We all know that water is the source of life on Earth. No plant, insect, animal or human can survive without it. A new study highlights how important it is to our health and to living longer. The study is from the National Institutes of Health in the USA. Researchers found that people who drank a lot of water every day were healthier and lived longer than those who didn't. The research team said people who stay well hydrated developed fewer serious health problems and age-related illnesses, like heart and lung disease. They added that adults who did not drink enough water were more likely to die at a younger age. These adults were also more likely to show signs of ageing.

The researchers looked at health data from 11,255 adults over a 30- year period. They analysed the information of patients who had visited a hospital at least five times. The first three times were when the patients were in their 50s, and the last two times were when they were aged between 70 and 90. Dr Natalia Dmitrieva, lead researcher of the study, said: "The results suggest that proper hydration may slow down ageing and prolong a disease-free life." She encouraged people to drink more fluids, like water and juice, and fruit and vegetables with a high water content. She added that half of people worldwide do not drink enough. The average adult needs to drink at least 1.5 litres of water every day.