We have all heard the advice many times that we need to drink plenty of water. This holds even more true when we are sick. Everytime we are feeling even slightly ill it is always said at least once by at least one person that we need to drink plenty of fluids in order to feel better. This advice does in fact hold true the more water we drink the more it benefits our immune systems and keeps us from being ill longer than we would be otherwise. Fluids are not only the best for helping us recover from illnesses but actually benefit us in many ways that keep us healthy even when we aren’t feeling ill. Below are five of the top immune system benefits of drinking clean water.
Firstly, our bodies need water in order to make stomach acid. Stomach acid is the digestive fluid that helps us break down food and process the pieces that pass through our bodies. Without this acid we wouldn’t be protected from the bacterias and viruses that can be found in many of our foods and beverages. Secondly, water helps our bodies make mucus. While mucus can seem very annoying during sinus seasons or when we are sick it is actually a very useful part of our immune systems. Mucus has antibodies and enzymes that help fight off barriers by acting as a barrier that harmful things must pass through before they can get into our bodies.
Water also enables us to create sweat. This is very useful for temperature regulation but also our immune systems as well. There is a reason that people often say things like “sweat it out” when referring to sicknesses and that is because toxins, bacteria, and waste matter are flushed out by sweat and can help us feel better when sick and keep us from getting sick in many cases. Water is also very important in the transportation system that our bodies use for white blood cells. White blood cells are the body’s first and often last line of defense against viruses, micro-organisms, and bacteria. Without water these white blood cells can’t get to the parts of the body they need to be in order to help fight off sicknesses. Lastly water is very important to helping us absorb essential nutrients that help keep us healthy. Without water we cannot dissolve these nutrients and absorb them into our bodies. That is why it is often recommended that we drink water while we eat.
All of these things are very important reasons to drink water, but these benefits can only be maximized if we are drinking clean water. The best way to ensure that you are enjoying clean water is to either purchase purified water or have a water test performed on your personal water supply. Should toxins or impurities be found a water conditioning or water purification system can be installed to purify the water and make it clean.
