Water In Food: Effects On The Body, Weight Loss

Daily water requirement

Everyone is familiar with the statement “Water is the basis of life”. And this is true - water is the most common liquid on the planet, including in the human body. A person consists of 90% water, it is contained in the blood, in the muscles, and is a structural component of all cell membranes.

Water functions:

• Water is a universal solvent and carrier of trace elements. It is largely through water that we ensure the maintenance of an adequate mineral composition of our internal environments.

• structural function.

• Thermoregulating, water has a high heat capacity.

• Provides cell metabolism, the chemistry and physiology of the human body would not be possible without water.

• Maintenance of mucous membranes, all of our moistened parts of the body, moistened tissues, this is the joint with its articular surface, intra-articular fluid, mucous membranes: mucous membranes of the mouth, mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, mucous membranes of the genitourinary sphere. Everywhere moisture is maintained by water.

• Enzymatic, without its participation it would be impossible to enzymatic transformation of substances.

• Maintaining the correct rheology of liquid media such as blood, bile, lymph.

• A huge role in the detoxification process.

• Water is a source of trace elements such as calcium, magnesium, chlorine, iron and others.

There is no life without water, this is the main postulate. If imbalances occur in the water sphere, this immediately affects the functions of the entire human body. You know well that a person dies the fastest without oxygen, the second substance without which a person cannot live for more than a few days is water. Because without food a person can live up to 50-70 days, but without water, we will not live more than 3-5 days.

However, today's intense life, the pursuit of success and career growth are often so addictive that we forget to eat right, and even more so drink water in the right quantities. People have developed the skill to suppress the feeling of hunger and thirst. But if we forget to eat, then this is not as bad as the lack of water in the body. In people who regularly expose their body to “anhydrous” stress, their well-being and health deteriorate very quickly. Moreover, the problem of dehydration is also relevant in modern megacities, where the standard of living is quite high.

The skill of suppressing thirst, which people have learned to suppress, often leads to rather sad consequences. This is the physiological signal that every person, if his body is functioning normally, should experience during the day. In children and animals, the feeling of thirst is not lost. These are physiological abilities with which it is necessary to work if a person does not experience them.

Before you eat, always drink water, you may be thirsty and your brain is confusing the signals. You need to be attentive to yourself, you need to listen to yourself, highlight your signals, clearly differentiate and do not forget to satisfy your need to drink water in time.

When you need to monitor the water balance:

1. In hot weather, because we sweat, we lose a lot of fluid.

2. When visiting a sauna or bath in case of active fluid loss.

3. When drinking alcohol, because alcohol stimulates the excretion of fluid.

4. When we consume salt, it is better not to overindulge in fluid intake, as the salt will retain it. This can lead to edema and water imbalance.

5. When eating protein foods.

6. During pregnancy and breastfeeding. During pregnancy, you must definitely drink water, but you need to control. In late pregnancy, in the third trimester, there are violations of the water balance. This is a very common pathology, swelling of pregnant women, especially until the end of pregnancy. Here you need to be very careful and not give an extra load.

    

7. When breastfeeding, the opposite is true. A woman begins to lose fluid not only in the usual ways, but also along with breast milk. It is very important for a breastfeeding mother to drink water. One of the reasons for insufficient lactation may be due to the fact that a woman does not follow the water balance.

8. During illness, because any illness is accompanied by intoxication.

9. For headaches, allergies.

10. If you are overweight, if there is a tendency to edema, you need to adjust and control it accordingly. Here it will be right not to drink a lot of water, but to adequately maintain the water balance.

1. When the temperature rises.

2. For dry skin.

3. With signs of intoxication.

4. With rare or scanty urination.

Let's look at situations where you need to increase your water intake. Let's start with the children. First, it is better to distribute the use of water, formula, milk. A good option would be to get your child a separate motivating bottle, which he will be pleased to hold. In this case, the child forms positive connections in the brain in connection with the process of drinking clean water. If the children are older, they can play games with them, where water is one of the components of the game.

There are several options for how you can calculate the daily water requirement. The average calculation of water is 30-40 milliliters per day per 1 kilogram of ideal weight. This suggests that if a person weighs 150 kg, this does not mean that he needs to drink 10 liters of water. The ideal weight is calculated using special formulas that can be easily found on the Internet.

