Water – the source of life
March 22 is an extremely interesting date. On this day we celebrate the World Water Day established by the UN General Assembly in 1992. The popular H2O (or hydrogen oxide) is the basic, inorganic component of our body without which there is no life. Most of us have heard the statement that without food we can survive for up to 2 weeks, but without water for only a few days. It is estimated that 20% of water loss leads to human death.
What is the role of water in the body?
We already know that water is a fluid necessary for the survival of all living things. So it’s time to get to know some of its amazing features.
- Water is a structural component of the cells and tissues that build the body.
- It acts as a means of transport for all organic and inorganic substances within the system.
- It is a solvent for most chemical compounds present in the body and then facilitates their absorption.
- It takes part in the removal of unnecessary metabolic products, such as urea and uric acid.
- Water is an essential element in the metabolic process – it acts as a catalyst or a substrate.
- It participates in the digestion process and also facilitates the movement of the resulting fecal masses.
- It is responsible for the thermoregulation process, i.e. the regulation of body temperature (e.g. through sweat).
The most important rules for drinking water
In order to make the most of the beneficial properties of water, a few simple rules should be followed.
- You should drink 30 ml of water daily for every 1 kg of body weight. A person weighing 70 kg should then drink 2,100 ml of water (2.1 l).
- Water should be drunk in small sips, not more than a glass at a time. This way we will prevent kidney overload and the related “water poisoning”.
- For better hydration of the body, you can add a pinch of Himalayan or Kłodawa salt to the water. This will result in a home-made isotonic drink.
- Water should not be drunk with a meal – then it dilutes digestive juices. Instead, it should be drunk 30 minutes before and about 1.5 hours after eating.
- Coffee and tea dehydrate our body. You should limit their consumption, and each cup drunk should be compensated with a glass of water.
- It is a good habit to drink warm water (for example with lemon juice) on an empty stomach, immediately after waking up. In this way, we cleanse our digestive tract and stimulate intestinal peristalsis.