Water and Heart Health
Water makes up over 80% of our
body so it stands to reason that keeping ourselves full of this basic necessity
is important for normal body function.
Water is essential for healthy function of muscle tissue so we are going
to shine the spotlight on the most important muscle in your body, your heart!
A study that appeared in the
American Journal of Epidemiology followed 20,000 adults for 6 years and found
that those people who drank 5 or more 8 ounce glasses of water a day had a
significantly lower risk of dying from a heart attack than those who drank less
than 2 glasses. When broken down by
gender, men had a 54% reduced risk of heart attack when drinking 5 or more
glasses while women reduced theirs by 41%! It should also be noted that large
consumption of liquids other than water resulted in women being twice as likely
to have a heart attack and men increasing the risk by 46%. While this is one study, and further exam is
warranted, the heart health benefits of water cannot be denied.
Why is it so good for our hearts?
Keeping our body hydrated helps
thin the blood. Thinner blood means that the heart has to work less to pump
blood through our blood vessels, reducing blood pressure.
Water helps maintain the myofascial
tissue that supports and helps normal muscle function. Normal muscle contractions are essential to
help squeeze blood from our extremities back to the heart and lungs.
Lack of water has been shown to
increase levels of the stress hormone Cortisol in the body. Increased stress has been linked to increased
incidences of heart attack.
Water has been shown to help with
weight control. Obesity increases the
work load of the heart by increasing the volume of the blood that needs to be
pumped, causes increased “bad” cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and
increases the risk of developing diabetes which can increase heart attack risk.
These are just a few of the
health benefits of water but the list goes on and on. Your heart is the hardest
working organ in your body, why not make his job a little easier?
