Water & the Body

by Jane Bluestein, Ph.D.

Benefits of water to the body include:

Allows body and brain to communicate
Gives our brain an instant boost
Strengthens immune system
Aids digestion
Gets rid of toxins in body
Increases oxygen absorption in blood (improves brain functioning)
Balances cellular polarity
Increases alertness, coordination
Improves concentration and ability to focus
Counters negative effects of caffeine, sugar, alcohol, environmental toxins, electromagnetic fields and stress
Improves academic performance and behavior

Update

After posting the above information on my site, I received a number of emails with some additional information about water. While I can vouch for the support for the legitimacy of the information above in the literature, I won't swear to the scientific accuracy of the information below. I am including it, however, as it all sounds reasonable based on the research I have seen. Make your own judgments:

75% of all people are chronically dehydrated. (Note: I did read that thirst is rarely a symptom of dehydration. In other words, most dehydrated people will report not feeling dehydrated.)

In 37% of us, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

Even mild dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%

One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University study.

Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

Preliminary research indicates that 8 - 10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen.

Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

So there! Are you drinking enough water? (Coffee is not water, neither is soda pop.) Why not have a glass right now?

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Related handouts:

The “Ideal” Student: Kids for whom traditional classrooms are ideally suited (and why so many non-traditional learners struggle in these instructional environments).

Ways to Reach More Students

ADHD Look-Alike Conditions

Multiple Intelligences

Working With Different Sensory/Modality
Strengths and Limitations

Water and the Body

Survey: Is Your School (or Classroom) an Emotionally Safe Place?

Supporting Kids in Crisis: Non-supportive patterns to avoid!

Alternatives to Non-Supportive Responses

Industrial Age Classrooms vs. Information Age Classrooms

Links to other articles on hydration:

Coaches Learning Network: Water and athletes (brief intro to article, requires membership for full access).

Teaching Expertise: Hydrate the Brain (includes links to other articles)

Brain Fitness for Learning: Some practical tips for supporting brain fitness in your classroom and school.

Other handouts by Dr. Jane Bluestein

Complete alphabetical listing of all handouts on this site.

Articles and excerpts by Dr. Jane Bluestein

Complete alphabetical listing of all articles on this site.

Complete listing of all articles and handouts in Spanish or French.

Books, Articles, Audio and Video Resources and other Resources by Dr. Jane Bluestein

Humor and Fun: Brighten your day with fun facts, short pieces about kids, pets and work, and hilarious things kids say, do and write. Includes items you can share with kids or use as a springboard for discussions and activities.

Please note that not all pages linked in this section are updated and that you make end up on a page with a broken link. The pages will be redone to look this this page and all the links will be checked and errors corrected. Please be patient during our renovation!

Water & the Body

Benefits of water to the body include:

Update

Links to other articles on hydration:

Changing Schools—One Heart at a Time