DEHYDRATION
Our immune system depends on water to shuttle our antibodies around and to fight infections ... the question must be asked: Could dehydration lead to cancer?
THE average human body is 65 to 70 per cent water — even our bones are 22 per cent water. But more importantly, our immune system depends on water to shuttle our antibodies around and fight infections.
Just by knowing that, the question is: Could dehydration lead to cancer?
If your immune system can’t do its job, which is in part removing rogue and precancerous cells, could a lack of water lead to consequences far beyond what we could have imagined? As the brain is about 75 per cent water, dehydration can also literally cause the brain to shrink. It was thought just 2 per cent or more body water deficit lowers cognitive performance. However, more recent studies have shown that even very mild dehydration – a body water loss of 1–2 per cent – can impair cognitive performance. So, in the short term, you may do things such as walk into a room and forget why you went there. The longterm implications are worse. The Royal Society of Medicine released research that showed that those with dementia were six times more likely to be dehydrated. In older individuals, research has shown that being dehydrated not only causes irritability and confusion but leads to more serious issues such as an increased risk of heart disease, infection and falls.
Dehydration causes the blood to become thicker, causing resistance to blood flow which pushes up blood pressure and puts a strain on the heart.
When dehydrated, the body will produce more cholesterol to stop water loss from the cells.
Our nervous system confers a lot of pain. Headache, back ache, painful and sore mid-back region (which may be actually referred pain from the kidneys) and joint pain can all simply be signs of dehydration.
Many people take over-the-counter and prescription pain relievers which have many side-effects and may not address the underlying cause.
Aim for 2.5 to three litres a day, adjusting for exercise and climate, and always consult your healthcare practitioner over any health condition.