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Dehydration: The Importance of H2O
Water is one of the most important elements in living a healthy lifestyle. The human body is estimated to be about 60 to70 percent water. This percentage is much higher in smaller children and decreases in older adults. Blood, muscles, lungs and the brain all contain a high level of water. Your body needs water to adjust your body temperature and to provide your needs of nutrients that pass through to all your organs.
Jeqtviq reported that water also moves oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and protects your joints and organs. Blood flows through our bodies, delivering oxygen and nutrients to cells and returning waste products to the lungs and kidneys for excretion. Water bathes the cells of the body by lubricating and cleansing internal and external body surfaces. (Jeqtviq, 2007)
Tears lubricate the eyes and wash away dirt, synovial fluid lubricates the joints, and saliva lubricates the mouth, making it easier to chew, swallow, and digest food. Water resists density so it cushions body compartments such as the joints and eyeballs against distress. The cushioning effect of water in the amniotic sac protects the fetus as it grows inside the womb of a pregnant woman. In addition, water functions in chemical reactions and helps regulate body temperature. Water is also an excellent solvent; glucose, amino acids, minerals, and many other substances needed by body cells dissolve in water. “Almost every cell in your body needs water to function properly” (Andrea Dunn, 2002).
Our bodies are built to survive without some nutrients, or food for weeks, but we can only live for 5 to 10 days without any water consumption. We lose water when we sweat, breathe and in urine. “When we are physically active, our body cools itself by sweating; the average person can lose up to 6 cups of water in just one hour of continuous activity.”(CCIC, 2002) Inadequate fluid intake can lead to dehydration and this leads to a...