Sunday, July 17, 2011

Water! How Important Is It to Our Bodies?


If you are like me, you have a vague idea that it is important to drink water. For years and years, we have been told to drink eight to ten glasses a day and most of us do not.

Many of us, me included, have figured out all the other stuff we drink must count as water because it is liquid. Unfortunately that is not so.

Recent studies have shown that the average person on a good day will drink about 5 glasses of water. Many of us are walking around with a serious case of dehydration and do not know it. It is especially critical that athletes, elderly people, those on weight-loss diets and people taking diuretic medications drink plenty of water.

In researching about the importance of water in regard to our health, I found some interesting facts that I would like to share with you.

Our bodies cannot store the water needed for metabolism, we are not like a camel
Water is more important to our bodies than food; we can live for about 70 days without food, but only about 10 days without water
Water is a component of every cell in our bodies, muscle and organ cells have the highest concentration of water (about 75%,) while bone and fat only contain 20%
Water accounts for 50 to 60 percent of an adults body weight
Water is essential in regulating our body temperature through the evaporation process
Water is essential in transporting nutrients and oxygen throughout the body (in our blood)
Water is essential in the elimination of cellular and body wastes
Water is essential in the digestion and conversion of food into energy
Water acts as a lubricant along mucous membranes and between the moving parts of our bodies
Water acts as a cushion for our joints and vital organs
Water acts as the medium for all chemical reactions and a catalyst for many metabolic processes
Water acts as a solvent that dissolves other substances in our body fluids

Without water we are literally nothing. Our bodies actually manufacture only about 10 percent of our needs through its own metabolic process. While 30 percent is extracted from the food we eat and the balance of 60 percent needs to come from the water we drink and other fluids (none of which are as important as water.)

What does dehydration do?

The blood volume in a person's body is reduced. What does that mean? Lower blood volume means less blood is circulated through the skin and as a result can contribute to heat loss and fatigue. Lack of water will cause the kidneys to conserve water by decreasing urine flow, thereby concentrating toxins within our body. If dehydration is extreme the body will stop sweating and without sweating the body's temperature will increase and heatstroke can be a result.

What are some of the conditions that may cause dehydration?

Studies have shown that athletes, who are competing and working hard and people who work in areas where the temperature is extremely hot, do not take in enough fluids, to keep up with what is lost in sweat. It is possible even in cold temperatures to lose water through sweat when a person is doing extreme physical activity.

The interesting thing is even when you feel thirsty after some physical work and you drink to satisfy your thirst, you really have not drank enough water to make up for what you lost.

Advancing age has an effect on our body's water level. When we are born our body water level is 75 percent by the time we reach age 75 that percentage can drop down to about 43 percent.

Studies have shown that the ability to detect thirst decreases with normal aging. Even with exercise, older people have shown a less need to drink than younger ones. The kidneys also change with the aging process and their ability to excrete or retain fluids has an effect on the fluid and electrolyte balance in the body.

What effects does dehydration have on the body?

Kidney stones are a risk especially to people that have chronic dehydration, such as people who work outside in hot to moderate climates, doctors, marathon runners, lifeguards, and others. Busy lives, physical activity and hot weather can be a common cause.

Bladder health the more you drink the more you urinate and that helps flush out toxic substances in your body. Drinking less fluid leads to less urination and the more toxic substances can remain in your body.

Are you drinking enough?

Pinch yourself. A well-hydrated person's skin will bounce back quickly. Pinch and release the skin on the back of your hand just over the middle knuckle. How long does it take for your skin to bounce back? I was surprised and found out mine took a little while, so I am hitting the water bottle hard.

However, I found that if I pinched the skin on my lower arm or the actual back of my hand it bounced back much faster. Personally, I know I do not drink enough water, but now after researching this article I have changed my ways.

There are other ways to check on your water intake, first of all count the number of glasses (bottles) you drink each day. Drink before you are thirsty, but most of all do drink when you are thirsty. Pay attention when you go to the bathroom light colored urine or no color at all is a sign that you are hydrated.

Look in the mirror, dehydration is fatiguing -and when you feel tired, you look tired. Water keeps your body functioning well and your skin will reflect your over all health.

Drink a glass of water before you eat a meal and after. Water is essential to help move fiber through your digestive tract. Drinking water before a meal will also make you feel fuller and you will eat less, which is great if you are watching your weight.

What water should you drink?

Sounds like a silly question, doesn't it? Most of us have become bottled water users; even those of us that do not drink enough water, manage to drink a bottle or two each day.

In light of the current news about pharmaceuticals being found in tap water, along with all the other things, tap water is not the best thing to drink, no matter what our city leaders say.

A 1998 study showed unusually high amounts of industrial chemicals, pesticides, and other compounds were found in remote mountain areas, places we thought of as "pristine." Researchers found that snow at extremely high areas had more chemical contamination than snow found in lower areas. Which makes you wonder about ads describing "fresh mountain water."

Our water, depending on the area in which we live, is filled with many things that are not healthy for us such as lead and copper, microorganisms, mercury and who knows what else.

If you are concerned about the quality of your drinking water, it maybe a comfort to you, to know you are not alone. A recent survey showed that at least 65 percent of Americans are concerned about their tap water and are taking steps to either treat their water or are only consuming bottled water. Another survey showed that out of 103 brands of bottled water tested, about 33 percent of them did not pass the state standards.

More and more Americans are treating their water at home, using one of the many water filtering systems that are available. The installations are generally fairly simple and do provide a certain degree of protection. Do yourself and your family a favor and drink safe clean water for only pennies a day.

We may not have given much thought to water before reading this article, but as you sit and consider the important part water plays in our everyday life, we really need to be drinking the best quality water we can find. And quality should begin at home.




You may contact me at my e-mail address: tatertotsmom@comcast.net



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