HEALTH
When was the last time you had something to drink? Was that drink water? A study performed
by the CDC found approximately forty-three percent of adults drink less than four cups of water
a day; which includes the thirty-six percent who drink one to three cups, and seven percent who
do not drink any. The adult body is approximately sixty percent water, and it varies depending on
age, gender and body composition, and the absence of water can give rise to dehydration.
Dehydration occurs when the body’s water output is more than water intake. The majority of
water lost by the body occurs involuntarily via the respiratory system, skin and kidneys.
Dehydration in adults and children can be identified by many symptoms to include poor mood,
fatigue and headache. Mild dehydration can have negative effects on mental performance,
causing light-headedness, dizziness, headaches, and fatigue. Research about dehydration has
found that poor hydration and nutrition can decrease cognitive ability and decision making
which has the potential to create a risk of avertable errors of judgment and impair work
performance. Thirst provokes the behavior to replace fluids lost; but by the time thirst is felt
there is a possibility that you are already dehydrated. A study found that after thirst, is felt mental
performance has the potential to decrease by ten percent. The best way to prevent dehydration is
to hydrate or drink more water.
Some Signs and symptoms of dehydration include:
Infant or Young Child
● Dry mouth and tongue
● No tears when crying
● No wet diapers for three hours
● Sunken eyes, cheeks
● Sunken soft spot on top of skull
● Listlessness or irritability
Adult
● Extreme thirst
● Less frequent urination
● Dark-colored urine
● Fatigue
● Dizziness
● Confusion
Hydration is the process of replacing the water in the body. Research has found that appropriate
hydration and nutrition can be advantageous to sustain work output and concentration over
extended periods of high physical and mental stress. There are several essential functions that are
performed by water; which is why staying hydrated is important to staying healthy and keeping
the systems of the body functioning. According to The National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine it was determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is:
● About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids for men
● About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women
The recommendations established include fluids from water, food,which accounts for twenty
percent and other drinks.
Some essential functions of water include:
● Assists helps to rid us of toxins, aids digestion
● prevents urinary tract infections
● reduces the risk of kidney infection and gallstones
● lowers blood pressure
● maintains skin elasticity
● It regulates our internal body temperature by sweating and respiration
● The carbohydrates and proteins that our bodies use as food are metabolized and
transported by water in the bloodstream;
● It assists in flushing waste mainly through urination
● acts as a shock absorber for brain, spinal cord, and fetus
● forms saliva
● lubricates joints
Some Benefits of Adequate water consumption include:
● Thinking clearly: Dehydration causes shrinkage of brain tissue, which causes the brain to
work harder to perform the basic tasks. A study found that students who brought water to
their test performed better on the test.
● Improves Mood :Drinking water makes people feel so refreshed that it improved their
state of mind. Dehydration has been shown to have a negative impact on mood.
● Headache Prevention - Not having water for extended periods of time can cause headaches
and has been proven to be a trigger for migraines. There was a study that looked at the
effect of water on headaches. The study found that participants got total relief from the
headache thirty minutes after drinking an average of two cups of water.
● Gargling keeps you healthier: There was a study that followed approximately four
hundred participants during cold and flu season, and found that the people that gargled
water on the regular basis were less likely to get an upper respiratory infection. If they
did get an upper respiratory infection, their symptoms were not as severe.
