Undoubtedly, water comes next to air in terms of living. You can happily go without food for 6 to 8 weeks, but a loss of just 5 to 10 percent of body water results in dehydration. It would prove fatal if there is loss of about 15 to 20 percent. Water constitutes about 60 percent in the human body.
Functions by water in human body
All vital functions in our body like digestion, absorption and transport of nutrients, getting rid of wastes and toxins and regulation of body temperature is NOT possible without water. Besides the above functions, water is involved in many complex chemical processes in our body and also plays a key role in protective cushion for body cells and builds up of all body tissues and is the base of all blood and fluid secretions like gastric juices, saliva, tears etc. It keeps our skin soft and smooth and act as a lubricant in our joints and other organs. You could very well see that in almost all bodily functions, water has some role to play.
How much water do we all need ?
As a thumb rule, medical science confirms that intake of water should be equal to what is being excreted. From a common person’s point of view, generally 6 to 8 glasses of water is essential. However, it depends on various situations. For example, you may require more water in hot weather than at winter. Again, if you have excreted water by perspiration due to heavy work out or any other vigorous actions, you may need to drink more water. Fortunately, at most times, we do not need to keep a constant reminder in our mind as to when to drink water. There is an inbuilt mechanism where the body auto signals for water by way of thirst. If you drink more fluid that what your body actually needs , the kidneys come into action by excreting excess volume of water by way of urine. If you further drink more water more than your kidneys can handle, then it is absorbed by the cells.
You need to make sure you drink not only enough water but also pure water to stay healthy. However, most of us are unaware about the contamination involved in water.
Water may be contaminated due to
• Industrial waters, pesticides, chemicals, toxins like nuclear wastes getting mixed along with our drinking water
• Chlorine: Though it is deliberately used to destroy disease-causing bacteria, chlorine can combine with many other organic matters like trihalomethanes, which is directly linked to bladder or colon cancer.
• Parasites due to sewage and animal wastes when seeps through the leaky pipes to our drinking water can be poisonous and harmful
• It is no secret Lead a toxic metal gets its way along with water through rusty pipers and other storage tanks. Moreover, the exposure is more when such pipes or tanks get heated. Make it a point to drink only cold water coming from the pipe after initially allowing letting go of the hot water.
While there are many other points to discuss, this article is aimed to make sure that you know the level of purity of the water you drink. If necessary, get your water tested in a reputed laboratory to know its contents and a home based water filter is a MUST for every household. This may not possibly remove all the harmful contents, but will definitely reduce such intake.
The next time you intentionally throw a glass of water away, just remember how precious it is to you and your life!
