Water is Essential to the Human Body
Water
is an essential nutrient that is involved in EVERY function of the body human
body! Human beings can survive without
food for about five weeks, approximately 40 days. Yet the human body without
water can end in about three to five days! The human body is two-thirds water,
which is about 70 - 75% varying from person to person. Water helps transport nutrients and waste
products IN and OUT of cells. Replacing the water that is continually being
lost through sweating and elimination is very important. Water is necessary for ALL digestive,
circulatory, absorptive and excretory functions. It’s also needed to maintain
proper body temperature.
Water Decline
A
drop in the body’s water content causes a decline in blood volume. Maintaining a
normal volume of blood is very important as it carries oxygen and essential
nutrients throughout the body.
What is blood volume you ask? Blood volume is the amount of space the blood takes up in a given person; including red blood cells and plasma. When our bodies have a lowered blood volume it triggers the hypothalamus-a little section of the brain that connects to the nervous and endocrine systems which serves as the brain’s thirst center(among other things), sending signals to let us know it needs a drink….of water that is! Without getting too deep, the absence of water creates a domino effect within our bodies systems as they are all connected! If you don’t take in enough water to maintain fluid balance every bodily function can be impaired.
What is blood volume you ask? Blood volume is the amount of space the blood takes up in a given person; including red blood cells and plasma. When our bodies have a lowered blood volume it triggers the hypothalamus-a little section of the brain that connects to the nervous and endocrine systems which serves as the brain’s thirst center(among other things), sending signals to let us know it needs a drink….of water that is! Without getting too deep, the absence of water creates a domino effect within our bodies systems as they are all connected! If you don’t take in enough water to maintain fluid balance every bodily function can be impaired.
Water Intake Rule
As
a guide, drink half your body weight in water each day. So, if you weigh 220 pounds you should drink
110 ounces of water per day. Upon waking
start drinking some room temperature water before brushing your teeth or
consuming anything else! You can lose
about 2 to 3 cups of water through breathing and perspiring while sleeping! If
you have to add something let it be juice from a fresh lemon. Also, it can take the bladder about 5 hours to
release all the water you consume. To
ensure you’re not running to the bathroom all night, you may want to stop
drinking water at least 5 hours before you go to bed…give or take.Until next time,
I bid you better, love, health, and clear vision!
~Latrice~
