WHY WATER MATTERS

Water is an essential element for our bodies, and hydration is therefore a fundamental aspect of our nutrition. Hydration is one of the most important things to keep in mind in order to stay healthy, and also one of the easiest to control, although we often forget about it! Water is necessary for the functioning of every cell, tissue and organ, and its functions include eliminating toxins, maintaining a constant body temperature and keeping us active and alert.

 

The importance of hydration

Water is a fundamental element in the human body, constituting between 45% and 75% of an individual's body weight. The proportion of water in the human body does not depend entirely on water intake, since the overall composition of the body greatly influences these values.

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Muscle mass has a higher proportion of water (between 70 and 75%) than fat (10 to 40%). Thus, individuals with high percentages of body fat present a reduced percentage of water even if they drink a lot during the day.

Hydration helps to keep our bodies healthy and it is easy to understand why, simply you have to grasp some of the characteristics of water.

 

Water is an essential element for life and participates in various functions, taking part in metabolic actions, in the digestive system functioning relative to the transport of nutrients, in the regulation of body temperature, in the elimination of toxins, and muscle contraction. In addition to the aforementioned functions, according to several studies and reviews, water also contributes to brain function, mood, maximization of memory concentration, prevention of kidney diseases such as kidney stones, and improvement of physical performance.

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How much water should we drink?

There is no exact amount of water intake for all individuals as it is something that depends on various factors, such as gender and age, as an example. According to literature studies, the recommended daily water intake for healthy women (adults) and men (adults) varies between 2.0L/day and 2.5L/day, respectively.

However, these values can change according to environmental conditions, physical activity, and body composition. For example, the higher the exercise load and temperature, the higher the water requirement.

Don't forget that by eating certain foods, mainly fruits, and vegetables, you are assuming water since a large part of these foods is composed of water.

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Unsafe water and consequences

Drinking non-potable water means putting our health at risk because it is a vehicle for pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasitic protozoa to enter our bodies, causing infectious diseases.

However, this does not happen only if we drink it, but it is sufficient to simply come in contact with it. So, it is crucial to recognize the sign that indicates non-potable water and to avoid it.

In many cases, we can survive with minor symptoms, such as dysentery or vomiting, but in other circumstances, as often happens in some areas of the world, non-potable water causes real epidemics that can cause death.

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Just think about diseases such as typhoid fever or hepatitis A or, again, cholera that, especially in less developed countries, cause thousands of deaths every year. The danger of consuming non-potable water is often underestimated, so much so that in Africa alone, over 90% of cholera cases are caused by this dangerous habit.

 

However, many local governments do very little to find a solution to the problem, resulting in the dramatic consequence that consumption of non-potable water has become one of the major causes of the outbreak of certain diseases.

 

What happens when we are not hydrated?

If we are not sufficiently hydrated, we enter a state of dehydration. Dehydration occurs when there is an imbalance of fluids in the body and when the body does not have the necessary amount of water to function properly.

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When we are dehydrated our body sends alarm signals to the hypothalamus, which can manifest in the form of

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• Thirst

• Decrease in excreted urine (can lead to fluid retention)

• More concentrated urine

• Fatigue

• Weakness

• Irritability

• Cramps

• Dizziness

• Headaches

• Reduced tearing

• Dryness of the mucous membranes (mouth and tongue)

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So, avoid these symptoms and don't wait until you're thirsty to take water!

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If you exercise, your focus on hydration should be doubled, as a lot of fluids are lost through sweating and breathing. For athletes, hydration is especially important because it can affect performance and for that reason, proper hydration is necessary before, during, and after training/physical tests.

 

 

 

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REFERENCES

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[1]: Popkin BM, D'Anci KE, Rosenberg IH. Water, hydration, and health. Nutr Rev. 2010;68(8):439-458. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00304.x

 

[2]: Armstrong LE, Johnson EC. Water Intake, Water Balance, and the Elusive Daily Water Requirement. Nutrients. 2018;10(12):1928. Published 2018 Dec 5. doi:10.3390/nu10121928

 

[3]: Meinders AJ, Meinders AE. Hoeveel water moeten we eigenlijk drinken? [How much water do we really need to drink?]. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2010;154:A1757. Dutch. PMID: 20356431.

 

[4]: Nakamura Y, Watanabe H, Tanaka A, Yasui M, Nishihira J, Murayama N. Effect of Increased Daily Water Intake and Hydration on Health in Japanese Adults. Nutrients. 2020 Apr 23;12(4):1191. doi: 10.3390/nu12041191. PMID: 32340375; PMCID: PMC7231288.

 

[5]: Stookey JJ. Negative, Null and Beneficial Effects of Drinking Water on Energy Intake, Energy Expenditure, Fat Oxidation and Weight Change in Randomized Trials: A Qualitative Review. Nutrients. 2016;8(1):19. Published 2016 Jan 2. doi:10.3390/nu8010019

 

[6]: Benelam, B. and Wyness, L. (2010), Hydration and health: a review. Nutrition Bulletin, 35: 3-25. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2009.01795.x