Water really is an amazing thing. Not only does it help to support a healthy system and maintain the health of skin and hair, it may also help to get your brain back on track when you're having difficulty concentrating.

As the brain is largely made up of water - around 85 per cent of the human brain is formed of H2O - being dehydrated can affect your thought processes as well as your overall function. Not drinking enough water everyday can cause you to suffer from poor concentration, slow your ability to think, result in headaches and even affect your short term memory.

New research has suggested that if you are finding that your brain is stalling, it could just need a glass of water. The study, published in the journal 'Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, looked at people's ability to perform cognitive tasks at different stages of dehydration.

Some 34 adults abstained from eating or drinking anything after 9pm and went to a laboratory the following morning for tests. The study involved two separate days, on one of which the participants were given three cups of water and a cereal bar for breakfast, whereas on the second they got a cereal bar and no water.

After tests to measure their memory and reaction, amongst other cognitive abilities. It was found that while water consumption didn't improve their results in tests for rule-learning or memory of words, it did benefit their reaction time. Those that had drunk water were around 14 per cent faster during reaction tests.

The researchers suggested that being thirsty and thinking about the fact that you are dehydrated could actually serve to slow your reaction time. This means that simply drinking a glass of water and dealing with the feeling of thirst, while also keeping you hydrated, can help to bring your brain back on track when it starts to flag. 

So, if you are struggling to concentrate throughout the day, a simple glass of water can help. Ideally a person should drink around two litres of water a day - although this can vary from person to person - in order to stay healthy.