Whether we have enough water or not, our own body can tell: for this we need to pay attention to the color of urine. If it is dark, then the person is not drinking enough and needs to increase their fluid intake. The second test: pinch your hand on the outside of the palm. If the skin is smoothed quickly - everything is in order, if slowly - the cells need moisture.

There are people who try, just in case, to overfulfill the plan for providing the body with water. However, an excess of this substance is no better than its shortage. Too much water leads to the leaching of minerals (potassium, calcium, sodium) from the body, partially washes out the intestinal microflora, disrupts the absorption of nutrients and vitamins, increases intracranial and blood pressure, causes convulsions, swelling and even heart attacks.

Excessive water intake is especially dangerous for people with kidney failure and hypertension. They need to limit the amount of liquid to 1.5 liters per day, and it is better to fight thirst in other ways: eat more vegetables and fruits, take a cool shower in the heat and drink tea acidified with lemon, and avoid pickles and smoked.

You can not drink a lot and during sports. Excess water overloads the cardiovascular system, which, under the influence of physical exertion, already works very intensively. But at the same time, you can’t do it “dry” either - you need to replenish the loss of fluid and minerals that come out with sweat. Therefore, you need to drink, but a little - a couple of sips, and it is better not to use mineral water (it dries your mouth), but ordinary water. Mineral water is good to drink after sports to restore the balance of fluid and minerals.

Symptoms of lack of water in the body

It is necessary to clearly recognize and understand the signals of the body in order to be able to suspect the symptoms of dehydration in time and prevent this condition.

1. A dry mouth is the very first and obvious indicator of a lack of water in the body. As a rule, such a sensation precedes the feeling of thirst. Everyone has experienced dry mouth, and on hot days, this is a common occurrence. In addition, it dries up in the mouth and during a night's rest, a person wakes up and quenches his thirst.

2. Dryness and pain in the eyes - a sufficient amount of water consumed is extremely important for the condition of all the mucous membranes of the body. Unpleasant sensations of dryness in the eyes are quite common. There is a desire to rub the eyes, blood vessels protrude on the surface, there is a desire to blink frequently. Surprisingly, people in such cases do not understand that the reason is the lack of water. You just need to drink a couple of glasses of life-giving moisture and unpleasant dry eyes will pass in 5-10 minutes.

    

3. The feeling of thirst - a strong desire to drink water, which is simply impossible to resist, indicates the beginning of dehydration. In this state, a person absolutely does not care what to drink - hot or icy liquid, tea, coffee, soda, mineral water, etc. Chronic thirst indicates a constant lack of water in the body.

4. Dryness of the skin is the longest organ of our body, which performs thousands of important functions, the main of which is the protection of the body. The skin is called the mirror of the state of the body, since any lack of trace elements and nutrients, any disease processes are reflected in it. Dry skin indicates a serious violation of metabolic processes, including due to dehydration. In this case, it is necessary to increase water consumption per day to the accepted norms of 1.5-2 liters.

5. A constant feeling of hunger - a lack of water in the body can be easily confused with a feeling of slight hunger. As a rule, in such a situation, we begin to look for something to eat. However, do not forget that thirst is very easily disguised as hunger. An easy way to identify this false feeling of hunger is to drink a glass of water. If the hunger is gone, then you just wanted to drink, not eat.

6. Decreased muscle mass. If we are 90% water, then, accordingly, the muscles have a larger percentage of it. As a result of dehydration, muscle mass simply decreases, as the body takes fluid from the muscles to support other vital organs. Because of this, the muscles lose elasticity, become flabby and can no longer easily endure most of the daily stress. You literally do not have enough strength, you want to sleep all the time or lie on the couch. This is why physically active people drink plenty of water during their activities.

1. Immunity problems and long-term illnesses still remember the wise advice of doctors about drinking water frequently during colds. This is sound advice for strengthening the body's immune system. As you know, water is not only the best conductor of microsubstances in the human body, but also an excellent "cleaner". It is with water that toxins are removed from the body. With a lack of fluid, it will be consumed from the blood, which will significantly slow down the process of recovery and strengthening the immune system.

