The Health Benefits of Water
The Health Benefits of Water
Dr. C.V. Alert, MB BS, DM.
Family Physician
In adults, between 50-60 percent of our bodies is comprised of water, with fatter people probably having a slightly lower percentage than thin people. In children, this percentage is even higher, as high as 75% in newborns. With more than half of our bodies being made up of water, water is vital for maintaining our health.
The amount of water needed to maintain health varies by age, sex, pregnancy status, and breastfeeding status. Most of your fluid needs are met through the water and other beverages you drink. If you are drinking enough water daily, you are less likely to suffer discomforts and illnesses such as constipation, migraines, urinary tract infection, kidney stones, asthma, and even hypertension.
Some Health Benefits of Drinking Water
Body temperature regulation
Water is essential in regulating body temperature. When it gets hot, your body uses sweat to cool down. Drinking water replenishes the lost fluid through sweat ensuring that you are comfortable in a hot environment, and don’t become dehydrated.
Keeps up your energy
Any significant loss of water can lead to dehydration, which has a negative effect on many of the body’s functioning. If your body organs are not functioning effectively, you will feel fatigued and weak. Moreover, studies have shown that being dehydrated by as little as two-percent affects your performance in tasks that require motor, maintaining focus (concentrating), and memory skills.
Dehydration is associated with decreased stamina, and even mood swings. You need to drink adequate water for your body organs to work properly. Your body also needs adequate fluid to produce lymph, which plays an essential role in the body’s ability to fight off infection, i.e. the immune system. Good for heart health. Drinking a sufficient amount of water helps to maintain the proper viscosity of blood. If the blood is too thick, i.e. viscous, it puts extra strain on the heart, one of the single organs in the body. Becoming dehydrated then puts extra stress on the heart; if your heart breaks down, you do not have an extra one. Drinking water also helps to maintain healthy blood pressure and heart rate.
Transportation of minerals and nutrients
The minerals and nutrients dissolve in the water making it possible for them to reach all your body parts. Without water, it would be impossible for nutrients and minerals to be transported around the body.
Flushes out toxins
The body is a fully functioning machine that uses the lung, kidneys, and liver to flush out waste products. Water helps your body get rid of harmful toxins through sweat and urine. And by getting rid of toxins, water helps to keep the kidneys and urinary tract healthy. After the organs have detoxified the body, they heavily rely on water to get the toxins out of the body. This also helps in the fight against illness: if impurities build up in thebody, you will get ill…