The Importance of Water
& Tips on Water Consumption
Next to oxygen, water is the most important substance for our bodies. Brain cells are 85% water and other cells are 75%. The body is 25% solid matter and 75% water. We know what happens to plants and animals without water. Water is essential for the human body as well. It has a water regulation system that will ration water out and give to the most important parts of the body first.
Here are a few facts about the importance of water and the effects dehydration has on your body.
Water deficiency in the brain tissue cuts down the brain’s energy supply. This can cause depression or memory loss.
If your body produces lasting pain for no apparent reason (not caused by an injury) before drawing any other conclusions, you should interpret this as the body’s cry for water and its attempt to remedy an unbalanced condition.
Infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses cannot thrive in a well-hydrated body. Drinking enough water is, therefore, one of the most important disease prevention measures you can take. Medications, such as antihistamines, anti-inflammatories, antacids, pain medications like aspirin, re used to kill the signal of dehydration, but do not correct it. Histamine regulates water in the body. An increase in it signals a need for water. The body gets energy from food or water. Osmosis of water through the cell membrane generates “hydroelectricity” for energy. When the body becomes low in energy it signals for both food and water. We often choose food when water would satisfy.
High blood pressure is a common experience among people who are dehydrated. A similar situation occurs in the liver’s bile ducts, which begin to constrict in response to water shortage in the body. Gallstone formation can be a direct result of dehydration.
Dehydration is a common problem. We are dehydrated for two reasons: loss of the sensation of thirst, and drinking the wrong drinks. The body will stop asking for water if it gets no response. I will hold on to water because of the ‘drought’. It will not let go until it is certain that the supply is adequate over time. This is likely a big factor in fluid retention. Beverages that contain caffeine, sugar, alcohol and artificial sweeteners, act as strong dehydrators because the effects they create in the body are exactly opposite the ones that are produced by water. Beverages containing caffeine trigger stress responses that at first have a strong diuretic effect leading to increased urination. Beverages with added sugar drastically raise blood sugar levels. Any beverage that provokes these responses coerces the body to give up large amounts of water. For every cup of coffee or tea you drink, your body has to relinquish up to three cups of water to remove the toxic caffeine. To remove the caffeine from the blood, the body is forced to take water from its cells. This results in cellular dehydration and temporary thinning of the blood. Because the thinning of the blood makes you feel good, you won’t notice the imminent danger of dehydration. Caffeine, which is a major component in soft drinks, removes water from the body faster than the body can absorb it again, thereby generating constant thirst.People who frequently drink soft drinks are never really able to quench their thirst. They confuse their bodies’ never-ending thirst signal with hunger and begin to overeat, causing swelling and excessive weight gain. Apart from its diuretic action and its addictive effects on the brain, regular caffeine intake over stimulates the heart muscles, causing exhaustion and heart stress.
It is important to consume daily about ¼ teaspoon of unrefined salt (e.g. Celtic Sea Salt) for five glasses of water. Put ¼ teaspoon in one quart of water per day. Excess urination at night often indicates dehydration. Excess thirst often indicates a lack of salt.
It is important to gradually work your way up to drink ½ your body in ounces per day. (Spread out through the day). Do not try to overcorrect dehydration by over consuming water in a short period of time. Your kidneys can best handle 8oz. over a 20 minute time frame.
An excellent book to read about water is “The Body’s Many Cries for Water” by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.
He has done extensive research on water and healing the body of chronic problems with increased water consumption