The human body is a wonderful thing. It may not have a water storage system, which is why we constantly have to drink water to replace the water we have lost, but it does have a water recycling system and a drought management system.
No Water Storage System
Our bodies consist of around 70% water. We need to ensure that this balance is maintained as every single cell in our body needs water in order to operate optimally.
We lose some of this water constantly because we sweat when it is hot or when we do something physical; we urinate a couple of times a day, and sometimes we cry, cough or sneeze too. We also lose water just by breathing (just check the vapour that you exhale the next time it is cold).
Because we do not have a water storage system, and are losing water all the time, we need to constantly drink water to replace that which we have lost.
The Human Body’s Water Recycling System
Did you know that your body has a water recycling system? If you think about it, you will realise that the human body is the ultimate recycling machine; we drink water, and the body recycles it to the tune of hundreds of litres per day in order to maintain natural bodily functions.
Unfortunately, this recycling process means that the body comes up short of around six to eight glasses of water daily, although this can differ quite a bit depending on age, climate, lifestyle, diet and various other factors.
The Human Body’s Drought Management System
Now we get to the really important and interesting part – our very own drought management system.
Pour body depends on us to drink water in sufficient quantities and often enough to keep the balance of fluids at optimum levels at all times. This is not always possible, as the amount of water that we lose depends on so many outside factors.
Simply breathing causes us to lose a significant amount of water, and exercising or hot weather causes us to sweat overtime, losing literally litres of water at a time. If we do not ensure that we are fully hydrated before we begin exercising, do not have instant easy access to drinking water, or just don’t drink water because we do not feel thirsty, we can easily become dehydrated very quickly.
Without fresh supplies of life-giving and sustaining drinking water, our bodies are unable to transport vital vitamins, nutrients, and blood plasma to where they are needed and we will soon become fatigued both mentally and physically.
Fortunately, should this happen, our body’s drought management system kicks into gear and endeavours to prevent respiratory water loss by creating histamines, which shut off the capillaries in your lungs. This restriction reduces water loss from breathing, but it also makes breathing very difficult.
Although it may feel as though we are really labouring to breathe, the body is making this happen on purpose in an attempt to save the brain from damage due to a lack of water. Drinking water as soon as possible when this happens will restore the capillaries to their normal size and rehydrate and refresh the brain.
If this happens only occasionally no lasting damage will be done, but it is always best to avoid this happening by drinking water on a regular basis, and ensuring that you drink more water before exercise or physical work, and always make sure that you carry fresh drinking water with you under these circumstances.
Source:
Living-Water sells water coolers in London and rent water coolers to companies.
