70 percent of our body weight is made up of water only. This alone signifies the importance of water in our system. According to scientists, water is the second most essential substance to sustain life on any planet, only behind oxygen. Not only in respiration, digestion, excretion or any physical needs, but also a glass of water can help rejuvenate your brain after continuous stressful work. So, let’s dive into water and its importance in this article.
Have you ever been told to drink eight glasses of water every day? It’s even believed that anything less than that is harmful to one’s body? But this is not true. One might need more than that water to go through the day, while the other might need lesser than that. It is completely dependent upon the work you do in your day-to-day life. Following activities lead to more consumption of water-
Exercise- If you run or do physical activities like cardio or aerobics, your body might need; or crave, more water. Having an adequate amount of water not only keeps your muscles’ health in check, but also relieves you of your tiredness.
Conditions like pregnancy- In a condition such as pregnancy, where the female body supports another life inside her, she might need more amounts of fluids to stay hydrated. This is the case when she breastfeeds her child as well.
Facing health issues like diarrhea etc.- In cases of diarrhea or equivalent diseases where the body loses a lot of fluids in a short period of time, a person necessarily needs a lot more amount of water to replenish his or her health.
Weather- The temperature and natural conditions outside may also decide the amount of water one drinks per day. On a hot and humid day when the body loses a lot of fluids through sweat, etc. he tends to drink more water as compared to regular days, whereas when the temperature is cooler things might be the reverse.
Having a heavy meal- After having a heavy meal, generally one that consists of a lot of proteins, our body craves for a lot of water.
Having said all these, according to a research conducted by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate fluid intake on a daily basis for men is 3.7 liters, while the same for women is 2.7 liters.
IMPORTANCE OF DRINKING WATER-
Water forms an essential component of our blood- Blood, the circulatory fluid in our body, consists of 90 percent of water by volume, including the plasma proteins, while the rest 10 percent are the corpuscles. Thus, water is essential for efficient transportation of oxygen from the lungs and nutrients to several parts of the body. It also collects the toxic wastes from the organs and helps in efficient disposal of such wastes. Having less water will inhibit the efficient supply of oxygen, which in turn results in conditions like cramps in our body muscles, even after not doing any strenuous exercises.
Helps in digestion of food- Wondering how water helps in efficient digestion of food? Let’s find out. Water is an essential component of saliva and helps generate saliva. Saliva consists of an enzyme known as salivary amylase which breaks down solid food in mouths itself.
Acts as a thermoregulator of the system- Water controls the body temperature, hence acts as a thermoregulator. In hot temperatures our body loses water through sweat and gives us a cool feeling. If water is not replenished soon enough, as a reaction, our body temperature may even increase, due to losing essential electrolytes through dehydration.
Helps improve concentration- Let’s discuss the mental aspects, regarding the importance of water. Having enough water is proven to improve concentration power, and leads to one being more attentive of the situation. Water even helps to brighten mood, for a short term.
Helps lose weight, or makes the skin brighter- Although there’s no medical background of this statement, but still according to some studies drinking a lot of water, to go with dieting and exercises, necessarily helps to reduce weight. It also helps to improve skin health and make it better.
Takes care of joints in our body- Water is pretty essential when it comes to lubricating the joints in our system. Having enough water daily, may even do away with old age symptoms of arthritis and several such joint related issues.
Thus, it is quite clear that water is very important for every part of our body. It not only takes care of our body physically but also mentally. It is known that we derive 20 percent of the required body fluids from the fruits and vegetables that we eat. The rest 80 percent is what one should take care of. It is to be noted here that carbonated drinks and such items if consumed on a daily basis in the place of water can cause more harm than good. Thus, one thing is for certain, that if you choose to live better, drink enough plain, simple water!
Credit Author Ranit Laha
All photos credited and designed by Freepik
