Why Drink Water?
WHY WATER?
Many of us realize and acknowledge that water is important for us and life in general, however, most of us still do not drink enough of it. You may have heard before that the human body is largely made up of water, with us being made up roughly 60% water, which goes to show just how important water is as a factor for creating and supporting life. Even hard tissues and structures in our body, such as bones and connective tissues are made up of water, with our organs being made of roughly 70% water.
Water is found in every one of our cells, mainly in the cytoplasm and it plays many roles as we will see below. However, the human body can not store water for long and it continually loses it during the day, which means that it is our job to make sure we continually rehydrate and replace the water that we lose through daily activities, as otherwise we become dehydrated and the functioning of our body is slowed down and impaired.
No matter how many times you have heard this advice, but really make sure you are drinking enough water for your needs; It really does make a difference to your well being and health in the long run.
HOW MUCH WATER?
How much water you require on a daily basis, depends on several factors, however, it is generally recommended that a moderately active person with no special medical conditions requires about 2-3 litres of water per day.
You will, however, need to drink more water if:
You are very physically active and sweat a lot
You are pregnant or breastfeeding
You are ill and experiencing vomiting or diarrhoea
At the end of the day, there is really no perfect measurement for how much water you should consume, however, it is best to drink when you are thirsty and stop when you are no longer thirsty, as too much water in a short time span is also not good, just like too much of anything is not good for us.
FUNCTIONS OF WATER
MAKES UP THE BUILDING BLOCKS
As was previously mentioned, water is found within every cell in our body, meaning that water is largely the building block that makes up our body. In our body, water is an essential medium for the transport of soluble substances, acting as an ideal solvent for biochemical reactions that occur within us. Apart from that, it has been shown that up to 90% of our blood is made up of water, most of which is plasma and goes to show that water is a transport medium.
Apart from that, water also forms saliva and mucus, both of which are water-based substances that are heavily needed in digestion and preventing our internal environment from drying out.
REGULATION OF BODY TEMPERATURE AND BLOOD PRESSURE
When we are involved in strenuous exercise, we start to sweat because sweat is our bodies way of cooling us off, as it allows excess that to evaporate out and for us to get a "cooling" effect when exposed to wind. Since sweat is mostly just water and salts, we have to make sure to drink plenty of extra water if we are often physically active, as that is the only way water can get replaced.
Other than that, as we become dehydrated, our blood becomes thicker, which raises our blood pressure - another factor that has to be maintained at healthy levels by our body and is impacted by our intake of water.
REMOVAL OF WASTE
Waste is primarily removed from our body in three main ways. Firstly, drinking enough water ensures that we remove waste through our urinary system and it keeps our kidneys healthy as well as preventing the formation of kidney stones.
Secondly, we remove excess water and salts through sweating, as well as keeping our body temperature cool.
Lastly, adequate water levels ensure healthy bowel movements and prevent constipation, which is more common than you may initially think.
JOINT LUBRICANT AND SHOCK ABSORBER
Another neglected function of water is that it is an important lubricant for our joints, that makes movements in our joints easier and effortless. Scientists have found that roughly 80% of our cartilage is made up of water, which makes movements that much easier.
Apart from that, water also acts as a shock absorber, protecting many sensitive tissues and organs, such as our brain. This is also seen in unborn babies, that are surrounded by a water-based liquid, that protects them from exterior shocks and bumps that could otherwise damage them.
ABSORPTION OF WATER SOLUBLE NUTRIENTS
Apart from vitamins, it is also important to consume water-soluble fibre, that is able to uptake water into our intestines and thus prevents constipation. The best sources of water-soluble fibre are legumes such as beans and lentils, vegetables like brussel sprouts and green leafy vegetables as well as fruits such as avocado.
COGNITIVE FUNCTION
Apart from our physiological health, water is also crucial for our cognitive functioning and thinking skills, where it has been scientifically shown that if we consume enough water, our focus, alertness and short term memory are improved, which is because water is largely needed for the synthesis of chemical neurotransmitters that are a critical component to proper cognition.
DIGESTION
Apart from the fact that water keeps our bowel movements healthy, it is also a requirement in digestion, specifically for hydrolysis reactions that break down nutrients by the use of water, which allows you to make use of the nutrients we consume and it keeps the insides of our intestines smooth and flexible.
SKIN HEALTH
The benefits of drinking water for skin health have been widely linked. Drinking enough water prevents our skin from becoming dry, thus looking less wrinkly and having a younger and fresher appearance.
Furthermore, drinking more water has been shown to have a "brightening" effect on our skin and reducing the amount of acne, which overall gives a healthier skin complexion.
EXERCISE PERFORMANCE
Water is especially necessary for athletes and heavily active people who perspire a lot, since being dehydrated lowers our endurance levels, meaning that it is harder to maintain our levels of activity and water is needed for proper muscle contraction that allows for easier movements and faster and more responsive reflexes. With enough water, our brain can make faster decisions, so our muscles are able to exert more motion in a shorter span of time.
CONSEQUENCES OF DEHYDRATION
Dehydration is the direct consequence of not drinking enough water.
Even though you may not realize it, but you are very likely dehydrated if you:
Feel very thirsty all the time
Do not go to the bathroom often
Have urine of darker colour
Feel tired or dizzy
Have generally dry skin and a dry mouth
Find it hard to think clearly, stay focused and have slow reflexes
In the case that you are severely dehydrated, you may experience a feeling of fainting, rapid breathing or a fast heartbeat, so its crucial to rehydrate multiple times during the day; not just once per day.
Generally speaking, if we lose about 3-4% of our body water, we experience no major health setbacks. However, loosing 5-8% can cause us to become tired and lethargy and a loss of more than 10% can cause serious mental and functioning impairment. A loss of water of more than 15-25% is fatal.
HOW TO DRINK MORE WATER
Bring a water bottle with you where ever you go. If you use a bottle that you like, you are more likely to drink from it
Drinking more teas and water-based beverages (Preferably ones that are low in added sugar)
Drinking homemade flavoured water with herbs and refreshing fruits and vegetables
Always have water on the table during meal times
Using an app for water tracking and setting water drinking reminders
Opt for natural sparkling water over-processed sodas
Eating water-rich foods like fruits and vegetables. Buy them when in season, and buy them by the bulk. Vegetables and fruits with the highest water content are: lettuce, celery, zucchini, melons, cabbage and cucumber
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning when you wake up
Investing in a water filter that can help you improve the taste of your water (In the case that you do not enjoy the taste of your tap water)
