Water: Nature’s Elixir To Optimal Health

Part 2 of 5 | Read Part 1 | Read Part 3 | Read Part 4 | Read Part 5

Water is essential to our health. When the body lacks water, maintaining the blood becomes a priority over the cells. The body will allow cellular damage to occur before the viscosity of the blood is permitted to be lost.  When it comes to water distribution, the brain is the most important because it contains the highest concentration of water (85%), and for the work it executes as controller over bodily functions.  So losing out on hydration is possibly the worst thing you can do to your body.

Water performs many vital tasks within the body, like breaking down food particles, running the body’s hydroelectric pumps, removing toxins, cooling and carrying nutrients to cells.  Without water the body simply can not perform its necessary functions, and vital processes will shut down.  You need to know when your body is dehydrated and work to counteract the problem.

Wrinkles: One Sign of Dehydration

As we age our body’s water chemistry dramatically changes. In youth the cells contain more water than the area outside them. By the time a person reaches 80 this ratio is reversed. As the years roll by it becomes very difficult not to suffer some level of water loss. One reason is because the elderly lose their ability to sense that they are thirsty, which makes them vulnerable to the ravishes of dehydration. It is thought that nerves in the mouth, stomach and brain change in such a way that they become less sensitive to the thirst reflex.

Although there are several factors involved in the creation of skin wrinkles it has been well established that fluid content plays a major part in weathering the body’s epidermis.  So proper hydration is the first step in avoiding rapid wrinkling.

Dehydration and its Effects

Extreme dehydration can kill within hours. But you don’t have to suffer such a radical experience to feel the effects that lack of water has on the body.

When the body is dehydrated, histamine is produced to regulate the water that is available. Along with this the brain will send the kidneys the message to decrease urine production. So even though the body is dehydrated, the swelling which causes edema often occurs. The lack of urine production causes the sodium levels within the body to rise. Though increasing water intake can often be the solution to decreasing edema swelling, this increase should slowly be implemented, over a period of several days. This will allow the kidneys time to become accustomed.

The major signs of dehydration are:

• Excessive thirst
• Heartburn
• Stomach ache
• Low back pain
• Headache
• Depression
• Water retention
• Fatigue
• Little urination
• Muscle weakness
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth

Through the work of Dr. Batmanghelidj several diseases have been found to have a link to dehydration. Among them are:

• Asthma
• Allergies
• Gastritis
• Heartburn
• Colitis Pain
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Hypertension
• High Blood Cholesterol
• Stress and Depression
• Chronic Fatigue
• Diabetes
• Angina
• Strokes

Rehydration

Every day the body recycles nearly 320,000 ounces of water executing its standard operations. As a result the body loses between 48 and 64 ounces of water daily. The body requires a minimum of 1 1/2 quarts of water daily to maintain hydration.

Rehydration should occur slowly, over a period of a few days. This allows the kidneys to become accustomed to the greater quantity of liquid. Plus, unlike a camel, the human body has no mechanism which allows it to hold water in reserve. People need to drink small quantities (4 to 8 ounces) several times a day to stay hydrated, the exception being in the morning when water has not been taken for several hours, and when heavy work, exercise, or perspiration has caused the body to become depleted. At these times the body may require 16 or more ounces to maintain hydration.

Not all liquids are equal. Many liquids people drink throughout the day are actually diuretics and cause the body to lose more water than is consumed. These include anything with caffeine – coffee, tea, and soda are among the most popular. Water is the liquid the body needs.

So, how much should you drink daily? The quick and easy formula for that is half your body weight in ounces. In other words, if you weigh 150 pounds you should drink 75 ounces of water daily. Considering the normal American consumption of water this formula seems to be a massive amount, which is another reason you should increase your intake over a number of days. For the 150 pound person this averages out to four and half ounces every waking hour of the day (16 hours). To help you increase your water intake visit the following web page:  20 Tips For Getting Your 8 Glasses of Water Daily.

It is probably safe to say that most people do not drink as much water as they should, which is why dehydration with age seems unavoidable. You can only do your best. Even drinking the minimum of 48 ounces a day will greatly help the body, since many people drink far less.