The average adult body consists of between 60% and 70% water. Sounds strange, doesn’t it, that we have so much water in our bodies? Makes one want to ask why we do not make a squishing, gurgling sound when we move about like a bottle of water does when you shake it a bit.
The answer to that is quite interesting, and I found this out when my youngster asked me why he doesn’t make a slopping sound when he jumps. I hurriedly told him that all the water does not stay in his body all the time; he loses it when he sweats, cries, breathes and goes to the toilet, which is why he had to drink his water (which he was trying to get out of hence the question). It did, however send me onto Google to find out a more substantial answer for him.
Water in Your Body!
I found out some really good information to tell my son as to where all the water in his body is and why he needs to drink water regularly in order to stay healthy and hydrated.
The total amount of water in our bodies is divided between three main areas:
- around 66%, or two thirds of the water is located in all the millions of cells in our bodies; and
- the remaining one third is divided between our blood and the areas between the cells
Our vital organs need varying amounts of water to function optimally:
- brain and heart – 73% water,
- lungs – 83% water;
- skin – 64% water;
- muscles and kidneys – 79% water; and
- the bones – 31% water
I showed my children a diagram that pointed out where water goes to in the body and what it does. They were not that that convinced by some of it, but the fact that water helps to keep the body cool, helps the cells to grow, helps keep their joints working and helps build muscles worked well, especially with the boys; my daughter was more interested in what water does for the brain.
I also found it very interesting that the level of water in the human body is more at birth and drops as one gets older, with the elderly having the least water, which explains the wrinkled skin. This was a great selling point to getting my youngster to drink more water, as I told them that if they did not drink water regularly they will start looking like Gran, all wrinkly and small. I know it was not fair, but at this stage anything that I can do to ensure that my children drink water as often as possible is a win for their health and for me.
Source:
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