The Importance of Water to Human Health
Water is very important in therapeutic diets because two-thirds
of the body consists of water, which naturally means that it is
the most important nutrient. Water is in all body tissue and
every cell, two thirds of the body's water is situated inside
the cells and the rest outside the cells in the tissue. The
process of osmosis needs water, as well as water, nutrients and
waste material pass in and out of the cell walls. Even bones
consist of one third of water and muscle and brain cells are
made up of seventy one per cent of water. One point five litres
of water are lost per day through the skin, the bowel, and the
lungs and via the kidneys as urine; this ensures the toxins are
eliminated from the body. The body also produces a third of a
litre a day of water when glucose is burnt for energy. Therefore
the human body needs a minimum of one litre a day preferably two
litres a day.
No change takes place with water within the human body but it is
absolutely essential for the vital functioning of the body and
its various organs. The circulatory system is especially
dependant on water.
Water is only beverage that really quenches the thirst, other
beverages only relieve thirst relative to the amount of water
they have in them. A lot of these beverages such as tea and
coffee are unhealthier than water because of the substances such
as caffeine that they contain.
Vegetables and fruit consist of about ninety per cent water,
this is a great way for the body to get water as they supply it
in a form that is very easy for the body to use, at the same
time they also supply vital minerals and vitamins. Alcohol, tea
and coffee are diuretics that cause the body to lose water and
they also deplete the body of vital vitamins, this is why
coffee, tea and alcohol are not a viable source of liquid
intake.
A human can live for a several days without food but can only
survive a couple of days without water. After oxygen, it is the
most vital substance for maintaining life. The body develops
thirst when it loses one per cent of its total water and death
occurs when twenty per cent of water is lost. The body balances
the input and output of water, most of it comes from what we eat
and drink although some is produced by the body.
The most important functions of water are, to help the body use
essential nutrients and to move nutrients and oxygen from the
blood to the cells and to get waste material from the cells back
to the blood so that they can be removed from the body. Other
functions for water within the body are to regulate body
temperature, to give cell shape and form, to protect certain
body organs, lubricate joints and other areas and to maintain
performance.
The amount of water the body needs depends on the diet,
consuming unhealthy foods such as large amounts of meat, diary,
salt and spices needs more water to cleanse the system. On the
other hand, consuming large amounts fruit and vegetable will
lead to the body needing less water as fruit and vegetable
consist of large amounts of water.
The skin is an important organ of elimination; it eliminates not
only normal body waste but poisons and toxins such as sodium
chloride, urea, lactic acid, and potassium. These are all
eliminated through sweat which is near one hundred per cent
water.
Through the wear and tear of every day living, tiny amounts of
living tissue are destroyed within the body. These dead tissues
have a poisonous effect on the body and need to be removed; pure
water dissolves these poisons on contact where they can later be
expelled by the other organs of elimination - the lungs, skin,
liver and kidneys.
Water is a vital part of the digestion process, it dissolves
nutritive material in the process of digestion so that the
nutrients can be absorbed by the blood and carried to the cells
and tissues of the body where they are needed.
Water keeps the mucous membranes of the body in a soft condition
preventing friction on their surfaces.
It also helps in the body processes and regulation of
temperature.
When water is drunk, some of it is absorbed through the
intestines into the bloodstream increasing its volume. This
increases the circulation by making the blood more fluid. When
blood volume is increased, more water comes into contact with
the body's waste material in every part of the body. This
results in more waste being removed; this is illustrated by the
increase in urinary output and perspiration.
Drinking a lot of water increases elimination by the intestinal
tract mucous membrane lining. This results in the contents of
the intestinal tract becoming more fluid which intern helps with
problems such as constipation. It also cleanses the blood from
its toxic waste which leaves the blood cleaner to build tissues.
In this way water both helps with repair and elimination.
In conclusion, water is so important in therapeutic diets
because it purifies and bathes the blood and tissues which
enables the body to be cleansed from poisons and waste material.
Water dissolves toxic material and foreign elements within the
blood aiding their elimination through faeces, urine, sweat and
the lungs. Water is also a vital part of the body's cells,
tissues and body's fluids. Because water is such a vital part of
the proper functioning of the body, it also becomes a vital part
in any therapeutic diet or treatment. Not only is water use
therapeutic in diet but it can be also used therapeutically in
baths and in other water treatments, this is known as
hydrotherapy.
About the author:
Stewart Hare C.H.Ed Dip NutTh
Advice for a healthier natural life
website: http://www.newbeingnutrition.com
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