Does Water Contain Sugar and Caffeine?

We all know that drinking a sufficient amount of water daily is vital, as it helps keep our health and body in good shape. While water benefits our body in many ways, some people are still confused if overconsumption of water is healthy or not, or are there any components in water which make us fat or unhealthy?

Water acts as a weapon to battle calories and other fat building compounds. People who follow a balanced and healthy diet and work out intensively have to drink a lot of water. If you are not experiencing weight loss even after following a proper workout schedule and a healthy diet, you might not be drinking enough water.

Our bodies are made up of 60% to 75% water, a balance that you have to maintain. Drinking a sufficient amount of water daily helps prevent dehydration. While many people love sodas and artificially flavored juices, they do not provide adequate hydration as they are packed with caffeine and high amounts of sugar. While the sugar content makes the drinks taste amazing, it also puts your health at risk.

Dehydration can cause a drop in energy levels. Moreover, dehydration can also cause stress and mental functions to slow down. The natural human body reflexes are also affected by poor hydration. Excessive dehydration can have a severe impact on your body and health, and that is why it is important that you avoid sugary drinks and drink a sufficient amount of water daily.

Water does not contain any calories or cholesterol. Naturally, there is no caffeine or sugar in water. However, when caffeine is found in the municipal waste that is dumped into rivers and seas, the water becomes contaminated with not only caffeine but also different harmful substances. When the same water goes through purifiers to make it drinkable, most of the harmful substances are filtered, except for very small molecules such as some pharmaceuticals and... caffeine. That's why you can often see bottled water labels "purified with Reverse Osmosis", which can remove these as well.

Moreover, since soda companies use the same caffeine filled water, it becomes even more dangerous as sugar is added to the same “purified” water. Drinking water with noticeable caffeine and sugar content is not effective for preventing dehydration.

Our liver’s main function is to convert stored fat into energy, via metabolism. That is not its only function as it also has to pick up slack for the kidneys and requires a lot of water. However, how does not drinking enough water make you fat? Well, simply put, water-deprived kidneys cannot work properly because of which the liver is overburdened. The liver now has to convert fat into energy while also doing the work of the kidneys, which makes its slower.

Therefore, the rate at which the fat is being converted into energy is slower than that at which fat is being collected. This is not only unfair to the liver but also to your whole body. For most people, the fact that life expectancy has increased by 30 years in the 21^st century could be shocking but it is, nonetheless, true. Dr. Jeffrey Griffiths of Tuft University School of Medicine says there are many reasons behind this, one of which is clean water. In fact, access to clean and pure water is one the most important reasons people can live longer today.

Benefits of Drinking Clean and Pure Water

• Enhanced Memory: Approximately 75% of the human brain is water and it is the most important organ in our body. It needs a sufficient amount of water to work efficiently. Even mild dehydration could cause the mental functions to slow down while impairing memory.
• Smooth Blood Flow: When there is a healthy amount of water in the body, the blood flow is smooth as water also keeps the blood from getting thick.
• Beautifies the Skin: Drinking a sufficient amount of water makes your skin glow. It will tighten your skin and prevent wrinkles and even problems, like acne. This is because the skin cells, which are made up of water, like every other cell in the body, are nourished and replaced with new ones.
• Reduced Fatigue and Mental Stress: If the water levels in your body drop, you might feel low and tired. This might lead to mental stress and increased fatigue. Therefore, to make sure you stay energized all the time, you should maintain a healthy and balanced level of water.
• Lubricates the Joints: The different joints in our body need to be lubricated to that the bones can move easily without friction. Water is used as a cushion between the bones and therefore is necessary in keeping the bones strong and functioning.
• Improves Digestion: A sufficient amount of water is required for healthy digestion as water helps break down food and removes toxins from the body. It softens stool and makes excretion easy and fast. If you do not drink a healthy amount of water daily, you might experience problems, like constipation.
• Better Absorption of Nutrients: Water also helps your body absorb all the nutrients and minerals from your food. It even increases the oxygen level and is hence important for the body.
• Keeps the Body Cool: Water helps regulate the body temperature and is helpful in hot and humid summers.
• Reduces the Risk Of Bladder Cancer And Colon Cancer: Studies have shown that adequate amount of water lowers the risk of bladder cancer by 50% and colon cancer by 45%.

Most companies producing soda water add sugar to the water for flavoring purposes while companies producing sparkling water or mineral water make sure the water is 100% free from sugar, making it calorie free too. Mineral or sparkling water are in fact healthy as they come packed with essential vitamins and minerals that are extremely important for the human body.

While consuming a sufficient amount of water is important, the quality of the water is just as necessary. If you think your water drinking habit is poor, you had better start drinking more water. Do not boil water, as boiled water does not provide you a significant level of minerals. Make sure you drink mineral water and that too at least 8 to 10 glasses per day.