Sunday, January 26, 2014

The Ultimate Health Drink: Water

 
Drinking generous amounts of water is vitally important for sustaining and improving health. As a matter of fact, it is said that just drinking adequate amounts of water on a daily basis could keep a number of health problems at bay, such as migraine and various pains.  It is also a noteworthy fact that many people inadvertently dehydrate themselves under the guise of drinking tea, coffee and other beverages.

It might be helpful to understand the role water plays in the keeping the human body healthy.

Body Constituent

Water is by far, the most important component in the human body, accounting for nearly two thirds (55-78% depending upon a few factors) of the body mass. Water also accounts for nearly 90% of our brain matter, and nearly 75% of muscles.  Meanwhile blood comprises of around 85% of water.

What does it to for the body?

Water is the building block of all life matter and plays a hugely important role in sustaining life.

To begin with, water transfers oxygen, vitamins, minerals, calcium, sodium, and all other important nutrients to various cells/tissues of the body.  It also enhances our metabolism rate while allowing our important organs to absorb water properly.

Water also helps to moisturize the air that is absorbed by our lungs. Moreover, water regulates body temperature and is also a great detoxifier. This means that it has the ability to flush out dangerous toxins. In addition, water also helps protect our bones and joints by keeping them lubricated.

Preventing dehydration

Another function of the water is to relay the feeling of pain or discomfort to the brain. Lack of adequate water supply can cause the brain to feel lethargic, which in turn manifests in outwardly symptoms like and migraines.  Therefore, migraines in many cases might be an indicator that the body is close to being dehydrated. Water and water-based fruits like watermelon have been known to be very beneficial in this regard.

When dehydrated, one tends to suffer from cramps, fatigue, constipation, headaches, skin dryness, kidney problems and even death in extreme cases .

Water and Weight Loss

Water is known to be one the most efficient calorie restrictors because of its ability to suppress appetite.  The American Chemical Society conducted a research in 2010 (source:  http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-08/acs-ctc080910.php) which indicated that drinking 1-2 glasses of water prior to meals could lead to the consumption of 8,400 lesser calories each month. This could have a positive effect on weight loss endeavours.

Osteoarthritis

Consumption of around 6-8 glasses of water every day can also be an effective mechanism to prevent the onset of osteoarthritis, according to  the University of Maryland Medical Centre  , This is attributed to the fact that sufficient hydration makes joints less susceptible to decay while keeping the cartilages healthy.

Mental Well-Being

Water intake is also directly co-related to the well-being of active individuals.  According to a study carried out by the Tufts University (on college athletes), our moods can be influenced by fluid intake and the lack thereof.   The study found that those individuals who engaged in high-intensity exercise regimes but did not drink enough fluids were prone to depression and anger.