2. Chronic fatigue - when our battery runs out, there is only one desire - to lie down and relax, and it is desirable to sleep. This is a natural protective function of the body with a lack of energy, dehydration and overwork. Economy mode allows you to come to grips with recuperation. However, if drowsiness haunts you constantly, then this may be a sign of a lack of water. Since the body cannot replenish fluid reserves without our help, it simply turns us off, putting the whole body into an economical mode - sleep. Lethargy, eternal irritability, fatigue - this is 90% caused by a lack of water.

3. Digestive Problems - Do not be surprised if, with a normal diet, it seems to you that there are problems with the stomach - bloating, upsets, heartburn, etc. The reason also lies in the lack of fluid, because the walls of the stomach are made up of cells that need water in the required volume. In addition, gastric juice becomes very viscous when there is not enough moisture and does not do a good job of breaking down food.

    

4. Constipation and other unpleasant sensations during bowel movements - another symptom of lack of water is constipation. In such situations, you should pay attention to the drinking regimen, because most often it is only a lack of fiber and a small amount of water consumed. In 85% of cases, constipation is caused by dehydration, because food is not dissolved by gastric juice and is not absorbed by the walls of the stomach. There may also be pain during defecation.

5. Flabbiness of the skin and signs of premature aging - over the years, our body loses some of its functions, among them the ability to retain a sufficient amount of water in the cells. When traces of premature aging appear on the skin, this is a sign that aging processes have been going on inside the body for a long time. And they are much more dangerous than external manifestations. Dehydration exacerbates age-related changes at times.

6. Insufficient urination - count how many times a day you go to the toilet for small needs. If less than 4 times, then this is a bell in order to think about the lack of water in the body. Also pay attention to the color of urine, if it is dark, then there are a lot of toxins and toxins in the body. The easiest way to improve the functioning of all systems is to increase the amount of water you drink per day.

7. Weight gain - lack of water leads to the fact that the body begins to accumulate it for future use and retain it in the body by any means. Therefore, if a person drinks little water, then he gains weight, edema appears, the body stores water in the intercellular space.

1. Pain in the joints - the joint consists of cartilaginous tissues, which in turn are 80% water. Due to this, they are elastic and durable. Also in the joint bag is placed synovial fluid, which softens the friction inside the joint. When dehydrated, unpleasant sensations appear in the joints, creaking in the elbows and knees. Cartilage becomes less elastic, and the joint fluid turns into a viscous and thick jelly. Depreciation decreases and friction inside the joints increases.

2. Migraine, dizziness - a headache is also one of the signs of dehydration, which usually turns on if other signs of a lack of water have not worked. Dizziness and migraines are similar to headaches after a hangover, since the cause of their occurrence is about the same - lack of water.

3. Diarrhea, food poisoning, vomiting - in such states, the body consumes a monstrous amount of fluid reserves, so dehydration occurs many times more often. It is not always necessary to drink ordinary water to make up for losses. Doctors recommend that in case of poisoning, vomiting or diarrhea, add salt to the water and drink it in small sips. Salt retains fluid in the body and reduces the chance of dehydration.

Symptoms of excess water in the body

First, let's look at the reasons why excess fluid should not be allowed. Symptoms of overhydration are similar to poisoning. Another name for it is water intoxication. The bottom line is that the cells and the intercellular space are filled with fluid. Sodium, potassium, and other components necessary for normal functioning are washed out. A significant excess of fluid can lead to death. On average, for this you need to drink 8-10 liters of water per day. But individual characteristics often lead to the fact that even with normal use of water, hyperhydration still develops and below are some symptoms of excess water in the body:

1. Behavioral symptoms - from the outside, the person seems a little strange: he drinks a lot of water, carries containers of mineral water with him everywhere. Most likely, an irresistible habit has developed. A person cannot do without a constant supply of water, the internal organs are stretched, the cells of the body require a constant supply of fluid. Large volumes of water are taken by people who eat salty foods and experience an excess of salts in the body.

2. Frequent use of the toilet - if you notice that you began to go to the toilet often, the problem may be excess water. Normally, it is enough to go to the toilet to urinate up to 8 times a day. Alarming symptom - 10 trips or more.

3. Colorless urine - the normal color of urine is yellowish. Moreover, the color can be either completely transparent or cloudy. But still, yellow "notes" in the discharge should be present. When they are absent, this is a clear symptom of excess water in the body. Absolute transparency is not a sign of health, but evidence of a deficiency of important components.

