Why your New Year’s Resolution should be to drink more water

It’s January, which means holiday indulgence is over, and it’s time to face the New Year by setting goals to better yourself. Resolutions don’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as drinking more water.

In a study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), shows that adults who stay well-hydrated seem to be healthier—and live longer—than those who don’t. Specifically, they develop fewer chronic conditions, such as heart and lung disease. That’s coming from the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute division.

The study tracked 11,255 adults over a 30-year period and researchers found that adults with lower serum sodium levels (a measure of how much sodium is in your blood, which goes down when you drink more water) were less likely to show signs of advanced biological aging or dying at a younger age. (“Biological aging” was determined by a confluence of factors, including cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.) In other words, drinking enough water might just be a magic elixir.

“The results suggest that proper hydration may slow down aging and prolong a disease-free life,” study author Natalia Dmitrieva, a researcher in the NIH’s Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine, said in a statement.

Not only is drinking enough water daily good for your overall health, but water can help you manage or lose weight considering that it adds zero calories when substituted for drinks that have calories, such as regular soda. Additionally, drinking water can prevent dehydration, a condition that can cause unclear thinking, result in mood changes, cause your body to overheat, lead to constipation, and cause kidney stones, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

The  Institute of Medicine of the National Academies set general recommendations for water intake based on detailed national data, which showed that women who appear to be adequately hydrated consume an average of approximately 91 ounces of water from all beverages and foods each day, while men average approximately 125 ounces daily.

Stay healthy in 2024 by staying hydrated.