Water is an essential nutrient. It doesn’t supply energy; it doesn’t ramp up the immune system; & it doesn’t build up better bones. However, the body is about 60 to 70 percent water. Muscle tissue has about 70 percent water, and fat tissue has about 20 percent water.
A well-nourished person could theoretically go about 6 weeks without food. It wouldn’t be pretty, but it would be possible. However, a person can go only about 3 days without water. The body can conserve and store energy, but it can’t store or conserve water.
Most folks take water for granted. It’s not interesting, and it doesn’t seem to do very much. In reality, water participates in just about every in just about every chemical reaction and function in your body and is a large part of each and every cell.
Water helps to regulate body temperature & holds onto heat and changes temperature very slowly. By holding onto heat, the water in your body helps you to stay warm. When you need to cool down, your body releases water, in the form of perspiration.
The perspiration comes to the surface of the skin, where it evaporates. As perspiration evaporates, heat energy is taken from the skin, cooling it. For ex: it takes about 600 calories to evaporate 1 quart of perspiration. That’s why people who have had high fevers lose a couple of pounds over several days.
Water is a large portion of your blood supply and other body fluids, such as lymph. Water in these systems, as well as in your muscles and internal organs, helps the body to rid itself of waste products. Water is used and waste products are produced as a result of digestion, exercise, breathing, and all those other things bodies do to stay alive.
Water helps dilute the waste products so that the kidneys aren’t damaged and helps to move the waste products so that the kidneys aren’t damaged and helps to move the waste products out of the body.
Most fruits and vegetables (& their juices) contain water; many other foods are mostly water or ice, such as soups, gelatin, and sorbets. there are so many other sources, but plain water is still the best source of water.
Caffeine and alcohol are the enemies of water. Beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee, green & black tea, colas, sodas to which caffeine is added, chocolate, and other products that have been “fortified” with caffeine, as well as alcohol-containing products, act as diuretics. Diuretics tell the body to get rid of water even though water is needed. Researchers think that caffeine might have a negative effect on calcium absorption, resulting in osteoporosis.
Dehydration can be an important concern for people who work out, especially if they’re working out in hot conditions, have extended workouts, or out of shape. Dehydration can have mild to severe symptoms, which can range from headaches and thirst to muscle aches, flulike symptoms, fever, irregular heartbeat, and even mental confusion. Heat make the body lose water at a faster rate, and remember that you need to replace everything you lose. Dehydration strains the body’s organs and can cause physical and mental damage if it becomes a chronic condition.
So cheers and drink lots of water. It’s good for ya.
