Studies have shown that dehydration may be one of the biggest contributing factors to the beginning of arthritis. Our bodies are made up mostly of water, so it makes perfect sense that we need to drink a lot of it. Water promotes weight loss, which also helps immune functioning and lessens the strain on joints, relieves stress and anxiety, and even washes toxins from the body.

Being able to know the signs of dehydration can be difficult, and this ability lessens as we get older. If you are feeling thirsty, then you are already very dehydrated. But, there are other symptoms too. In fact, most of us often can’t tell the real difference between thirst and hunger. Stiff muscles and achy joints are often the first signs of dehydration. Fatigue and a general feeling of lethargy are also red flags.

Every day you use between 56 and 64 oz. of water just in your daily life by breathing, eating, perspiring, etc. That is 8 glasses of water just to run our basic metabolic functions. Some beverages like, coffee, tea, and caffeine use water just to digest. So it is best to only count the amount of water you drink. It is estimated that you should drink 1 oz of water for every 2 lbs. of body weight.