By: Joy Stephenson-Laws, J.D.
Water is one of the six important nutrients you need to live. (The other nutrients are protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals). And water is the most important of the six. It is the only nutrient where the absence will cause death within days.
Why is water so important?
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You need water to detoxify your body (particularly the liver and kidneys) and absorb the other five nutrients. And our major organs need water to function properly. For example, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, lungs are about 83%, skin contains around 64%, muscles and kidneys are 79% and even the bones contain water, at 31%.
And while you might make the effort to drink enough water to avoid death, you may not drink enough water to be sufficiently hydrated or remain healthy.
Here is what happens if your body doesn’t get enough water.
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You become dehydrated. You can have mild, moderate, or severe dehydration, depending on how much fluid is missing from your body.
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You may have fainting spells.
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You may have medical problems like fatigue, weight gain, headaches, ulcers, high blood pressure, kidney disease and more.
It has been reported that up to 75% of us are dehydrated and don’t even know it. In medical terms, this means that many of us “function in a chronic state of dehydration.”
What causes you to lose water?
Normal activities like urinating, breathing, sweating and crying cause us to lose water. You also lose more water when you are sick, sometimes from vomiting, having a fever or diarrhea. Taking certain medications, like water pills (also called diuretics), may also lead to dehydration. And just simply forgetting to drink enough water may also cause dehydration.
So how can you be proactive about dehydration?
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Drink an adequate amount of water each day.
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Monitor certain symptoms, such as the color of your urine, skin dryness or thirst. If you feel thirsty or your skin is dry or urine is dark yellow, it may be an indication that you need to drink more water.
The problem is that some people may not experience these symptoms early on. And being hydrated is more than just drinking water and monitoring potential dehydration symptoms.
The importance of good hydration is too critical to leave up to chance, especially if you are older, take medications, are an athlete or otherwise have a hectic physical schedule.
So I usually go one step further and measure the water in my body to determine whether I have the right balance. If there is a slight imbalance, I address the imbalance even before symptoms show up.
What is the right balance of water in your body?
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Adult men should have about 60% of their weight as water.
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Adult women should have about 55%.
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Babies should have the most water, being born with about 78%. By one year of age, that amount drops to about 65%.
(The difference in the water content between women and men is partly due to the fact that fat makes up more of a woman’s body than men, and fat tissue does not have as much water as lean tissue). So if you are a 170 pound female, a healthy total body water weight will be around 94 pounds. If you are a 170 pound male, your total body water weight will be around 102 pounds. Having less total body water than required may be an early sign of dehydration).
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Also make sure your cells are not dehydrated. Be aware of the balance of water inside and outside your cells. Water inside your cells is called intracellular water (ICW). Water outside your cells is called extracellular water (ECW). Having too little water inside your cells is not healthy.
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A healthy distribution of water “has been estimated at a 3:2 ratio” for intracellular water to extracellular water. Too little water inside your cells is associated with poor kidney and cardiovascular health. It is also associated with poor muscle quality and may be a biomarker of muscle aging. Conversely, higher ICW/ECW may be an indication of good health and reflected by an increase in power and strength.
How do you measure the water in your body and cells?
One effective way to measure total body water and the water inside and outside your cells is by using the InBody machine. It is used in research facilities all over the world to measure body water.
Visit Chiltonic and Proactive Health Labs locations for a hydration test using the InBody machine.
Joy Stephenson-Laws & The pH professional health care team includes recognized experts from a variety of health care and related disciplines, including physicians, attorneys, nutritionists, nurses and certified fitness instructors. This team also includes the members of the pH Medical Advisory Board, which constantly monitors all pH programs, products and services. To learn more about the pH Medical Advisory Board, click here.
Enjoy your healthy life!