Our Body of Water

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“Drink water” is a common phrase we hear these days, be it from the doctor, friends or family members, especially when we feel sick.  Drinking should be an integral part of our daily lives, and not just when we are sick. Today’s increasing temperatures and the annual ordeal of the haze in Malaysia give us enough reason to value the importance and health benefits of drinking water. 

We cannot live without water. It is the most abundant “nutrient” in our bodies and on planet Earth. When we were born, our body had 75% of water. By the time we reach middle or old age, our body retains 50% or less water.

Generally, overweight or obese youngsters have less than 50% body water. Women tend to have more body fat than men and so they, too, have a lower percentage of water compared to men.

Key function of water is to act as a medium to discharge toxins from our body through perspiration, urine, faeces and expiration process (as we breathe). Our body needs water to digest and absorb nutrients from foods and to balance our body heat. And, for those who are very particular about their appearance, water is especially essential to maintain the moisture, elasticity and suppleness of our skin from the inside out.  

As for all that hype about drinking water to lose weight, it is actually true! An increase in the consumption of water can help to control weight by preventing us from confusing hunger with thirst, and it keeps our metabolism and body system in proper working condition.   Water also provides better energy and hydration for our body so that we can do strenuous activities. It contributes to the fluid that lubricates and cushions our muscles and joints. 

Fat cells store no water. Water is stored mostly in muscles. Those with low muscle mass tend to have less body water. The lack of body water is referred to as “dehydration.” If your body water drops by as little as 2% of your body weight, your physical and mental functions and physical performance are impaired.

Many people do not even notice anything abnormal with such a small loss of water from their bodies. They may not know that some of their mental and physical functions are being compromised by this dehydration. When water loss reaches 7% of body weight, the body may collapse.

Due to its crucial role in human physiology, nutritional medicine regards quality water as essential “nutrient” just like protein, essential fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins.

We lose about two litres of water per day depending on our body mass, working and living environment, diet, lifestyle, and physiological problems. Two-thirds of this water loss is through urine. One-third is lost through sweating (skin), breathing (lungs), and in the stools.

In a state of dehydration, most water loss comes at the expense of our cellular health. Without healthy cells, we cannot have healthy organs for our body to function at its optimum.

Essentially, nutritional medicine and (more recently) anti-ageing medicine reverse chronic health disorders by targeting these problems at the cellular levels.

If you do not have adequate body water, you may suffer from one or more of these consequences of dehydration:

• obesity (including youngsters and children)
• constipation; urinary bladder stones, higher risk or coronary heart disease, salivary gland malfunction; sleep disorders;
• thicker blood and poor blood flow; higher level of body toxicity and wastes; weak overall mental performance, early exhaustion during exercising; 
• loss of muscle mass after weight or resistance training; increased incidence of lower back pain; and increased risk of cancers of urinary tract, breast, colon, and rectum.

The signs  and symptoms of dehydration include the following: dry lips/mouth; feeling “heaty”; had stools; sunken eyes, wrinkles; fatigue; low pain tolerance; poor control over allergies; low mental performance; weight (fat) gain; and low urine output despite adequate water intake.

How much water does our body need?

Some experts say we need to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per day to remain healthy. However, this has never been an accurate measurement to meet the needs of every adult, taking into account as water intake does not come only in the form of drinking water.  In general, to keep being healthy, we only need to replace the amount of water that is lost from our body. And that varies from one individual to another depending on a variety of factors that include age, physical condition, activity level, and climate. The best thing to do is to drink water when we are thirsty and drink more if we feel we want to. A normal and healthy human body will send out a “thirst” signal when it has lost one or two percent of water.  

However, when the body is affected by illnesses such as a fever or diarrhoea, the signal will not be released. That is why we need to drink more water whenever we get sick so that the toxins in our body can be flushed out of our system. Signs that the body has low water levels include low blood pressure, weak muscles, cramps, nausea and insomnia. If the water loss becomes severe, one might go into a coma and this could result in death. 

Recent research suggests that even our DNA and genes are able to perform their functions only with sufficient intake of quality water.

Alkaline/Acid Water

The crucial acid/alkaline balance is created by the amount of ionization, which splits water into two parts, namely hydrogen ion (H+) amd hydroxide ion (OH-). When both these molecules are equal in number, the water is deemed to be “neutral” and has

a pH of 7.

When the body neutralizes large amount of acidic liquids (soft drinks, alcohol, sugary beverages, coffee, and packaged fruit drinks), it may not be able to neutralize acidic wastes generated by its metabolic processes such as lactic acid, uric acid, sulphuric acid, and phosphoric acid.

When the body’s supply of alkaline buffers is overhelmed, these toxic wastes accumulate causing chronic health disorders including gout, allergies, diabetes type II, hypercholesterolemia and cancers.

Creating an alkaline internal environment is considered in nutritional medicine to be a key cancer-prevention strategy.

Whie the kidneys work hard to maintain blood pH at 7.4, we tend to lose minerals in the urine after consuming an acidic meal.

Alkalinising diet improves bone density, nitrogen balance, and serum growth hormone concentration whereas an acidic diet contributes to bone loss, osteoporosis, and loss of muscle mass (Frassetto et al, 1998). Furthermore, drinking sufficient water with a pH of 9 or 10 help detoxify the body.

Given the choice of plain water or flavoured drinks, many would opt for the latter. Flavoured drinks are diuretics and may contain unhealthy substances that cause us to pass more urine and become dehydrated. If you truly dislike plain pure water, why not add a bit of lemon or lime for a touch of flavour?

Did you know that?

·         A reduction of 4-5% in body water will result in a decline of 20-30% in work performance.

·         Water retention occurs when you are not drinking enough, and your body may retain water to compensate. Ironically, fluid retention can sometimes be eliminated by drinking more water, not less. 

·         People think water problems begin when the water starts to develop a bad smell, taste or look dirty. However, harmful pollutants and contaminants usually don't make water smell or taste bad. 

·         Drinking only salt water can trigger hallucinations and can be fatal. 

·         Water leaves the stomach five minutes after consumption.