From Life
Experience - Why Water Matters!
Even healthy eaters often
underestimate the importance of their water intake and wind up suffering from
chronic, low-grade dehydration. Here are just a few reasons good hydration is
essential to good health, followed by six tips for staying hydrated:
Energy
Suboptimal hydration slows the
activity of enzymes, including those responsible for producing energy, leading
to feelings of fatigue. Even a slight reduction in hydration can lower
metabolism and reduce your ability to exercise efficiently.
Digestion
Our bodies produce an average
of 7 liters of digestive juices daily. When we don’t drink enough liquid, our
secretions are more limited and the digestive process is inhibited. (Note that
drinking too much water all at once, particularly with food, can also dilute
digestive juices, reducing their efficacy and leading to indigestion.)
Regularity
As partially digested food
passes through the colon, the colon absorbs excess liquid and transfers it to
the bloodstream so that a stool of normal consistency is formed. When the body
is low on water, it extracts too much liquid from the stool, which then becomes
hard, dry and difficult to eliminate. Slowed elimination contributes to
bodywide toxicity and inflammation.
Blood Pressure
When we are chronically dehydrated,
our blood becomes thicker and more viscous. Additionally, in response to
reduced overall blood volume, the blood vessels contract. To compensate for the
increased vein-wall tension and increased blood viscosity, the body must work
harder to push blood through the veins, resulting in elevated blood pressure.
Stomach Health
Under normal circumstances, the
stomach secretes a layer of mucus (which is composed of 98 percent water) to
prevent its mucus membranes from being destroyed by the highly acidic digestive
fluid it produces. Chronic dehydration, though, impedes mucus production and
may irritate and produce ulcers in the stomach lining.
Respiration
The moist mucus membranes in
the respiratory region are protective; however, in a state of chronic dehydration,
they dry out and become vulnerable to attack from substances that might exist
in inhaled air, such as dust and pollen.
Acid-Alkaline Balance
Dehydration causes enzymatic
slowdown, interrupting important biochemical transformations, with acidifying
results at the cellular level. The acidification of the body’s internal
cellular environment can be further worsened when excretory organs responsible
for eliminating acids (e.g., the skin and kidneys) don’t have enough liquid to
do their jobs properly. An overly acidic biochemical environment can give rise
to a host of inflammatory health conditions, as well as yeast and fungus
growth.
Weight Management
Feelings of thirst can be
confused with hunger, both because eating can soothe thirst and also because
dehydration-induced fatigue is often misinterpreted as a lack of fuel (e.g.,
sugar). Both dynamics can lead to false sensations of hunger, triggering
overeating and weight gain. Inadequate hydration can also promote the storage
of inflammatory toxins, which can also promote weight gain.
Skin Health
Dehydrated skin loses
elasticity and has a dry, flaky appearance and texture. But dehydration can
also lead to skin irritation and rashes, including conditions like eczema. We
need to sweat about 24 ounces a day to properly dilute and transport the toxins
being eliminated through our skin. When we are chronically dehydrated, the
sweat becomes more concentrated and toxins aren’t removed from our systems as
readily, which can lead to skin irritation and inflammation.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is an essential
element in cell membrane construction. When we are in a state of chronic
dehydration and too much liquid is removed from within the cell walls, the body
tries to stop the loss by producing more cholesterol to shore up the cell
membrane. Although the cholesterol protects the cell membrane from being so
permeable, the overproduction introduces too much cholesterol into the
bloodstream.
Kidney and Urinary Health
When we don’t drink enough
liquid, our kidneys struggle to flush water-soluble toxins from our system.
When we don’t adequately dilute the toxins in our urine, the toxins irritate
the urinary mucus membranes and create a germ- and infection-friendly
environment.
Joint Health
Dehydrated cartilage and
ligaments are more brittle and prone to damage. Joints can also become
painfully inflamed when irritants, usually toxins produced by the body and
concentrated in our blood and cellular fluids, attack them, setting the stage
for arthritis.
Aging
The normal aging process
involves a gradual loss of cell volume and an imbalance of the extracellular
and intracellular fluids. This loss of cellular water can be accelerated when
we don’t ingest enough liquids, or when our cell membranes aren’t capable of
maintaining a proper fluid balance.