‘If we don’t drink enough water, a host of problems, in varying proportional degrees, can occur, like fatigue, headaches, irritability, mental dullness, sagging skin, retention of toxic wastes in our body, weight gain, kidney stone formation and urinary tract infection.’
WITHOUT water, there would be no life on Planet Earth. The normal lean adult body is made up of about 70% water (50% intracellular; 15% interstitial; and, 5% in the blood plasma) and only 30% solid mass. This is an amazing fact which many of us don’t realize.
Drinking at least eight glasses of water a day benefits us in more ways than one. Adequate water intake helps us look and feel better by maintaining our blood in perfect liquid form to carry oxygen and nutrients to the cells, regulating our body temperature, assisting our kidneys eliminate harmful wastes and elements, lubricating our joints, revitalizing our dull skin and keeping our weight in check, to list some of its numerous major functions.
Our daily normal physiologic fluid loss (without exercise, illness, etc.) is as follows: Infants (2-10 kg): 300-800cc; Child (10-40 kg): 840 -1500 cc; and Adult (60 kg): 1800-2100 cc.
The minimum 8-glasses-a-day (250cc per glass) recommendation for an adult barely equals the daily fluid loss. On the average, therefore, the replacement should actually be about 10% more than the daily fluid loss.
Since the human thirst mechanism is not very reliable (most often thirst is mistaken by our brain for hunger), drinking at least eight glasses a day is a good rule to follow, whether one feels thirsty or not. In most instances, dehydration has already taken place before the person feels thirsty. Don’t wait for dryness of the mouth, nasal passages, eyes, and any of those symptoms listed above before drinking water. It is best to pre-empt thirst.
If we don’t drink enough water, a host of problems, in varying proportional degrees, can occur, like fatigue, headaches, irritability, mental dullness, sagging skin, retention of toxic wastes in our body, weight gain, kidney stone formation and urinary tract infection. If dehydration is severe, shock and death could ensue.
The best fluid to satisfy our thirst is properly filtered water. Not cola drinks, coffee or alcoholic beverages, all of which cause us to urinate and further lose more fluids, not to mention their adverse side-effects on the heart, kidneys and liver. Nothing is better than the old fashioned clean, fresh, sparkling water.
Beyond eight glasses
There are many situations where the 8-glasses-a-day recommendation will not be enough.
These include the following:
1. Exercising: where one loses a lot of fluids through breathing, perspiration and urination. The rule of thumb is to replace every pound lost with two glasses, or four glasses for every 1000 calories burned off.
2. Dieting: water suppresses the appetite (by filling the stomach and “fooling” the brain) and also speeds up body fat metabolism and water elimination through the urine, leading to weight loss.
3. Traveling: the atmosphere on board airplanes is very dry, causing dehydration, hence more fluid intake is recommended. A glass of water for every hour of flight is the minimum replacement recommended.
4. High altitudes: the very low humidity and the natural body adaptation (deeper, heavier and more frequent breathing) among mountain climbers, hikers, skiers, etc. lead to more body fluid losses, and require more than 8 glasses a day to replace.
5. Pregnancy: the blood volume of a pregnant woman increases, so she needs more water to maintain the proper fluidity for blood to circulate normally and with ease. For an individualized advice, please discuss this with your obstetrician.
6. Nursing: At least four more glasses of water a day, on top of the eight, is needed by nursing mothers to help ensure adequate milk supply.
7. Illness: Any ailment, like infection or diarrhea, etc., speeds up body water depletion, and so added water intake is needed.
8. Age: Older people, and infants and babies, are at a higher and easier risk of dehydration, from almost any cause, so they require more water intake than normal adults.
***
Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Public Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and anti-graft foundation in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
