Benefits of Drinking Water

Submitted by Stella Morgan on December 9, 2009

Composed of oxygen and hydrogen, water is a substance essential to all life forms. The human body is made up of 70% water, about 2/3rd the weight of the human body. The functioning of every cell and organ in the human anatomy and physiology depend upon one’s daily intake of water.

Water functions as a lubricant, it helps to form the fluids that surround each of our joints, regulates the metabolism of the body, is the base for saliva, controls body temperature by distributing cooling and heating through perspiration, and is an excellent detoxifying agent as it moves food through the intestinal tract and eliminates waste. It also reduces the risk of various diseases such as breast cancer, bladder cancer and colon cancer. If the required amount of water in the body goes down by even 2%, it can trigger signs of dehydration which include: a fuzzy memory which is short-term, fatigue during the day time, trouble with basic mathematics and some amount of short sight.

However, the most common sign of dehydration would be the discoloration of urine as the riboflavin Vitamin B turns the urine bright yellow.

It may also be accompanied by a strong odour and these are signs of dehydration that will show up even before your thirst does. It would be ideal to calculate the amount of water the body needs individually and this can be done by calculating your body weight in pounds and then dividing it by half.

This will provide an estimate of your daily water intake in ounces. Twenty percent of your necessary quota comes from the food you eat but the rest must come through fluid intake. Caffeinated beverages are best avoided, as they are trickster agents, tricking the body into believing that it provides the necessary fluids.

If you cannot avoid caffeinated drinks, although a diuretic, the body will adjust itself to the diuretic effect. You may try herbal teas that are specifically non diuretic though as well as sodas. The sugar content in sodas might increase your calories, so keep an eye on that as well.

Juices are a good source to replenish the water you lose from your body especially since they also contain vitamins and minerals, just as the electrolytes in sports drinks are.

If you drink alcohol, be sure to drink an equal amount of water. Daily exercise demands an intake of 8 ounces every twenty minutes as does travelling. When on a plane, the hourly intake of water should be about 8 ounces or so and if you live in an arid region your water intake ought to be substantially higher than otherwise.