Water is the substance that all life requires to survive. Without water, no living thing on earth can survive; whether we want to accept it or not, we are nothing without water. A human being is made up of over 60percent of water. It is found in every part of our bodies, our cells, blood, bone, organs, skin, and eyes and so on. Water is very necessary for digestion and for liver and kidney function.
Water is found in saliva which is necessary for the beginning of digestion in the mouth. Water also allows us to digest soluble fiber which is very important for our digestive health. Water helps flush out waste products which are excreted through sweat, exhalation (breathing out) urine and feces which all four consisting mainly of water. Drinking enough water will help ease constipation as well.
The average Nigerian is chronically dehydrated without knowing it. We think all we need is a sip or small glass of water with each meal, and some of us will drink soft drinks, alcohol and other drinks instead.
The average person sweats out between 1-1.5 litres every day, and loses about 0.8 litres from just regular breathing. When including urination, the body loses 2 – 3 litres of water per day. This is for someone who isn’t physically active; people who are physically active or undergo vigorous exercise lose more water.
Not drinking enough water can lead to several issues that could be injurious to health. Lack of enough water can make your eyes and mouth dry. This is because water is needed to moisturize mucous membranes which include that of the eyes and mouth. Dry eyes can lead to eye irritation and blurry vision. A dry mouth can lead to an increase in bacteria in the mouth thereby causing dental cavities and infections. A dry mouth can also cause bad breath.
Not having enough water in your system may cause you to have achy joints. This is because water is necessary to lubricate the joints and keep the cartilage soft. Also do you sometimes have a headache for no apparent reason? It might be because of mild dehydration. When next you are experiencing a headache, try drinking 2 glasses of water before rushing to take a pain killer.
Dehydration can also cause concentration problems, as your brain uses 20percent of your blood circulation. Blood made up of mostly water, so a lack of water in your system will affect blood flow. In addition, chronic dehydration causes a rise in cholesterol. In an attempt to try and keep the cells hydrated, the body produces more cholesterol possibly putting your health at risk. Finally, drinking water is awesome for your skin! It keeps pimples away, hydrates the skin and makes you glow and look radiant.
In conclusion, we all need to increase our water intake especially as we live in a very hot country and in this very dry season. A great way to calculate the amount of water you need in litres per day is to multiply your weight in kilograms by 0.033. For example, a woman weighing 60kg would need about 2 litres of water. Keep in mind you have to increase the amount of water if you exercise, live or sleep in a house with little ventilation, or work in laborious jobs that make you sweat. Let us try and increase our water drinking habits this week and reap the wonderful benefits to our body and skin!
Contributor
Tobi Ayodele Keeney
Managing director Quincy Herbals
Email address: [email protected]
