Nutrition Lessons - Water
"We only need to drink water when we are thirsty".
I, along with millions of others, have lived under this false
assumption for years. Then, one day when I went in for a long
overdue physical, I was set straight by my doctor. Some basic tests had
indicated that I was dehydrated. During the discussion that followed, the
doctor made it very clear that my water intake had to increase.
He pointed out to me that about 75% of North Americans are dehydrated.
Water is vital to our body as the most essential nutrient. A healthy
adult can go weeks without food, but only days without water.
It is crucial that we drink adequate amounts each and every day.
By the way, I would not count those 5 cups of coffee as part of
the supply. Caffeine (and sugar) act as diuretics, speeding up dehydration.
(see this article for
comments about caffeine drinks)
Water forms the major part of every tissue within the body.
About 60% of the average human body is water, and about 80% of
the blood. It provides carriage of hormones, chemical substances, and food
elements between organs. It helps us absorb nutrients. It
lubricates our joints. It helps regulate our temperature through
the mechanism of perspiration (sweat). Water also facilitates many of the
metabolic reactions that occur in the body, and helps remove the waste
by-products of these reactions.
The amount of water you actually need compared to other
nutrients is enormous, about two to three litres per day. Some
of this is obtained in the foods we eat. Health professionals agree
that each of us should drink 8 to 12 glasses of water a day to
maintain a healthy body.
The importance of water is undeniable, as in the respiration
process. Our lungs (which can be 90% water) use the oxygen
in the air that we breathe and give out the carbon dioxide produced as
a result of the metabolic reactions in our body. For our respiration
function to continue properly, the humidity level of our lungs
should always stay the same.
If our body does not receive enough water, heat stroke may occur.
This is possible because the body becomes unable to cool itself, and
our body temperature rises rapidly. Seniors are especially susceptible
to this.
It has been observed that the skin of people who drink sufficient
water everyday has a more natural colour, and is more lively
and healthier looking.
Why not get into the habit of drinking adequate amounts of water,
and improve your health. Remember that by drinking enough water, you
are keeping your skin soft and supple, your brain sharp, and your
elimination systems regular.
Quality
Have you noticed the huge growth of the bottled water industry? People
do not trust their tap water. Several front page stories about
cryptosporidium
(see this article
about an outbreak in North Battleford, Canada) have scared many of us into buying water in a bottle. My concern is with the quality
of that bottled water.
My personal preference is either distilled water or properly filtered water.
However, some people have concerns about lack of minerals in distilled water -
there are arguments in both directions.
My local grocery store has a filtering machine that uses a variety of methods
to filter out potentially bad substances that are in the municipal water system.
Click here
for an article about these water vending machines.
Final Point
One final point. Water has zero calories, and drinking a
glass full can help suppress your appetite. See our article titled
Can water help you lose weight?
Now, before you forget, go drink a glass full of H2O right now,
and improve your health.
P.S. For a more detailed discussion about the role of dehydration
in our health, I recommend the book,
Your Body's Many Cries for Water
, by Dr. Batmanghelidj. He believes that he has found chronic dehydration
to be the cause of many conditions including asthma, allergies, arthritis,
angina, migraine headaches, hypertension, raised cholesterol,
chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and depression,
as well as diabetes in the elderly.
Also, see our articles titled:
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