 20% of your daily water intake comes from food, so men need about 12 cups from beverages and women need about 9 cups.
Your needs vary based on your size, activity level, where you live, and whether you are pregnant or nursing. Use thirst as your main guide. Drink water with meals. Check your urine color.
What About Exercise
Start workouts hydrated. During long or hot sessions, drink to thirst at roughly 1.5 to 3 cups per hour. Include sodium during extended exercise to lower your risk of overhydration, which can cause dangerous drops in blood sodium.
What to Do
Drink water with meals and whenever you feel thirsty. Aim for pale straw urine most of the day. Carry water with you. Set a reminder if you forget to drink, but avoid forcing fluids during endurance events.
If you take medications that increase fluid loss or you have a history of kidney stones or migraines, monitor your hydration more closely. For personalized advice, speak with your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Drink more water to stay healthier, wealthier, and more focused.
Reference Links:
Water intake, hydration, and weight management: the glass is half-full!
Brenda M. Davy, Kevin P. Davy, J. Tina Savla, Benjamin Katz, Kristen Howard, Erica Howes, Elaina Marinik, Eleni Laskaridou, Molly Parker, Aubrey Knight
Physiology & Behavior, Published 1 August 2025
Click Here for the Study: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114953
Outcomes in Randomized Clinical Trials Testing Changes in Daily Water Intake
Nizar Hakam, Jose Luis Guzman Fuentes, Behnam Nabavizadeh, Architha Sudhakar, Kevin D. Li, Catherine Nicholas, Jason Lui, Peggy Tahir, Charles P. Jones, Stephen Bent, Benjamin N. Breyer
JAMA Network Urology, Published Online: November 25, 2024
Click Here for the Study: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.47621
Water Consumption Increases Weight Loss During a Hypocaloric Diet Intervention in Middle-aged and Older Adults
Elizabeth A. Dennis, Ana Laura Dengo, Dana L. Comber, Kyle D. Flack, Jyoti Savla, Kevin P. Davy, Brenda M. Davy
Obesity, Published 06 September 2012
Click Here for the Study: https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2009.235
Efficacy of water preloading before main meals as a strategy for weight loss in primary care patients with obesity: RCT
Helen M. Parretti, Paul Aveyard, Andrew Blannin, Susan J. Clifford, Sarah J. Coleman, Andrea Roalfe, Amanda J. Daley
Obesity, Published 03 August 2015
Click Here for the Study: https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.21167
Immediate pre-meal water ingestion decreases voluntary food intake in lean young males
Robert A. Corney, Caroline Sunderland & Lewis J. James
European Journal of Nutrition, Published 18 April 2015
Click Here for the Study: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-015-0903-4
Water Intake and Adiposity Outcomes among Overweight and Obese Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Qiao-Yi Chen, Jaewon Khil, NaNa Keum
Nutrients, Published 2024 Mar 27
Click Here for the Study: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16070963
Dehydration Impairs Cognitive Performance: A Meta-analysis
WITTBRODT, MATTHEW T.; MILLARD-STAFFORD, MELINDA
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Published November 2018
Click Here for the Study: https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0000000000001682
About Water and Healthier Drinks
CDC - Healthy Weight and Growth, Published January 2, 2024
Click Here for the Study: https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/water-healthy-drinks/index.html
Non-nutritive sweetened beverages versus water after a 52-week weight management programme: a randomised controlled trial
Joanne A. Harrold, Scott Hill, Cristina Radu, Paul Thomas, Paula Thorp, Charlotte A. Hardman, Paul Christiansen & Jason C. G. Halford
International Journal of Obesity, Published 05 October 2023
Click Here for the Study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-023-01393-3
Total body water volumes for adult males and females estimated from simple anthropometric measurements
P E Watson, I D Watson, R D Batt
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Published 1 January 1980
Click Here for the Study: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/33.1.27
Effects of hydration status on cognitive performance and mood
Natalie A. Masento, Mark Golightly, David T. Field, Laurie T. Butler and Carien M. van Reekum
BJN British Journal of Nutrition, Published 30 January 2014
Click Here for the Study: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114513004455
Medical Management to Prevent Recurrent Nephrolithiasis in Adults: A Systematic Review for an American College of Physicians Clinical Guideline
Howard A. Fink, MD, MPH, Timothy J. Wilt, MD, MPH, Keith E. Eidman, DO, Pranav S. Garimella, MD, MPH, Roderick MacDonald, MS, Indulis R. Rutks, BS, Michelle Brasure, PhD, MSPH, MLIS, Robert L. Kane, MD, Jeannine Ouellette, and Manoj Monga, MD
Annals of Internal Medicine, Published 2 April 2013
Click Here for the Study: https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-158-7-201304020-00005
A randomized trial on the effects of regular water intake in patients with recurrent headaches
Mark Spigt, Nico Weerkamp, Jaap Troost, Constant P van Schayck, J André Knottnerus
STUDYJOURNAL, Published 23 November 2011
Click Here for the Study: https://doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmr112
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9/30/2017
Updated 9/30/2025
