Some things we take for granted and hardly appreciate, until we don't have them . Water is one of them. A person lost in a desert with a dry canteen craves water above anything else. Did you know that our earth is the only planet in our solar system with an abundance of water? Is it any wonder then that none of the other planets have life on them? You see, life, as we know it, is utterly dependent on water.
All cells need water. If we have ever had to go without food and water for any length of time, we know that we suffered far more from lack of water than lack of food. There is a good reason for this. The body is normally 70% of water by weight, and water is essential for the function of all body cells. You could not even utilize the oxygen you breathe if your lungs were not moistened. You could not swallow, blink your eyes or even speak without water. As a matter of fact as, while you were thinking at this very moment , your brain cells are using water.
Consider the various organ of your body, for instance your blood. Blood cells flow in serum, which is largely water. The digestive tract needs some fluid for mixing various digestive juices with the food you eat, beginning with your saliva. how could impurities and wastes be excreted from the body without sweat from the skin or the urine produced by the kidneys? Evaporation of the water from the skin also helps regulate your body temperature to a fraction of a degree.
Water balance is important. Too much water in our body is not good either. An increased of 20% in our body water result to death. So we find that regulating the intake and output of water is very important. Most people don't drink enough water. after understanding how your body uses water, you may decide to drink more. Every move you make uses water. It lubricates our eyes when we blink. As you swallow a glass of water , it coats your esophagus and enters you digestive tract. A good portion of water is absorbed from your stomach directly into your blood and carried to distant points. As you breathe and perspire, water is lost.
After losing about 1% of water to your body, you feel thirsty. But don't wait until you feel thirsty to drink. We need about six to eight glasses of this fluid a day for the best health. Pure water is the best thirst-quencher. Coffee, iced tea, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages simply contaminate the water with sugar and chemicals.
Our heart pumps approximately 2,000 liters of blood through your kidney every 24 hours. Most of this blood nourishes the kidney, adrenals and surrounding tissues. 200 liters of it
are passed through the kidney's filtering unit. However only one and a half litters of this are excreted as urine. The rest of the 200 liters is reabsorbed into the blood. The kidney conserve the precious fluid, using only what is necessary to carry away waste materials. Your kidney also save useful minerals and chemicals for reuse.
When we exercise and perspire, the pituitary gland releases an anti-diuretic chemical, which restrict the amount of urine formed. This hormone causes your kidneys to reabsorb more water into the blood to compensate for that lost during exercise. As a consequence, your urine may be darker in color, a signal for you to drink more water.
Thirst not reliable in man, Most animals replace all their water lost when given the opportunity. Humans, however, usually replace only about 2/3 of their need. So remember, that we must drink more water daily than you may feel you want. Mountain climbers who drinks plenty of water en routed not suffer exhaustion like those who are deprived of sufficient water. Forced drinking is even necessary in frigid condition.
Think water... Did you know that we need adequate water to think clearly? Depression and irritability may be due to lack of water. If the water level of your brain drops below 70%, such as in severe dehydration, your resultant behavior may resemble as psychosis.
If you want the best health, including mental alertness, think water and take a good , long drink.
Water is the cheapest and often the most effective, tonic you can take.
