Do you remember a time when you felt like your brain wasn’t functioning to the best of its ability?
Perhaps you were tired, stressed, not motivated, or just weren’t able to process information as clearly and quickly as usual. The bottom line is that your brain needed a boost. In many cases, people don’t know how to deal with this all-too-common issue.
Fortunately, there’s an effective way to tackle this that is actually very simple. It’s been around since the beginning of time; people just don’t think of it because it seems too straightforward to be considered such a valuable solution.
Water, or H20, has been proven to jump-start your brain function when consumed on a daily basis, thus promoting the need to keep hydrated. It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. There is a reason people can’t live without consuming a substance that our body is predominantly made up of anyway.We’re told to drink plenty of water every day as a general health precaution, but we forget that our brain, in particular, needs it to maintain optimal functioning.
Why Maintaining Brain Health and Alertness Is Important
The main reason why we should maintain brain health and alertness is because it can develop into more serious issues if neglected. For example, stress, anxiety, and depression are all mood disorders that stem from the brain—if you are stressed, it can lead to the other two disorders.We can often remove stressors from our lives by taking medication, resting, and exercising; however, some people don’t have a lot of free time to incorporate all of these suggestions. So, what is the best and easiest alternative? Drink water.
Brain Diseases in the U.S.
The National Institute of Mental Health released a statement estimating that one in four American adults suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder each year. From those one in four adults, about six percent suffer from serious disabilities as a result.The following are the main disorders that Americans suffer from:
1. Unipolar Depression
From recent research, the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that unipolar depression is now the third leading cause of disease burden in the entire world, and the biggest cause in high-income countries, like the United States. This is the form of depression that most people are familiar with.
2. Alzheimer’s Disease
From a 2012 report by the Alzheimer’s Association, it is estimated that in that year, about 5.4 million people in the U.S. had Alzheimer’s disease. The risk of developing this disease increases with age and, because there is no direct cure, the number of Alzheimer’s patients will continue to grow. With that estimated projection, it is believed that by 2050, the number of cases will be anywhere from 11 million to 16 million Americans.
3. Parkinson’s Disease
In 2006, a report was released by the National Institute for Neurological Disorders. The report illustrated that there are about 50,000 new cases of Parkinson’s disease diagnosed each year for Americans, with the total number of cases surpassing 500,000.
Effects of Dehydration on the Brain
When people are tired, they automatically go for the quick fixes. In most work-related cases, this is in the form of coffee or some other caffeinated, sugary beverage or supplement.
In thinking they’re getting a boost from the caffeine or sugar, these people often ignore the suggested water intake and, in doing so, actually dehydrate the brain and body even more. It causes the individual to become sluggish and unable to handle work activities effectively.
The physical fatigue, along with slower-than-usual cognitive function, is a clear sign of dehydration. This can also lead to increased irritability.
Make Your Brain 14% Faster
Researchers from the University of East London believe that once you quench your thirst and your brain relieves its craving for water, it can begin to focus on the tasks you are trying to accomplish.
The researchers proved this through an experiment that they conducted on 34 men and women who completed a series of mental tests on two separate occasions, under different conditions. They did the first round of tests after eating a breakfast that included cereal and a protein bar. The second time was cereal, a protein bar, and a bottle of water.
All of the participants were asked beforehand if they were thirsty, and those who said they were not completed both tests faster. Those who said they were thirsty improved their time after drinking the bottle of water. Interestingly, adding the water made their brain work 14% quicker than it did before.
The main reason the researchers believe it worked is because when the brain is dehydrated, it slows the rest of the body down until it gets replenished.
Proper Consumption of Water
With the proper intake of water, you can not only boost your brain function, but also improve your cardiac health and detoxify your body. For anyone who is serious about their health, they should consume at least eight glasses (eight oz. each) of water per day.
Straying away from drinking coffee or tea in the morning may be difficult, especially when they’re part of your routine, but cutting them out of your diet can make a significant difference.
If you want to go the entire day with a dehydrated brain and body, it may prove challenging to be productive. By making it a habit to drink a sufficient amount of water every day, you’ll be setting your brain up for its optimal function.
“Brain Disorders: By the Numbers,” McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT web site, January 16, 2014; https://mcgovern.mit.edu/brain-disorders/by-the-numbers.
“Water And Depression, Stress And Anxiety,” Free Drinking Water web site; http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-education3/21-water-and-depression-stress-anxiety.htm, last accessed May 4, 2015.
Gowin, J., “Why Your Brain Needs Water,” Psychology Today web site, October 15, 2010; https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/you-illuminated/201010/why-your-brain-needs-water.
Macrae, F., “How drinking a glass of water can make your brain 14% faster,” Daily Mail web site, July 16, 2013; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2366353/How-drinking-glass-water-make-brain-14-faster.html.
Bockrath, G., “Importance of Drinking Water While At Work,” Array Services Group web site, October 14, 2014; http://www.arraysg.com/carecall/news/blog/carecall-blog/2014/10/14/importance-of-drinking-water-while-at-work.