What are you missing out on by struggling to down that mouthful of water? There are many benefits you get from drinking water. Research has shown that even the mildest dehydration can impair memory and cause mood swings.

It may also help to tackle sugar cravings, since the brain cannot really tell thirst and hunger apart. Drinking a glass of water before every urge to take a bite of chocolate might be all you needed in the first place. For those who are cautious about waist size, drinking water is a good trick to fill you up before sitting down for a meal. As a result, you are likely to eat less food to feel full.

Bored Panda contacted Edvard Grisin, a nutritionist based in Vilnius, to find out whether drinking enough water is really that important. “Water is an integral part of every cell in human body. It’s a movement apparatus for many substances, it has a huge influence on enzyme activity, blood flow, and many other processes inside the body. There is not a single tissue where water wouldn’t have its function.”

There’s a common agreement that on average, women should consume 2 liters and men—3 liters of water per day. However, Grisin explains that “if you live in conditions where the temperature is really high or you are doing lots of physical activity, then you might need to drink up to 7 or even 9 liters per day.” It really depends on the individual.

The nutritionist believes that the common saying “I can’t drink plain water” is simply not true. “Just think about it—how many cups of coffee or tea, or any other drink, do we put into our system every day?”

He adds further: “Even if these liquids add up to one's total liquid intake, I wouldn’t recommend replacing water with soda, juice, or alcoholic drinks. These liquids have no physiological use for our system and they usually have plenty of hidden calories.”

Just think about it—one can of sugary drink might have up to 150 calories, which is equal to a handful of chips or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter.