Why Drink Water?

Pure hydration or pure hype? When it comes to water, how much is enough, and what’s the difference between the numerous brands of the bottled beverage?

Two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen (H₂O), water is the most abundant substance in the human body, comprising up to 70 percent of our body weight. Vital for life, even though water contains no calories or other nutrients, we cannot survive for more than a few days without it — whereas a normal healthy person can survive up to eight weeks without food.

Why Is Water So Important?

Water is essential for virtually every body function, including digestion, absorption, transport of nutrients, elimination of wastes, regulation of body temperature, and other metabolic functions.

The clears stuff also plays a role in staying youthful. As our bodies age, they essentially dry out, water accounts for up to 80 percent of a newborn infant’s body, compared to only 50 percent after age 70. Over the course of our lives, this natural desiccation manifests in wrinkled skin, reduced saliva flow and stiffened joints.

While we may not be able to totally avoid moisture loss as we age, we can certainly slow it down by drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated. Drink water continuously throughout the day and don’t wait for thirst to kick in; by the time you feel thirsty, you are probably already dehydrated.

How Much Water Is Enough?

You’ve probably heard that you should drink at least eight glasses of water daily; this handy guide may sound unreasonable to many, but this figure may be too low depending on how much you exercise, environmental conditions, and your consumption of beverages such as coffee or tea which promote dehydration. Women also need to drink if we are pregnant (to provide for the amniotic sac, expanded blood volume and to sustain the growing fetus) and while nursing, to produce milk, which is almost 90 percent water.

Besides drinking liquids, you can also contribute to your daily intake of water by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, since many are more than 75 percent water. When it comes down to it, the human body requires enough water so that the urine appears pale, not dark or bright yellow. Drink water continuously throughout the day and don’t wait for thirst to kick in; by the time you feel thirsty, you are probably already dehydrated.