Water is one of the most essential elements needed to sustain life. The human body can survive for several weeks without food but only a few days without water. All the different systems of the body are dependent upon water in order to function properly. Water takes nutrients to the cells and carries away from them wastes and toxins. It is necessary to maintain the correct balance between the intra-cellular(inside) and extra-cellular(outside) minerals in the body – potassium and sodium. Water is necessary in the conversion of food into energy and living tissue. It helps soften and liquefy the food during digestion
and moves it along the gastrointestinal tract.
Water is also needed as a lubricant i.e. between the joints and around the internal organs. And it helps keep certain tissues and organs moist such as the eyes, lungs and airways.
Excess water is dealt with by the kidneys and is excreted in a number of ways: as urine along with waste materials, through air released from the lungs, through evaporation on the skin and through the large intestine. The amount of urine excreted depends largely on the amount of fluid taken in but a certain amount will be excreted every day in order to eliminate the waste products from the cells.
Drinking plenty of pure water is one of the most important things you can do to promote good health and slow the aging process.
The body is continually striving to maintain a constant level of water although around 1½ litres will be lost every day. This loss needs to be replaced through food, as most foods contain a small amount of water, but more importantly through drinking pure water. This is especially important nowadays as we are constantly exposed to so many pollutants and toxins.
I firmly believe that our ancestors didn’t have quite the need for so much water as we need today. However, if you observe an animal over a period of 24 hours it will drink water frequently (except a camel!). Not tea, coffee, juice or Coca-cola but, WATER.
Many people don’t drink enough water and sometimes not any! This is an invitation to disease, imbalance and weight gain. A lot of water is lost from the body through sweating and this fluid must be replaced. If you don’t replace it you are at risk of dehydration. Feeling thirsty is a sign that your body is already dehydrated and if severe, can lead to a headache. Some people don't ever feel thristy - this is a sign of dehydration. Others may think that they are hungry when really these symptoms are a sign of thirst - especially if you wake up hungry in th emornings. If you feel hungry, drink a glass of water before you eat.
Signs and symptoms of a lack of water are:
Drink water on a regular basis, if possible on an empty stomach and approximately 33ml per kg of body mass daily. Try not to drink too much with meals as this can dilute the digestive juices and diminish the amount of nutrients that can be absorbed from your food, however drinking a glass before a meal can actually aid digestion. Salt or sodium is also important as it helps to hold onto water. You need to consume a few grammes of sea salt or sodium per day.
Tea, coffee, fizzy water, juice etc. are all fluids but are not sufficient in themselves - we need pure, still water. Pure water goes straight through the system, flushing out and cleaning and requires no effort on the part of digestion. It is extremely cleansing. A good way to tell if you are drinking enough water is by the colour and odour of your urine. If it is dark yellow and has a strong smell you are not drinking enough water. Keep drinking it until your urine is clear and odour free. This is best done in the morning on an empty stomach when there is no digestion going on to slow down the process.
If you are not a regular water drinker the attempt to restore complete hydration should take place gradually.
Naturopath Andreas Moritz says:
“A dehydrated person – someone who has not consumed the minimum required amount of water and/or has removed cellular water by regularly consuming coffee or sugar containing foods or drinks over a period of time, is susceptible to becoming ill. The tissue cells are no longer able to function efficiently. To protect themselves against further loss of water they make their membranes less penetrable to water diffusion by pulling in extra amounts of fats, including cholesterol. However, this prevents metabolic waste from leaving the cells so they begin to suffocate in their own waste.
During dehydration, the kidneys hold onto water and so does the rest of the body. At this stage many people crave salt or salty foods because the body needs more salt to hold on to the little water it has left. This, however, causes the kidneys to contract and filter less water than before. Urine becomes more and more concentrated and scarce. In this condition of chronic dehydration it is unwise to suddenly drink litres of water. Since the cells have created a barrier to conserve water they are not able to absorb this much water at once. The water simply stagnates outside the cells causing water retention. The sudden intake of water can cause congestion and swelling in the body, since the kidneys are not able to filter much of it.
To gradually re-hydrate the body add only one glass of water to the amount you usually drink and check whether urination increases. When it does, add another 1-2 glasses. The kidneys must filter more water when you drink more water, in time they will recognise that water is no longer a scarcity in the body and will adjust to increase urination. Once the kidneys have no more problem with eliminating urine, you can increase your water intake to the minimum daily requirement of 6-8 glasses. If the hydration attempts are implemented too fast, those areas with most salt retention will develop oedema. Sudden swelling of the ankles indicates that the hydration process should be done more gradually. As the swellings decrease, normal quantities of water can be taken.”
Drinking water can be considered to be the most important therapy of all therapies because there is simply nothing in the body that doesn’t depend on it. Drinking water can help prevent the most serious major diseases and slow the ageing process.
Develop the habit of drinking plenty of water.