Invictus Blog

Water: You Can’t Live Without It
Written by: Melissa Hurley

Every cell and organ function that makes up your entire anatomy and physiology depends on water for functioning. You simply cannot live without it.

An estimated 75% of Americans are suffering from mild chronic dehydration. That’s a pretty scary fact when you break it down. The human brain is made up of 90% water, the blood is 82%, muscle 73%, lungs 90% and bone 22%. That’s a whole lot of important parts of the body that need water – and they need a LOT of it. A mere 2% drop in our body’s water supply can trigger signs of dehydration: fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on small print (such as the kind you see on this computer screen).

Mild dehydration is also one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue. Do you reach for some caffeine when you’re tired and struggling to focus? You might not actually need a caffeine boost. Instead, your sleepiness could be your body’s way of telling you that you’re dehydrated. The next time you feel daytime fatigue, try grabbing some water instead of coffee and see what happens.

Besides making up a huge percentage of our vital organs, water serves a number of other purposes in our body:

Water is a lubricant.

– It aids in digestion.

– It lubricates our joints and cartilage and allows them to move more fluidly. In fact, when we are dehydrated, the body rations water away from our joints. The less water in our body, the greater the  friction which is a direct cause of joint pain.

– Water lubricates your eyeballs so they work well and remain healthy.

Water regulates body temperature.

– It controls over-heating through sweat. Perspiration evaporates causing a cooling effect.

– Blood (82% water) is also routed into areas close to the surface of the skin where it can be cooled and then carried back to the interior of the body.

Water removes harmful toxins from the body.

– Water flushes toxins and waste from the body through urination.

– It helps reduce constipation and aids in bowel movements. Waste buildup can occur in the body if dehydration becomes a regular occurrence. This can cause headaches, toxicity and illness.

– Water helps lessen the burden on the kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products.

Water transports valuable nutrients to the body.

– Nutrients from the food we eat are broken down in the digestive system to become water-soluble.

– Water allows nutrients to pass through the capillaries within the intestinal walls to the blood and circulatory system where the valuable nutrients and oxygen can be distributed throughout the body to all the cells and organs.

Now that you know how important water is to our body’s functioning, do yourself a favor and reach for that water. Raise a glass to your health – I’m sure you have a bottle sitting right by you! If you don’t, you should. Water should be at your side at all times. Drink throughout your day and drink even more if you’ve had caffeine. Your health depends on it.

References:

Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD. (May 08, 2008). Why Drink More Water. WebMD. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-drink-water?page=3

Schwecher, Laura  (December 29, 2014). 12 Unexpected Reasons to Drink More Water This New Year. Retrieved from http://greatist.com/health/reasons-to-drink-water

Mayo Clinic Staff. (Sep. 05, 2014). Water: How Much Should You Drink Everyday. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256