water
Water is one of the essentials of life for all living beings, and it can not be kept alive for more than a few days. It is a high percentage of the human body, ranging from 75% in infants to 55% in the elderly. And the water is consumed directly drink, or the containment of food and drink to him, and the proportion of water consumed by the human food varies depending on the amount of vegetables and fruits in his diet, in this article details about the importance of water and its health benefits.
Water balance in the body
People drink water for many reasons, but often the main reason for drinking water is the lack of water in the body, which stimulates the physiological feeling of thirst, and other reasons that raise the intake of water drink other drinks that the person seeks to get them because of other components, .
The body regulates the balance of water and mineral elements using several mechanisms that include sensors connecting the nerves to specialized centers in the brain, as well as the association of urination and loss of sodium with urine, and blood pressure sensors in these centers, which affect the executive organs, including kidneys, , And salivary glands, and regulate the water balance in the body delicate and sensitive, the thyroid sends messages to the kidneys to determine the amount of urine to be put, or the amount of water to be retained, and the brain stimulates the feeling of thirst at Low body fluids, we must listen to our bodies and drink water when feeling thirsty.
Human needs of water
In normal conditions, a person is advised to drink 6-8 glasses of water per day. When a person drinks water less than the water lost by his body, the body becomes dehydrated. The water loss of the body increases in hot weather, intense exercise, and in high places. In addition to the need for water in pregnancy and lactation, it is necessary to drink more water in these cases.
Benefits of drinking water
Water has many benefits and multiple, and comes some of them:
- The body fluids are composed of about 60% of the water. The body fluids work in many functions, such as digestion, absorption, circulation, saliva production, nutrient transport, and body temperature preservation.
- Drinking water helps control calorie intake, but water does not have the magic to help lose weight, but replacing high-calorie drinks with water helps to reduce calories. The choice of foods with higher water content also helps reduce calorie intake Because of its size, which contributes to the feeling of satiety, and these foods need to chew more and be absorbed slower, and include foods high water containment such as fruits, vegetables, soups made from broth and pulses, and can help drink cups Water before meals stimulates feeling full.
- Water helps to give energy to the muscles, as the muscles that break the balance of water and minerals in them shrink, which may cause fatigue of the muscles, and athletes are advised to drink two cups of water (about a pint) before the exercise by two hours, as well as start drinking water from the beginning of the exercise and continue to drink At regular intervals during the exercise to compensate for the water lost through sweating, but avoid drinking too large amounts in short periods, and helps the water to activate the body, as the drought causes the feeling of laziness and exhaustion.
- The water helps keep the skin healthy. Dryness makes the skin look dry and more wrinkled, and moisturizers help keep water in the skin cells to keep it moist.
- The intake of water is sufficient to maintain the health of the kidneys, which purify the body of toxins through urine. Urea is the body’s main poison. It is eliminated by urine. The urine is light and odorless when the body gets enough water. , But when the body does not get enough water, the kidneys to maintain it for use in the functions of the body, and therefore the color of urine is dark and has a smell, indicating the increased concentration, and this causes the increased opportunity to form kidney stones if the accumulation of nitrogen urea continued chronic.
- Water regulates the work of the digestive system and prevents constipation, especially if eaten with dietary fiber.
- Reduces water intake from stress.
Damage to excessive drinking water
If you drink large quantities of water in a short period of time can be infected with water poisoning, where the concentration of sodium in the blood to the extent of sinking cells, that is, the cells swell causing many problems, especially in the brain, and get water poisoning in athletes who A woman died in California in 2007 after drinking seven liters of water in a competition, and the risk of water poisoning increases in people who drink water. Try to lose weight by drinking a lot In one case, a woman who followed a low-calorie diet after drinking four liters of water died in less than two hours. She felt a headache, lost consciousness and died in the hospital the next day. Babies can not afford the high amounts of water. Water, so it is recommended to be satisfied with the milk of the mother who gives them enough water.