Water is critical to our survival! It plays so many important roles in our body, so much so that each and every day we need to consume a certain amount of water to survive. The reason this is, is because the body is made up of around 70% water. Within our body, each one of our organs contain water, the Brain is 85% water, the kidneys, heart and lungs are 80% water. Even your bones are watery! Containing around 30% water. Even on a cellular level, every cell in the body contains around 60% of all the water in the body, with a majority of the rest surrounding these cells.
Being thirsty or having a dry mouth should not be your indicator to drink water. As we age, our natural inbuilt thirst response mechanism actually decreases and we become less susceptible. Dr Batmanghelidj (M.D.) covers the extensive health effects from long term dehydration and suspects that it is at the root of a large number of health conditions, from heartburn and arthritis to headaches and heart conditions.
So how much water should you drink. We have all heard the old adage of drinking 2 litres of water per day, but let’s get more specific than that. Per 1 kilogram of your body weight you should be consuming 30 millilitres of water. So if you are 70kgs you should consume 2100mls (2.1 litres).
Now, other beverages don’t count as water, tea and coffee do as much to dehydrate you as they do hydrate you, so only straight water can be counted towards this total.
If you have any questions get in touch on info@robinawellness.com.au.
References
Batmanghelidj, F. (2008). Your body’s many cries for water. Falls Church, VA: Global Health Solutions.
Mitchell, H., Hamilton, T., Steggerda, F., & Bean, H. (1945). THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE ADULT HUMAN BODY AND ITS BEARING ON THE BIOCHEMISTRY OF GROWTH. Journal Of Biological Chemistry, 158(3), 625-637. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9258(19)51339-4
NASA. (2007). NASA – Follow the Water:Finding a Perfect Match for Life. Retrieved 23 August 2021, from https://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/everydaylife/jamestown-water-fs.html
Sissons, C., & Kubala, J. (2020). What percentage of the human body is water?. Retrieved 23 August 2021, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-percentage-of-the-human-body-is-water#where-in-the-body
USGS. (2021). The Water in You: Water and the Human Body. Retrieved 23 August 2021, from https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects