February 18, 2006

Water is a human necessity. Without food, a person can survive for weeks but without water, the odds of surviving more than a few days are highly unlikely. In fact, approximately 70 per cent of the human body is water. The only thing more important than water to the human body is oxygen.

Water serves several purposes within the body, some of which are listed as under:

• Maintains body temperature
• Aids in digestion
• Metabolizes fat
• Lubricates organs
• Cushions organs
• Transports nutrients
• Flushes out toxins

The body excretes water constantly through sweat, urine and exhaled air, which is why it’s so important to replenish your body with an ample amount of water every day.

Most health professionals agree that the average human body requires from eight to ten glasses of water a day.

Dehydration

Are you drinking enough water? If you’re experiencing the following symptoms, chances are, you need more water than you’re currently drinking.

Mild dehydration

• Thirst
• Dry lips
• Dry mouth

Moderate dehydration

• Lack of skin elasticity
• Sunken eyes

Severe dehydration

• All the above symptoms
• Rapid, weak pulse
• Cold extremities
• Rapid breathing
• Confusion
• Lethargy

In addition to simply neglecting to drink enough water, the human body can become dehydrated from vomiting, diarrhoea, overexposure to the sun and fever. Diuretics and natural diuretics such as alcohol and caffeine can also cause dehydration. Although drinking plenty of water can easily cure most cases of dehydration, if not tended to, severe cases of dehydration can result in death.

Body parts and water

Every part of the human body depends on adequate hydration to function properly: from your skin to the brain. The following is an examination of the body and its need for water:

• Skin — without water, it becomes dry and cracked. It is also the main conduit for releasing water from the body.
• Joints and bones — water acts as a lubricant between bones. Without water, bones may rub against each other and become brittle.
• Blood — it thickens when the body is lacking water, which makes it difficult for the heart to pump and distribute blood to the rest of the body. Plus, capillaries shut down creating obstacles for nutrients circulating to vital organs.
• Kidneys — without water, the kidneys are unable to remove toxins, wastes and salt from the blood. The risk of kidney stones also increases.
• Liver — metabolizes fat. But if the body is not getting enough water, it has to perform some of the kidney’s functions, which means it’s not metabolizing as much fat as it should.
• Digestive system — when the body is dehydrated, the organs of the digestive system have to work harder than normal and become strained, which results in constipation and abdominal cramps.
• Brain — without water, the body will experience a loss of nutrients flowing to the brain. Temporary results are dizziness, confusion and irritability. Long periods of dehydration can cause permanent damage to the brain. Water also cushions the brain, which means if the body is dehydrated, the brain is more vulnerable.

Nida Hussain

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