Essay Sample Discussing the Importance of Hydration

Kevin R. Stone said that drinking water acts like washing out one's insides. It will cleanse the system, fill one up, decrease the caloric load and improve the body function of all the tissues.

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The trend, lately, is that a large part of the population carries a water bottle with them daily and sips throughout. But for what purpose exactly to the body? Is it necessary that people take the prescribed "eight glasses of water a day"? Does it contribute to optimal health and performance? Research has been done to point to the evidence that water aids in your health to a great extent (Nutrition reviews, S6).

Despite this, some people do not drink water for various reasons such as; being forgetful and the inaccessibility of water. Much of the public, however, is not informed about the advantages and the consequences of health. Also, most of them think that any liquid qualifies hydration. Confusion exists about the purification of water. With this misunderstandings, the public is often dehydrated. Dehydration can be fixed quite easily through a conscious effort to drink and self-awareness. Several techniques exist to and encourage and facilitate water consumption; keeping a liquid journal, making drinking water a habit; and making water more appealing. Although the topic of drinking eight glasses of water appears simple, it is key to optimal body function and optima great health.

Taking an adequate amount of water every day will ensure optimal body function. Water is crucial for efficient blood circulation. The fluid in the blood and carries nutrients in dissolved form and oxygen to cells, and also glucose to working muscles (including significant organs like the heart). Our bodies are 70% water thus cells, tissues, and organs require water to function.

Fluids take away metabolic by-products like ketones and some toxins formed through metabolism. Water is essential for regulation. It removes waste in urine, assisting in the prevention of colon cancer and bladder infections, hence ensuring the good health of one's kidneysFluid in sweat removes heat through the skin (American Journal of Physiology-Legacy Content, 255) and helps in the regulation of body temperature.

Taking enough amount of water daily will ensures optimal mood. Dehydration causes several health issues such as lethargy, headaches, and anxiety. Headaches come about when inadequate fluid dilate and constrict blood vessels, causing pain by creating a spasm in the head. A small loss causes fatigue and also impairs the reaction time.

Water satisfies the thirst, that is quite often mistaken for hunger pangs. Water taken with meals causes one to eat a reduced amount of food helping you to control your portion sizes minimizing the extra calories. This helps with dieting. You can lose a pound every month simply by drinking eight glasses of water every day.

A sufficient amount of water drank daily will ensures optimal productivity. Hydration helps in clear thinking. A drop in body water of 2 percent can trigger fuzzy short-term memory causing trouble with basic math for example. Also causing decreased visual ability plus difficulty in focusing on a printed page or a computer screen.

Drinking water and breathing should go hand in hand; the human body is seventy percent water. The impact of dehydration become noticeable after only two percent fluid loss, at this level one may experience loss of appetite, head rushes, and a dry mouth. At increased levels such as a five percent fluid loss, the symptoms become severe, the heart may start to beat rapidly an "a dehydration headache" occurs, hands and feet may start feeling numb and or tingly, and nausea can result. At a ten percent fluid loss, the dehydration is severe, muscle spasm, vomiting, loss of consciousness, abnormal heart beat, troubled breathing and chest pains are just some of the signs. When any of these are experienced, then immediate medical attention is called for instantly.. All this seems pretty scary now, but staying hydrated is actually pretty easy, and very often may even save your life. The essential thing one can do is only drink water! Now it is has been said that you should drink at least eight glasses of water a day. I think this is even a bit much unless one is quite active or involved in an activity that is strenuous. Another option to help one stay hydrated is to eating properly. Funny enough. The number of salts and even potassium can have a huge impact on the way one's body absorbs water. Although sodium can help to a large extent to stay hydrated, you should not get overzealous and consume sodium in great amounts; It is good for a person in the correct designated amounts of approximately 2000 milligrams per day. This also goes for potassium. The recommended intake daily quantity is 2000-3000 milligrams. A good source of sodium and potassium would be sports drinks such as Gatorade despite most of them having a lot of sugar content. Meats, eggs, nuts, and fruits are also good sources in addition to being rich in proteins and also other necessary minerals and vitamins that your body needs to function at its optimum.

References;

Pitts, G. C., R. E. Johnson, and F. C. Consolazio. "Work in the heat as affected by intake of water, salt and glucose." American Journal of Physiology-Legacy Content 142.2 (1944): 253-259.

Ritz, Patrick, and Gilles Berrut. "The importance of good hydration for daytoday health." Nutrition reviews 63 (2005): S6-S13.