DR. WALKER

HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE; The Importance of Rehydration

The most clichéd line you most probably hear is “Water is life.”, and if only we would take time to appreciate this cliché. Water is everywhere, involved in everything, and without which we would cease to exist.

Water remains the most regulated component of our bodies, and the slightest imbalance could result in dire and potentially fatal consequences. Our body is made up of approximately 70-75% water, much of which is held in cells, and the other floats outside in the lymph, blood, intestinal fluids and urine held in bladder ¹.

We roughly lose about half a gallon of it daily, through sweat, breathing and talking and urination, and so this is about how much is estimated for daily intake. Bear in mind that this is a rough estimation, considering the many differences in individuals’ physiologies, daily routines and temperature. The body will not wait to lose water in critical areas though, before it asks for a refill. At the slightest shortage, you would experience mild dehydration with signs such as dry mouth, deep amber-colored urine, headaches, dizziness, hunger and the most common, thirst. While these symptoms might be quite uncomfortable, your body is actually playing nice as further delay in rehydration could result in loss of critical body functions.

One place from which our bodies draw water is from intestinal fluid. The water there is actually there to hold food particles apart so that enzymes can effectively digest them and also to dissolve nutrients and aid absorption. Water in there also helps the food to move through the many folds of your intestines. As such, allowing yourself to become thirsty runs the risk of losing important nutrients, especially vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids. Also, you would deny the food easy and safe passage through your gut, risking constipation and other complications like the dreaded colorectal cancer ².

Another place water might be drawn from, is your kidneys/urine. On a very thirsty day, if one manages to urinate, one would feel a mild burning sensation in the urethra. That is the feeling of concentrated salts passing out, and it is quite harmful to your kidneys. One of the importance of rehydration is to keep water in your blood, so that the kidney may remove enough of it without any restrictions. Chronic concentrated urine formation from dehydration could result in the formation of kidney stones, and passing one of these stones, some have equated to child birth.

Constant rehydration also helps us to lose weight. One study report that dieters who drank 17 oz of water before each meal lost 44% more weight over a 12-week period.³ Another reports that drinking 500 cc of water increases your metabolic rate 30%. This effect begins in 10 minutes after drinking water and reaches the peak in 30 to 40 – minute. That being said, one could easily burn about 95 calories; just from drinking ½ a gallon over the day.⁴. This is similar to calories utilized when running 1 mile.

Rehydration is also known to help maintain cognitive function and physical activity. No surprise there, as your brain matter is about 70% water. One study says that about 1.5% loss of fluids in some affected their mood and ability to concentrate, among other brain functions.⁵ It is also helpful for preventing painful muscle cramps during intense physical activity.

Water is also a chief component for body temperature regulation, and losing water in hot conditions, may cause ill effects to be materialized even faster. Rehydration is also important for our joints as it is a major component of synovial fluid (our joints’ hydraulic cushion).

As mentioned earlier, water is found in all areas of our bodies, even in places like hair and nails, where you do not find blood. Therefore, we must hydrate enough to keep its presence there.

All the required water does not have to be consumed orally. Scientists report that we receive about 20% of our required water with our foods. We may also get a substantial amount from beverages, but we should be careful of the extra calories/sugars. Bottomline, at least, ½ gallon, evenly spread throughout the day, is effective to keep us at our healthy best.

Water indeed is life; it is critical in the both the simplest and most complicated life process. If you love life, love water. Hydrate.