Water is one f the basic needs that humans need to survive. Sufficient water supply is vital for keeping the body functioning well. In addition, it is needed to keep the body clean, inside and out. Aside this, water is also essential on various important household activities done by people such as washing the clothes and dishes and taking a bath. As such, water is a staple commodity in order for people to survive. Moreover, it is proven to be extremely beneficial for all living things. Humans, most importantly, need sufficient amount of water supply.
The body’s various mechanisms are largely dependent on the water supply that human gets. The body will never work without water. Most of the body organs and cells largely depend on water for functioning (FreeDrinkingWater, n. d. ). It maintains the body’s health by keeping the body hydrated which is important in the proper function of most organs. In fact, all of our body organs are composed of water; the brain is 95 percent water, the blood is 82 percent and our lungs are made up of 90 percent water.
As such, water is very critical to human’s health for it makes up two-thirds of the human body. Without water, human may not be able to survive. The mere drop of 2 percent on body’s water may cause dehydration. Mild dehydration is one of the main causes of daytime fatigue (FreeDrinkingWater, n. d. ). Water serves a wide array of important functions in the body that keeps the body functioning. The water serves as lubricant for various elements to pass through. For example, it allows passing of food into the esophagus smoothly.
It also forms the base of saliva which also helps in lubricating the mouth and esophagus. Water regulates the body’s temperature as it cools down the body through perspiration. It also regulates body’s metabolism rate. Water renders many benefits to human health like it relieves many cases of constipation. If there is no enough water in the body, the body will extract some from the feces making them hard and difficult to pass the rectum. Large amounts of water intake will eventually solve the problem. Water is also believed to be a beauty regimen, adequate water intake maintains clear skin.
In fact, top models are taking, for years, have been taking adequate amounts of water everyday (Healthandgoodness. com, 2008). Water also plays a key role in disease prevention. It decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45 percent, bladder cancer by 50 percent and acquiring breast cancer by simply drinking eight glasses of water daily (FreeDrinkingWater, n. d. ). Water also plays an important role in our immune system through its ability to fight infection. Those who drink a lot of water are less likely to experience flu and colds.
Some studies also showed that those who drink a lot of water are less likely to suffer blues and recover from stress immediately (Healthandgoodness. com, 2008). The body is naturally losing water through various body processes such as urination, respiration and perspiration. When the body is active, it loses more water than when the body is motionless. When the body lose a lot of body fluids or does not get adequate amounts of water, the body will get dehydrated (Jegtvig, 2007). Dehydration is a condition that occurs when a person loses more fluids.
It means that a person’s body fluids dropped below the normal level. Some of the common signs of dehydration are fuzziness, short-term memory, difficulty reading smaller prints, chronic pains in joints and muscles, headache and constipation. A strong odor and yellow or amber colored urine of an individual may also indicate that he or she is not getting adequate amounts of water. In addition, when a person often feels thirsty also indicated that he or she may be dehydrated (Jegtvig, 2007). The body is also composed of electrolytes.
These are substances that become ions in a solution and they have the capacity to conduct electricity. Balanced electrolytes in the body are essential for the cells and body organs to function well. Common electrolytes in the body are sodium, potassium and chloride (Stoppler, 2008). Sodium is the major cation outside of the cells. Excess sodium that may be acquired from dietary sources is excreted through the process of urination. Sodium regulates the amount of water in the body and it plays an important role in the transmission in and out of the body cells.
Many processes in the body organs such as brain and nervous system require electrical signals for communication. The movement of sodium is critical in producing electrical signals. Large or small amounts of sodium affect the cells function and extreme sodium levels can be fatal (Stoppler, 2008). Potassium, on the other hand, is the major positive ion found inside the cells. The appropriate level of potassium is critical for normal cell function. Some of the functions of the cells include regulating the heartbeat and function of the muscles.
A serious increase or decrease in potassium can greatly affect the body’s nervous system and increase the chance of irregular heartbeat or arrhythmias which can be fatal. Chloride is the major negatively charged ion found in the fluid outside of cells and in the bloodstream. Chloride helps the body maintain normal levels of body fluids (Stoppler, 2008). We also take in fluids not only in the form of pure water but also in the form of juices, coffee and other beverages. Some of the fluids that people commonly take are coffee and alcohol. Coffee is popular to adults who are working and need to stay awake because of its stimulant effect.
Alcohol is also one of the beverages that are normally consumed by people. These fluids have become part of our diets, but they have side effects especially on the hydration levels of the body. Caffeine and alcohol both have diuretic effect. Caffeine is popular as a central nervous stimulant. However, it has diuretic effect wherein higher doses of caffeine promote water loss because it partly increases blood flow to the kidneys and reabsorbs sodium in the body. The diuretic effect also depends on the amount of caffeine present in a drink (Hamilton, n. d. ).