Health Benefits of Drinking Water

Water makes up two thirds of our body’s weight. Our blood is 83% water, our muscles 75% water and our brain 74%. It is obvious then what water does – ensuring the smooth functioning of our body’s systems. Too little water and dehydration occurs and our digestive system cannot flush out the waste products from our bodies. How much water should we drink? Recommendation on the daily fluid intake consumption guideline that most experts agree on is around 2 to 2.5 litres (or about 8 glasses of water) daily for a normal adult with a typical lifestyle. Children less but the more exercise we do, the more we should drink.

Water acts as a purification system for our bodies, removing toxins and waste, it assists us with weight loss, promotes fitness in body and mind, and keeps us healthy.

Benefits of Drinking Water and Weight Loss

Drinking water boosts our metabolism rate and assists with weight loss. Hot lemon water is believed to assist the process further and increase the benefits by up to three times. Drinking plenty of water helps reduce your appetite and minimises craving for food because it helps reduce your appetite. If we are drinking the correct amounts of water then our kidneys can function correctly. Too little water in our bodies and they struggle, meaning that our livers need to step in and assist. If the liver is assisting the kidneys, it’s not fulfilling its main function which is that of breaking down our body’s fat so we don’t lose weight.

Combat ailments and disease by drinking more water

In many cases dehydration is the prime cause of fatigue, headaches and back pain. If you suffer from lethargy and low energy levels, try drinking more water. If you or your family complain of frequent headaches, the amount of water you’re drinking is likely to be responsible. And, muscle spasms are also caused by not drinking plenty of water a day, so that the body is not adequately hydrated. Excercise can make the symptoms worse as it increases the dehyration if we do not increase our water intake. Carry a bottle with you during the day, drink more and your body will benefit.

Drinking water can reduce hunger

Hunger pangs can be misinterpreted as cravings for water say the experts. Drinking water before your regular meals can help cut down on the amount of food you eat – it works as a really effective appetite suppressant. But make sure that your water intake is just that, don’t count tea, coffee, sodas and juices in your fluids intake as they either contain caffeine which removes water from the body or sugars which makes the body work harder to dilute them causing more dehydration.

Drinking water hydrates our skin and makes us look younger

When we drink plenty of water we hydrate our skin which then takes on a more radiant look and feel. Our bodies need water to flush toxins out of our system and to keep our muscles ‘full’ and strong. Without water our bodies will quickly start to suffer and you’ll be able to see the different in the mirror.

Benefits of Water as a Headache Cure

Water can treat headaches at the source, where pills and medications only mask the symptoms. In large numbers of cases, headaches are caused by dehydration. Even if it is directly related to stress, fatique or other problems, drinking water can greatly reduce the severity of the headache. A properly hydrated body will allow you to think clearly and your headache will ease.

Water Beats Stress!

When we experience stress, dehydration occurs which can lead to the shrinkage of our brains. Correct water intake is therefore vital in decreasing the stress on our bodies and our minds. It is important to feed our thirst.

Flouride and Water Health

Fluoride exists naturally in water sources and it is well known that it helps prevent and even reverse the early stages of tooth decay. Fluoride combats tooth decay by preventing the acid produced by bacteria in plaque from dissolving or demineralizing, tooth enamel, our teeth’s natural protectant. Floride is also incorporated in the structure of developing teeth when it is ingested by our bodies which also protects our teeth. Water fluoridation has proved to be a safe and cost-effective way to reduce the cost of dental care. Today, water fluoridation is estimated to reduce tooth decay by as much as 40%.

Chlorine and Cancer

People continue to use and drink unfiltered tap water even though it can be filled with carcinogenic compounds, when a simple water filter can help safeguard us against cancers. Untreated tap water is filled with dangerous contaminants like nitrate, arsenic, microorganisms, and chemicals from pesticides. When our water is treated, many contaminants are removed but the most dangerous of contaminants is actually added. Chlorine, a know poison to the body, is added as an inexpensive and effective drinking water disinfectant. At least three types of cancer are known to be caused by this chemical and research shows that we are 93% more likely to risk cancer by drinking unfiltered chlorinated water.

Want To Live Longer? Drink Water!

A big reason to drink fresh, clean water is that over the past 100 years our life expectancy has increased by more than 30 years. Cleaner public water is one of the biggest contributing factors according to research evidence. We now take more steps to clean our water supply and have improved our waste water treatment processes which all add up to a longer, healthier life. Water can even help with the fight against diabetes.

Thirst is one of the first signs that our body needs water. Alcohol and diuretics such as tea and coffee should be avoided.

A significant cause of dehydration is diarrhea which kills millions each year and children are the biggest casualties. Vomiting too causes loss of fluid which is difficult to replace through drinking and sweating can cause a significant loss of body fluids especially if exercising in warm weather.