1. Signs of poisoning, nausea - with an excess of moisture in the cells, a complex of symptoms characteristic of dehydration appears. First of all - nausea, symptoms of intoxication. With severe overhydration, vomiting occurs, sometimes without food masses. Indigestion and diarrhea are also possible. A person goes to the toilet literally with water, and not with feces.

2. Headache - anatomically, overhydration is expressed literally in swelling of the internal organs, including the brain. Excess fluid in it leads to the fact that the brain literally presses on the bones of the skull. And this inevitably leads to the appearance of migraines, a strong pulsation in the head, pressing sensations.

3. Pale skin - first of all, the skin of the hands, lips, skin of the feet turns pale. This happens, rather, not because of an excess of water, but because of a lack of sodium. It is sodium that determines what shade the skin will be. In principle, the pallor of the skin can be seen without hyperhydration. The skin turns pale gradually, and with the use of two liters of water a day, a pale shade is unlikely.

    

4. Muscle weakness, decreased tone - in addition to a decrease in tone, overhydration causes leg cramps. This is possible even if the amount of water consumed is within reasonable limits. In particular, the lack of micronutrients such as sodium or potassium itself causes numbness.

5. Constant fatigue and irritation - drinking too much water, a person leaves himself unprotected from the effects of stress and physical exertion. He cannot resist intense negative factors. Also gradually formed excessive drowsiness, fatigue. Every day it becomes more and more difficult to leave the bed, perform work duties, concentrate attention for a long time.

Factors affecting the water content in the body

Factors affecting the percentage of water in the body are not only gender, age and habitat, but also the constitution of the body. Studies have shown that the water content in the body of a newborn reaches 80%, the body of an adult male contains, on average, 60% of water, and the body of a woman - 65%. Lifestyle and eating habits can also affect the body's water content. The body of overweight people contains much more moisture than asthenics and people with normal body weight.

To protect the body from dehydration, doctors recommend eating salt daily. The daily norm is up to 5 gr. But this does not mean at all that it should be consumed as a separate dish. It is found in various vegetables, meats, and ready meals.

To protect the body from dehydration in difficult environmental conditions, excessive sweating, which upsets the moisture balance, should be reduced. For this, special forces soldiers have the following composition: Table salt (1.5 g) + ascorbic acid (2.5 g) + glucose (5 g) + water (500 ml). This composition not only prevents the loss of moisture through sweat, but also supports the body in the most active phase of life support. Also, this composition is used by travelers, going on long trips, where the availability of potable water is limited, and the load is maximum.

Foods with the highest water content

There are situations when it is not at all necessary to get the entire norm of fluid intake from clean drinking water, while there are a large number of products that contain a lot of good structured water. Let's consider some of them.

• Iceberg lettuce - 95.64% water - in fact, there is nothing but water in this leafy vegetable. Other types of lettuce, such as Romano, contain much more nutrients. But Iceberg also has one undoubted advantage - a very low calorie content (only 1 unit in a medium-sized sheet).

• Celery - 95.43% water - an excellent choice for those who are trying to lose weight. There is a little less water in it than in the Iceberg, but at the same time it is literally saturated with moisture - it is much easier to get the daily norm of water from a vegetable than from a green salad.

• Radishes - 95.27% water - a salad of juicy radishes will be a good addition to the main course. It is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that improve digestion and help the body fight infections.

   

• Cucumber - 95.23% water - cucumber circles on the eyes - an eternal classic in home skin care. In addition to the fact that the vegetable reduces swelling, it is also able to saturate the skin with moisture - both when applied externally and when consumed internally. A nice bonus is a complex of useful nutrients, including vitamin K, potassium and magnesium.

• Zucchini - 94.79% water - this vegetable is also rich in fiber. At the same time, the calorie content in it is so small that it can be eaten even at night.

• Tomatoes are 94.52% water - there are several good reasons to love tomatoes. In addition to saturating us with life-giving moisture, tomatoes also improve the functioning of the hematopoietic system, reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack, and help prevent the development of osteoporosis.

• Sweet (bulgarian) pepper - 93.89% water - bell pepper - regardless of variety - contains a large amount of water. In addition, the vegetable is rich in fiber, potassium and vitamin C - nutrients that our immune system really needs.

