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Water
| Quick
Tip: How does it help in healthy weight maintenance? Sometimes when we are thirsty, we grab something to eat instead of quenching our thirst on a tall glass of ice water. Therefore, we may actually consume more calories if we are not getting enough to drink. Consuming adequate fluid also helps to prevent water retention. Our body will hold onto less water if we are consuming enough. |
Why do we need water?
Water may be our most important nutrient. We can survive weeks and
possibly even months without food, but we cannot survive for more than
a few days without water. Water makes up about 60% of the body's weight.
The body's water weight can change overnight, and some people may attribute
this to body fat, but body fat takes several days or weeks to show
up on the scale. Water functions as the primary avenue for transportation
in our body, it transports nutrients and waste products and dissolves
amino acids, glucose and minerals. Water is also the body's cleansing
agent. Nitrogen wastes, broken down from proteins, dissolve in water
and are removed so they don't build to toxic concentrations. Water
acts as a lubricant and a cushion for the joints and protects the spinal
cord from shock. Water also helps to keep our body temperature regulated.
The water of sweat is the body’s coolant and the evaporation
of sweat from the skin is actually the cooling process.
How much do we need?
The recommendation for water is approximately 64 ounces a day, or 8 cups.
The committee on Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) recommends that
under normal conditions adults need approximately 7 to 11 cups for
every 2000 calories they consume. The higher your caloric needs, the
higher your fluid requirement. If you are exercising in hot, humid
weather, or are participating in lengthy workout sessions, your fluid
need will be even higher. Eight to twelve ounces of fluid should be
consumed every 15 minutes during exercise. Do not rely on your thirst
mechanism to let you know when you need more fluid. By the time you
are thirsty, you are already slightly dehydrated. Water needs increase
for the very young and the very old as well as in diabetics and those
suffering from diarrhea or vomiting. Consuming diuretics (alcohol or
caffeine) requires more fluid and pregnancy & breastfeeding also
increase fluid needs.
You may replace some of that fluid with other non-caloric, non-caffeinated beverages, as long as you try to consume at least half of your fluid requirement with pure water. Keep in mind that several foods also contain fluid, most fruits and vegetables contain up to 95% water, and many meats and cheeses contain at least 50% water.
Can too much water harm someone?
The
answer is "Yes." If
a person consumes several gallons of water in a short period of time,
it could upset the normal fluid/electrolyte
balance in the body. The same result can occur if someone is sweating
profusely, but re-hydrating only with water. Both of these circumstances
can be fatal, but both are extremely rare. Most people have a normal,
healthy fluid/electrolyte balance.
What about the different types of water?
Water naturally occurs as hard water or soft water. Hard water contains
calcium and magnesium. Soft water contains sodium. Soft water is sometimes
more desirable because it makes more bubbles with less soap and doesn’t
leave a ring on the tub or a gray residue in the wash. Some people
even purchase water softeners to remove the magnesium and calcium and
replace them with sodium. However, soft water appears to aggravate
hypertension and heart disease in areas where it is used while hard
water may oppose these conditions. Soft water will also more easily
dissolve metals from pipes such as cadmium and lead. Cadmium can be
harmful because it may inhibit the absorption of zinc and it is also
suspected of promoting hypertension. The body seems to absorb lead,
a toxic metal, more readily from soft water than from hard water. Some
people are convinced that concerns about drinking water can only be
solved by purchasing bottled water. There are as many, if not more,
different bottle water companies as there are soft drink companies.
In general, bottled water may or may not contain more health-promoting
minerals than ordinary tap water does.
 |
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