Other than an increased thirst, the biggest sign of dehydration is a reduction in the urge to urinate as our bodies try to conserve fluids. Our urine becomes very yellow or even orange and is usually accompanied by a strong odour. A dry mouth, muscle cramps and nausea or vomiting may also become apparent and we may also become light headed.

Unless measures are taken to reverse the symptoms of dehydration, the normal amount of blood reaching our brain and other organs will significantly reduce until our bodies are no longer able to function and we slip into a coma

As with any ailment or disease, prevention is the best medicine. If this is not possible then fluid replacement is top of the list to treat the symptoms, by mouth initial and intravenously if more severe. Whichever way, we need to hydrate our bodies and should drink plenty but not to excess as this can cause us even more damage. Electrolytes are commonly used to boost the replacement of fluids in extreme cases and aid rehydration. The best rule is to seek medical attention if at all worried.

Shock, kidney failure, coma and death are common in extreme cases where symptoms go untreated. Medical treatment is a must!

Who’s most susceptible to dehydration? People who exercise in hot weather, pediatric and geriatrics – kids and old people, and those with heat related conditions such as heat rash, heat cramp, heat stroke and heat exhaustion are most at risk and can easily dehydrate, although people of any age can fall victim. Keeping well hydrated at all times is the best policy. Kids are terrible for not drinking enough fluids and so you should keep your child safe by insisting on regular fluid intake to keep them safe and healthy.

Water pollution occurs when toxic substances are washed into our oceans, rivers, streams and lakes from pipework or groundwater deposits. These toxins are dissolved and are either suspended in the water or lying on the bottom. The deterioration in our water quality effects these fragile aquatic eco systems, killing off nutrients and creating un-needed environmental issues.

Discharge into our rivers from sewage works or industrial waste is the largest pollutant sources. In India for instance, only about ten percent of waste water is treated properly with the rest flowing directly into rivers and other waterways causing pollution which is highly contaminated and full of microbes which can cause serious disease.

Run-off from fields used for agriculture is another huge contributing factor to water pollution as fertilizers, pesticides, iron and other chemicals are washed into our waterways. Domestic sewage is also difficult to treat and contains bacteria, organisms and microbes that can also cause serious illness. Although the amounts are very small in proportion to other contaminants, by volume, this ’sanitary sewage’ is huge and creates large amounts of rotting impurities, vegetable and food waste, washing powders, soaps and the like, which create a significant problem in the treatment of this waste water.

The chemicals contained in all the rubbish we dump into our waterways – plastic bottles, tin cans, and household products including those of household cleaners and detergents contain a large amount of harmful synthetic chemicals including phosphates for water softening which have a detrimental effect on all aquatic life. Nitrates are also common in our ‘groundwater’ where chemical fertilizers used in agriculture ‘leech’ into our water systems.

Types of water pollution…

There are two groups of water pollutants – ‘point source’ and ‘non-point source’. The former is attributed to storm drains, pipes and ditches etc which allow contaminants to enter our water in a ‘discrete’ way. Sewage plants and factory discharge are included in this category. You can find a more comprehensive definition of ‘Point Source Water Pollution’ within the US CWA (Clean Water Act) which regulates and enforces a strict code of conduct.

NPS or ‘Non-Point Source’ water pollution covers mainly run-off situations from agricultural fields, highways and roads, construction sites, parking lots and any other ‘non-discrete’ contamination although water flowing from these sources into storm drains would still be classed as Point Source pollution.

Water pollution and the effects on our communities…

Devastation to our environment is a good place to start. Human health and aquatic life are both seriously effected and polluted water cannot be used for drinking, for industry, agriculture or any recreational use. By simply managing and looking after our water and the way that we create waste, we can minimize the amount of water polluting material released into our systems and add some valuable protection to our delicate gift of life.

Removing any dangerous substance before there is a chance of re-introduction into our waterways is paramount. Water treatment facilities in the United States for instance are governed by strict legislation governing the amounts of contaminants that can be discharged. You only have to switch on the news to see the effects of water pollution on our environment!

By simply thinking about what we do and abiding by the regulations in place, we can prevent problems and can protect and save our water from pollution. Most of us would drink to that!

The signs and symptoms of dehydration will become apparent very quickly if the body’s water is not replenished. The body monitors the amount of fluid loss and the thirst mechanism alerts us that we need to drink water when our body is ‘dry’. In addition, hormones like anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) work with the kidney to limit the amount of water lost in the urine when the body needs to conserve water.<

For more information on this… MedicineNet.com

The water filtration capabilities of these reed beds allow solids to settle and microbes in the roots to deal with water contamination in the same way that conventional treatment systems do.

The planting excercise has been welcomed by Bassenthwaite Lake Restoration Programme bosses who feel that their aim to improve water quality, will certainly be boosted by this green solution.

To read the full story click here…. BBC News Channel