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Dehydration can trigger headaches and boost levels of the “stress hormone” cortisol.

Of all the food and beverage choices you face every day, what’s calorie-free, virtually cost-free, and, oh yes, essential to keeping you alive? Plain ol’ water. But those aren’t the only reasons to drink it.

“Water drives basic body performance,” says Beth Reardon, director of nutrition for Duke Integrative Medicine, part of the Duke University Health System. “All of the systems in the body require water for proper functioning, and so do 90 percent of all chemical reactions in the body.”

Read more: 5 Surprising Reasons to Drink Water

The long-standing belief that cold water boils the faster is finally put to a definite test.

The fastest way to bring a pot of water to a boil
Many have claimed that a pot of water will come to a boil faster if you start with cold water. This claim, both perplexing and intriguing, required further investigation. In turn, I performed five tests using the same pot and the same burner to see how long it would take for 2 cups of tap water to come to a boil. Here are my results:

Read more: Which boils faster: hot water or cold? We have the answer

The beverage is taking over, from celebs to supermarkets, but questions remain.

It’s all over the supermarkets and a big splash with celebs (like Madonna). Here are the real facts about this water craze.

The talk It speeds up your metabolism.
The truth “This is an urban legend,” says Liz Applegate, Ph.D., director of sports nutrition at the University of California in Davis. “There is no valid research proving it.” Another, albeit contradictory, myth: Coconut water makes you fat. This bad rap came from coconut milk, which is made from pressed coconut meat and packs 445 calories per cup, most from saturated fat. The water (the fluid in young coconuts) has only 46 calories per cup. Of course, for a truly trimming sip, opt for zero-calorie water, coffee or tea.

Read more: The Truth About Coconut Water

One tip: hold a slice of this veggie in your mouth for 90 seconds to cut down odour quickly.

Water

How it works: Bad breath can occur when the bacteria on your tongue break down the proteins in mucus and food—especially sugar and dairy products—which can cause the bacteria to release sulfur compounds. Result: stinky breath. However, bacteria’s sworn enemy is oxygen, which is found in your own saliva. And drinking water (go with straight water over sugary flavored versions) makes you produce more saliva, which in turn neutralizes bad breath, says Harold Katz, a dentist in Los Angeles and the founder of TheraBreath.com.

Good to know: Some medications, including anti-depressants, blood-pressure drugs, and antihistamines, can cause a dry mouth. If you take them, you may want to increase your water intake beyond the widely recommended eight glasses a day.

Read more: Doctor-approved treatments for bad breath

You can get some of these items for free just by asking the right questions.

Skip the $2 bottled water

Age may just be a number, but it’s not one we like to give out willingly. Knock a few years off by tweaking your diet with these foods proven to be full of anti-aging properties. Plus, they’ll help you reap the benefits of a smaller waist, too.

Read more here: 6 Foods to Keep You Young: The Best Anti-Aging Nibbles

You already know that drinking water is key to your health. Downing at least six cups of water daily can minimize bloating, prevent headaches, help prevent you from getting sick and smooth the appearance of wrinkles. It may even temporarily rev your metabolism, if you drink it on the cool side (72 degrees). That’s a lot of benefit from a beverage you don’t even have to pay for!

Read more here: Tired of Water? Read This!

We’ve forever heard about the importance of drinking water for our health. But what benefits, exactly, do we reap from consuming this important elixir? We’ve got eight reasons that will make you a fan of this clear liquid!

Read more here: 8 Reasons to Drink Water

When the afternoon blahs leave you slumped over your desk like an unwatered house plant, most of us reach for a supersized vat of coffee and/or a calorie-packed sugar snack. There are much better options, whether you need a quick lift to keep you from nodding out in a meeting or something to keep you going for hours.

Read more here: Foods that fight afternoon slumps

BOSTON – Crews worked Sunday on a quicker-than-expected fix to a major water break that left some 2 million people in the Boston area without clean water.

Residents were told to boil water for drinking or cooking since some untreated water has entered the system. It remained safe for showering and toilet flushing.

Read more here: Crews race to fix break in Boston’s water supply