We spend the first nine months of our lives in fluid and once we’re born hydration plays a vital role in our existence. Someone who is passionate about the health benefits of water is Tony Marchesini, managing director of H2O International SA.

“Our bodies are 75 percent water and our major organs, including the brain, lungs, heart, liver and kidneys, are between 65 and 85 percent water. It’s vitally important to keep levels topped up with the best water we can lay our hands on, preferably purified with a high-end coconut-shell based granular-activated carbon, KDF/Riolyte filter,” he says.

While our major organs need water, we also lose up to three litres of water a day through breathing, sweating and waste elimination.

What happens when we don’t drink enough water?

Our body is forced to retain water, so our urine becomes more concentrated and much darker than normal. Waste can build up and clog the kidneys, causing kidney damage, and contributing to the formation of kidney stones. Believe it or not your brain literally shrinks and stops working as effectively if you don’t drink enough.

The brain’s dependency on enough water

A headache after a strenuous workout could be an indication of the brain shrinking. Water is incredibly important for the brain. It has been proven that having a drink of water when you’re thirsty can boost your brain power by 14 percent. Other side-effects of brain dehydration are bad moods, lethargy and tiredness.

Worst care scenario, you can have nerve-system complications

When dehydration is severe, you might feel dizzy and confused, and may even experience chest pains. This can be due to acidosis caused by a decrease in pH levels due to electrolyte imbalance. This is dangerous as it may lead to heart and nervous-system complications unless quickly attended to.

Dehydration impacts your skins as well

That’s all going on inside your body, but dehydration has an effect on your skin too. For some, the effects are obvious: dry, flaky, tight. For others, strangely enough, dehydration can apparently stimulate production of oil, which can mean that despite the dry patches in some areas, you’ll have breakouts in others.

But, I hydrate with coffee …

So, it’s obvious. We need to ensure we’re drinking enough, but can you hydrate with other fluids? After all, cooldrink is made with water … The answer to that is ‘no’, water is the best choice. A woman from Monaco was admitted to hospital with diarrhoea, severely low potassium levels and an erratic heartbeat.

From the age of fifteen she had only every drunk fizzy cooldrinks – two litres a day. Doctors put her on a water-only regime and after a fortnight she was ready to leave hospital.

So, how much water do we need daily?

It’s certainly not a “one-jug fits all” situation. The rule of thumb is that for every kilogram of body weight you need a third of a litre of water (just under 350 ml), preferably water that is free from harmful contaminants.

“The challenge,” says Marchesini, “is that few of us are in the habit of drinking water. It contains treatment chemicals and often doesn’t taste nice. That’s what drew me to H2O International. I discovered how important water was and I wanted to make sure that my family and I were drinking the healthiest and best tasting water. I’m really passionate about sharing these great products with everyone who feels the same way I do.”

We are creatures of water. Our moods and bodily functions depend on it. So, drink up! You’ll feel better, think better, look better and do better!