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Water, Water everywhere!Jan 27 '06 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Essential for life and well-being but it's health properties are often ignored.
Few of us realise just how important water is in our diet and even less of us will know that a shortage of it can lead to so many health problems. We all get thirsty and have to drink. If we do not then dehydration will set in eventually, however the early signs of it are often overlooked in everyday life and not acted upon. We take tap water for granted. The only time that we notice it is when we go to another area and comment on it. We get used to the hardness or softness of it and it will taste different in different regions or countries due to the dissolved chemicals, minerals and chlorine in it. Why don`t we drink enough water? At least 2 litres of ordinary, plain tap water are recommended to drink every day but to most of us, this target is way beyond our consumption. Our reasons are plenty. I don`t like having to “pee” so much. I don`t like the taste of it. I drink enough in tea, coffee and alcohol. I`m always drinking fruit drinks. I`m afraid that these reasons just aren`t good enough. If your urine isn`t pale yellow in colour, then you are not taking in enough water! (If you take B complex vitamins, it will be bright yellow though!) We fail to realise just how important it is to keep ourselves “topped up” with this simple compound, so essential for life. We evolved out of an aqueous environment and our bodies need for it reflect these origins. Our brain is about 84% water, blood - about 80%, muscle - about 70% and overall, simple old H-2-0 comprises round about 68% of our body mass. Ordinary tap water is no miracle cure for our ills but a shortage of it can quickly lead to problems, the onset of which can be attributed to other causes. Water has numerous roles to play within our various systems and a brief look at the main ones should impress you as to its significance. ---Water regulates our temperature and stops us from overheating (perspiration). ---It transports nutrients, vitamins, minerals and waste. (plasma in blood). ---It carries red cells and thus our oxygen and carbon dioxide.(plasma) ---It makes up most of the synovial fluid that cushions all our joints. ---It is the solvent by which every cell in our body carries out metabolism. ---Water is essential to allow the kidneys and liver to perform “waste management” to remove toxins. ---Proper functioning of our digestive system is dependent on water. ---And many more things…. A sufficient intake of good old tap water is needed for our bodies to go on functioning alright. Medical and scientific evidence, gleaned from a variety of studies over the years has determined that constant dehydration is suffered by an amazing amount of people. Up to 75% of Americans are always dehydrated and that 37% of them mistake the thirst mechanism in their bodies for hunger pangs, with the result that they eat instead of drink! This evidence has concluded that a fair number of our complaints are due to dehydration. As water is so essential to allow our digestive system to function properly, they have determined that a lot of ailments associated with the digestive tract are due to too little water in it. In the upper part of the system dyspepsia(heartburn) can be produced. Digestive remedies and antacids taken may only exasperate the situation whereas a simple glass of tap water is often enough to alleviate it. Lower in the tract, in the colon, inflammation occurs like colitis and many doctors reckon that water alone can substantially reduce the trouble. Constipation often follows from dehydration. In our brains, even a very small reduction in its water content leads to many, many complaints. Lethargy, migraines and headaches, fuzzy vision, short term memory problems and loss of capability at mental arithmetic and decision making. In the longer term, dehydration is associated with depression, loss of libido and some mental problems. Temperature regulation in our bodies is maintained by sweating, so dehydration due to not compensating for hot conditions can result in overheating. When we are not well, our temperatures go up, so conversely if our temperatures go up when we are okay, we are made to function at less than optimum efficiency . Many of the processes in our cells do not function so well at an elevated temperature, so our whole body will suffer. Nutrient transfer and energy release are reduced. We suffer! Other experts have pointed the finger at lack of sufficient water for other afflictions, angina, heart pains, asthma, high blood pressure, adult onset diabetes and high cholesterol levels amongst them. Sports scientists have studied this area for some time and have found some startling facts. Athletic performance is reduced by up to 20-30% for as little as a 4% loss in water. Amongst sports people, this loss also substantially affects other areas of performance, concentration and endurance suffer markedly and premature muscle cramps can be induced. However, all is not honey and roses when it comes to drinking tap water. The toxin, chlorine is used to purify water by killing the germs in it. Germs are unicellular organisms and each cell in our body is unicellular. Certain scientists and research doctors have claimed that chlorine is in fact poisoning our cells - and not without some evidence as well to support the claims. Twenty years after the American water system began to be chlorinated, doctors began to come across myocardial infarctions for the first time. Arteriosclerosis in servicemen who were in Vietnam is also very high. They had had to drink very highly chlorinated water to prevent gastro-intestinal complaints on the battle field. My wife is always drinking water and forcing the stuff upon me and I think that I should have listened to her a long time ago and imbibed a lot more of "Adams Ale", in fact she just gave a glass to me which I drank without a murmur! Water, and the cheapest sort is tap water, is to be recommended to all and sundry to combat the onset of poor health produced by insufficient consumption. For once, I must follow my own advice! Cheers! PS. How good are water filters at removing chlorine? Feedback urgently required.  |
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