You have no doubt heard the drinking water "rules." You probably know
that you should drink between 8 and 10 glasses of water each day. But
what are the benefits to drinking a lot of water?
What is Drinking Water?
Think
back to when you were in high school chemistry class. Remember the
formula for water? H2O. Two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen.
Water is supposedly colorless, tasteless, and odorless. Drinking water
is essential to all known forms of life, whether they are plant or
animal life.
How Does The Human Body Use Drinking Water?
Every
cell in the human body requires water. Put them altogether, with their
load of water, and your body weight is almost two-thirds water. If you
weigh 150 pounds (68 kg), about 100 pounds (45 kg) of that is water. You
are mostly water, but how does your body use drinking water?
Cells
use drinking water as a delivery service. Each cell is separated from
its environment by a cell membrane. To do its work, the cell needs to
import nutrients and export waste products. Water is the delivery
service, bringing in nutrients and taking out waste. Whether you look at
red and white blood cells, muscle cells, or nerve cells, they all need
water. Without water, most of your cells would get clogged with waste,
and starve to death for lack of nutrients.
Healthy cells, with
plenty of drinking water, are kept clean and nourished. Like the clean
engine of a brand new automobile, fed a perfect blend of quality
gasoline (petrol), healthy cells can do exactly what they were designed
to do: keep the human body humming along life's journey.
Consider just 7 of the many benefits of drinking a lot of water.
1. Brain.
Brain cells that have plenty of drinking water are able to circulate
fresh, oxygen-laden blood more readily. The brain remains fresh and
alert. Even a small drop in drinking water levels can make your brain's
performance level drop as much as 20 to 30 percent!
2. Muscles.
Muscle cells with a ready supply of drinking water are able to work
longer without tiring. Water delivers a continuing supply of oxygen to
muscles. If you are exercising in warm weather, your muscle will need
more drinking water every 15 minutes to remain strong.
3. Cooling system.
Your body's temperature is maintained through drinking water. The water
regulates body temperature through sweat. To maintain a normal
temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit on hot days, or when exercising,
the body sweats. Sweat cools the body, but sweat uses up water. We must
have a lot of drinking water to replenish the supply.
4. Nerves.
Nerve cells transmit messages to and from the brain. To do this, they
must use electrolytes. Drinking water is an important way to maintain
electrolytes at the proper level so that the nerves can do their work.
5. Stomach and Intestinal Tract.
Our bodies use drinking water to digest food in the gastrointestinal
tract. Insufficient drinking water will slow the process, resulting in
constipation and other medical concerns.
6. Eye and Mouth Protection. Water keeps your eyes and mouth moist. It washes dirt and dust away from your eyes.
7. Joints.
Drinking water is like oiling your body's joints. Water lubricates the
joints, keeping them flexible, and ensuring smooth motion.
One of
the most important benefits to drinking a lot of water is the benefit
realized in the kidneys. Urine, which is almost entirely water, removes
waste products from the body. As it does so, it leaves your body. Your
body must replace that water. Get too little drinking water, and toxic
levels of waste build up. The body becomes ill, and eventually dies.