The many health benefits of water.
This week I want to talk about the benefits of water. Did you know that your body weight is approximately 60 percent water? Water is defined as an essential nutrient since it is required in amounts that exceed the body’s ability to produce it.
Your body uses water in all its cells, organs, and tissues to help regulate its temperature and maintain other bodily functions. Because your body loses water through breathing, sweating, and digestion, it is important to rehydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water.
The amount of water you need depends on a variety of factors, including the climate you live in, how physically active you are, and whether you are experiencing an illness or have any other health problems. Water does more than just quench your thirst and regulate your body’s temperature; it also keeps the tissues in your body moist. You know how it feels when your eyes, nose, or mouth gets dry. Keeping your body hydrated helps it retain optimum levels of moisture in these sensitive areas, as well as in the blood, bones and the brain. In addition, water helps protect the spinal cord and it acts as a lubricant and cushion for your joints.
Living in Imperial County, we all know the importance of drinking plenty of water, especially in the hot summer months. Here are the top 10 reasons we need to drink water!
1. Life cannot exist without water. We must constantly be adding fresh water to our body in order to keep it properly hydrated. Water can be a miracle cure for many common ailments such as headaches, fatigue, joint, pain and much more. We can go for weeks without food, but only three days without water!
2. Water makes up nearly 85 percent of your brain, about 80 percent of your blood and about 70 percent of your lean muscle. Because there are many tissues that have less water, the average is about 50 percent.
3. It is difficult for the body to get water from any other source than water itself. Soft drinks and alcohol steal tremendous amounts of water from the body. Other beverages such as coffee and tea are diuretics therefore stealing precious water from the body.
4. Water plays a vital role in nearly every bodily function. Lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue. A mere 2 percent drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
5. Water is essential for proper digestion, nutrient absorption and chemical reactions. When our bodies use carbohydrates and proteins as food, they are metabolized and transported by water in the bloodstream. No less important is the ability of water to transport waste material out of our bodies.
6. Water is essential for proper circulation in the body. The levels of oxygen in the bloodstream are greater when the body is well hydrated. The more oxygen the body has readily available the more fat it will burn for energy. Without the presence of oxygen, the body cannot utilize stored fat for energy efficiently. Not only will the body burn more fat when well hydrated but because there are increased oxygen levels you will also have more energy.
7. In 37 percent of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger. Just one glass of water can shut down midnight hunger pangs.
8. Water regulates the body’s cooling system. Sports drinks are useful when consumed after or during vigorous and prolonged exercise in high heat. However, most experts agree that water works better than carbohydrates or sugared beverages for moderate exercise. For instance, if you drink 12 ounces of plain water, your body will absorb 8 ounces of it within 15 minutes. If you drink 1 ounce of a 10 percent sugar solution, less than 1 ounce will be absorbed in the same period. The typical soft drink is a 10 to 12 percent sugar solution.
9. Consistent failure to drink enough water can lead to Chronic Cellular Dehydration. A condition where the body’s cells are never quite hydrated enough, leaving them in a weakened state and making them vulnerable to attacks from disease. It weakens the body’s overall immune system and leads to chemical, nutritional and pH imbalances that can cause a host of diseases.
10. DEHYDRATION CAN ALSO HAPPEN IN WINTER. Remember drinking water yearround along with a nutritional diet will help you lead a healthy life style.