The Water We Can't Live Without

The best weapon against disease is proper prevention. Today, special attention is paid to proper nutrition, optimal physical activity, achieving and maintaining optimal body weight and stable metabolic control. There is enough talk about adequate fluid intake, but are we actually aware of the consequences of not having one? Moreover - what is the percentage of pure water intake and how much and how do we deceive our body with tea, coffee and carbonated drinks that it is sufficiently hydrated?

In every organism, water plays the role of a solvent, a chemical reagent, a medium for carrying out chemical reactions. It provides the transport of energy sources, enzymes, hormones, biologically active substances, but also the transport of toxic end products of metabolism. The role of water as a thermoregulator is not small, as well as a factor for maintaining certain volumes and pressures such as blood, intraocular, intracerebral and others.

The human body contains about 70-75% water in newborns to about 60% in middle age. Two thirds of it is intracellular. It is unevenly distributed in individual tissues and organs, with the highest percentage in nervous tissue - 84%, followed by kidneys (80%), muscles (77%), skin (70%). In adipose tissue its content is the lowest - only 10%, which is why in overweight people the total percentage of water is lower than in the weak.

Extracellular water is involved in the composition of plasma, lymph, intraocular, intra-articular fluid, as well as that in the peritoneal, pleural and pericardial cavities, cerebrospinal fluid and others. In order to have a constant volume of body fluids, it is necessary to have a balance between intake and loss of water from the body. The latter is carried out through the urinary system - an average of about 1500ml / 24h, by breathing - about 300ml / 24h, through sweat and invisible vapors through the skin -700-800ml / 24h, with feces - about 100-150ml / day.

These values ​​indicate that balance will be in place when the intake of water is between 2 and 2.5 liters in 24 hours. The main sources are pure water and other consumed liquids, but let's not forget that food provides about 30-35%, and metabolic processes in the body also, although to a lesser extent, provide water.

Most of us associate insufficient fluid intake with thirst and dry mucous membranes. It is also widely believed that dehydration is an acute condition due to the sudden loss of large amounts of body fluids in a number of diseases, accidents, in overheating climates. However, the truth is that dehydration is much more common in connection with modern habits, in connection with the irrational choice of drinks and consumption of saltier foods. This dehydration is chronic, and we can not even guess about its presence, complaining at the same time about a number of health problems.

In general, the lack of adequate hydration in the chronic aspect is reflected in two main aspects. First of all, it affects the metabolism. Initially, the enzyme activity slows down, and subsequently changes the rhythm, which disrupts the building processes, suppresses the recovery, and this in turn affects the performance. The other main point is autointoxication. Sweat, urine, exhaled air, feces have a cleansing role in the body. In the conditions of dehydration the elimination of the waste products of the metabolism does not stop, but everything takes place against the background of a higher concentration in the mentioned excretory pathways. This sooner or later affects the elimination process itself and its effectiveness is impaired, resulting in autointoxication.

 

Severe fatigue and inability to perform basic activities are rare. Indifference to daily duties, lack of enthusiasm, boredom, depressed mood are most often noticed. Increasing water consumption has a relatively rapid effect on the general condition. Recovery is usually the first improvement experienced in chronic dehydration.
Often depressive statesare caused by disturbances in water homeostasis. Tryptophan, an amino acid that is a source of the happiness hormone serotonin, is thought to be transported to the brain when there is enough water. Additionally, impaired metabolism may lead to increased degradation of these mediators.

 

 

It is known that gastric and intestinal juices are rich in enzymes, but above all they contain a lot of water - up to 7 liters per day. The lack of such in the body can not but affect their composition. As a result, digestion and absorption deteriorate, excess gas increases, and appetite is suppressed. On the other hand, water is a major part of the mucus layer located next to the gastric mucosa, which has an acidic protective value. The loss of the latter leads to damage to the mucosa and the appearance of gastritis and ulcers. In conditions of dehydration, a delay in gastric emptying is found. Prolonged stay of food in it is also associated with more irritation of its mucous membranes. In addition, conditions are created for the return of gastric contents into the esophagus to a minimum, to part of the overall pathogenesis of reflux disease. To optimize the function of the gastrointestinal tract, doctors recommend drinking water before, during and after meals.

Another aspect of intestinal involvement is chronic constipation. The main reabsorption of water from the intestinal contents takes place in the large intestine. As the body strives to maintain its water-salt homeostasis (consistency of composition), this is one of the mechanisms for maintaining the volume of body fluids. As a result, the stools become hard, difficult to pass, sometimes painful, creating conditions for the formation of fissures, hemorrhoids and chronic inflammation of the colon.

Histamine is a mediator involved in water-salt metabolism. In case of dehydration, an increase in its level is registered. On the other hand, it is an important component in the pathogenesis of allergic conditions. Therefore, allergic manifestations of the body are associated with insufficient hydration. The lungs are one of the elimination organs, and water is an integral part of the glands that open in the bronchial tract. Insufficient hydration can cause respiratory symptoms. It is no coincidence that adequate water intake and inhalations play an important role in the treatment of respiratory diseases.

The skin also has a secretory function. Sweat plays a significant role in the excretion of toxic waste products. In conditions of dehydration, however, this is at the expense of a strong concentration of sweat, which irritates the skin. This can be the cause of eczema . Reducing the turgor of the skin, drying of the mucous membranes are some of the main signs of dehydration.

Water-salt homeostasis is probably most dependent on the functional state of the kidneys. When water intake is limited, concentration of urine occurs. In the chronic aspect, this creates conditions for the formation of stones in the urinary tract. Both their presence and the lack of flushing function of the normal composition and amount of urine, damage to the mucosa itself, create favorable conditions for urinary tract infections .

An interesting fact is that behind a hearty meal you can look for nothing but thirst. Not infrequently, instead of liquids, a person chooses to quench his thirst with foods high in water. However, along with the fluids we need, we take in more calories. An explanation for this phenomenon is sought on the one hand in the fact that food consumption suppresses thirst, and on the other - fatigue that accompanies dehydration is often confused with lack of energy due to lack of calorie intake. All this reflects on body weight. This should be another point of view to include more water in weight control diets.

Last but not least is the role of water in the aging process. In fact, a decrease in its percentage is constantly observed with advancing age, which lies in one of the theories of aging. By consuming enough water, we can slow down if we do not prevent the consequences of the past years. We have already mentioned the role of water in the condition of the skin - for its good turgor and elasticity. The internal environment of the organism can be judged in a similar way. Therefore, we can say that through adequate water consumption we can prevent premature aging . 

The recommended 1.5-2 liters of fluid per day can be a solution to a number of health problems, improve tone and quality of life, as well as prevent the occurrence of unwanted conditions and diseases.