   

• Eggplant - 92.3% water - many do not like eggplant because of the noticeable bitterness that appears if the vegetable is not peeled or kept in salt. But the extra effort is worth it - along with life-giving moisture, you will get a good portion of healthy fiber, the consumption of which reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

• Cauliflower - 92.07% Water - Cauliflower doesn't seem like a particularly juicy vegetable, but it's still in the top 10 foods for water content. In addition, cabbage is rich in many useful substances, including choline (vitamin B4), which supports metabolism and the functioning of the nervous system.

• Watermelon - 91.45% water - surprisingly, the juicy and watery watermelon only ranks tenth in the ranking. There is no doubt that there is plenty of moisture in it - just imagine: one serving of a berry is equal to 250 ml of water. In addition, watermelon contains an important antioxidant lycopene, which prevents the development of cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

• Spinach - 91.4% water - spinach gives off the main moisture during heat treatment - when stewed, it becomes tender and juicy. But it is useful not only for this. The vegetable also contains calcium, magnesium and potassium - elements necessary for our bones.

   

• Strawberries - 90.95% water - this is the case when useful can be combined with pleasant - and even very pleasant, because what could be better than a plate of juicy and sweet strawberries on a hot afternoon. The berry is rich in antioxidants. Scientists claim that strawberry consumption reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease and hypertension.

• Cantaloupe melon - 90.15% water - one serving of the berry contains only 46 calories and a full gram of healthy fiber. Not to mention the impressive dose of vitamin A. This kind of melon is extremely useful and very beautiful in appearance.

• Grapefruit - 90% water - closes the list is not the most popular, but very juicy citrus - grapefruit. In terms of water content, it has gone far from tangerines and oranges. In addition, citrus is rich in vitamin C and phytonutrients that have anti-cancer properties.

Water for weight loss

Many scientific experiments have clearly proven the link between drinking and weight loss. Take the Stanford study, which included more than a hundred overweight women.

Scientists selected those who drank less than 1 liter of water per day and simply changed their drinking regimen, increasing the amount of fluid they consumed to about 2 liters. The study lasted exactly one year. During this time, the subjects' weight and waist circumference were regularly measured. And in the final, the researchers found that the water caused weight loss: each woman, without changing her lifestyle, lost up to 2 kilograms.

Another study was conducted in schools. Drinking water fountains have been installed in 32 educational institutions in Germany so that children can quench their thirst at the earliest opportunity. And the schoolchildren were given several lectures on how useful water can be.

And again, impressive results: at the end of the school year, it turned out that regular drinking reduces the risk of being overweight by 31%. Nearly 3,000 children of primary school age participated in the study.

So the link “drink and you will be slim” can be considered statistically proven.

Water, as studies show, has a whole range of properties that can speed up weight loss (or keep fit if you are not already overweight):

• Water increases calorie expenditure

  It is enough to drink 500 ml (about two glasses) of water - and after 10 minutes the metabolic rate will increase by 30%, and the effect will last at least an hour. If you drink 2 liters per day, this will be equivalent to losing about 100 kilocalories. That’s about how much you would lose if you swam at a calm pace for half an hour, walked for 40 minutes, or washed the floors for just over half an hour.

   

• Water reduces calorie intake

  If you quench your thirst with water, then you do not quench it with other drinks that can be much more high in calories: lemonade, cola, sweet tea, juices, fruit drinks, milk. It seems like a trifle, but in fact, the reduction in calorie content is quite significant: on average, as studies show, a water lover consumes almost 200 kilocalories less per day than someone who does not control what exactly they drink.

   

• Water reduces appetite and body fat

  To prove this, the researchers selected 50 overweight women and asked them to drink 500 ml (2 cups) of water three times a day: half an hour before breakfast, lunch and dinner. More young ladies were not limited in anything.

  After eight weeks, it turned out that the women's appetite had decreased: in order to get enough, they had less food than before. That is, they consumed fewer calories and lost those extra pounds. The average weight loss over 8 weeks was approximately 1.5 kilograms.

  Of course, we should not forget that although water helps to lose weight and keep fit, you should not go beyond the consumption norms (approximately 3.7 liters of water for men and 2.7 liters for women). Moreover, the moisture that you get from food is also considered. In everything, it is important to maintain balance and rationality in consumption.