Dehydration in the Body

Water is a very important essential to health maintenance, because it helps flush out all the toxins that are in our body. If we don't consume enough water it could lead into dehydration. About 60% of adult's body weight is water. Water helps maintain the balance of body fluids, such as digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature. Water also plays many important roles in keeping our body healthy, as it helps energize muscles, keeps skin looking healthy, helps kidneys, and also maintains normal bowel functions. It is also a good way to control the calories you're eating when dieting.

Water is used to bathe the body cells, to lubricate, and clean the internal and external body surfaces for example; watery eyes lubricate the eyes and wash away dirt. Water in the body has many functions such as chemical reactions and, regulating body temperature. Our body cells need glucose, amino acids, and minerals to dissolve water. Water is used in chemical reactions that join small molecules together, and break larger molecules apart. However, in some reactions water helps maintain proper acidity levels in the body. Water can hold heat, and that helps regulate our body temperature by increasing or decreasing the amount of heat lost on the surface of the body. When rising temperatures begin, our blood vessels will dilate and will release some heat to the air on the body's surface. Regulating body temperature with water is also through evaporation of sweat. An example is when we sweat; our brains are triggered by our sweat glands which produces sweat aka water.

Water is the main nutrient that our body needs. When our body does not get enough water, it begins to shut down. Dehydration is the number one crisis that occurs when we don't get enough water in our body; it is when we lose an excessive amount. Water loss will reduce the blood volume which is the way it delivers oxygen and nutrients to the cells and brain. According to Karen Ansel" Dehydration makes blood more concentrated, causing sensors in the brain to signal the body to drink more." (http://articles.cnn.com/2008-08-26/health/cl.get.fluids_1_daily-fluid-water-fluid-content/3?_s=PM:HEALTH) Depending on the percentage of water that is loss, depends on how bad the symptoms will be. Some symptoms of dehydration are: headaches, extreme thirst, fatigue, and dry mouth. Dehydration can be very life threatening, if not taken care of immediately. This can affect our thinking and psychical movement.

Electrolytes are essential for nerve conduction and muscle contraction. Keeping your body alive and moving requires the transmission of nerve impulses and the contraction of muscles. These activities are triggered by the movement of electrically charged ionsdissolved in water; these ions are known as electrolytes. The main electrolyte minerals in our body are sodium, potassium, and chloride. They regulate fluid balance and are important for maintaining acid-base balance throughout the body. Sodium and potassium are positively charged ions, however sodium takes care of the outside cells, whereas potassium takes care of the inside cells. Electrolyte and fluid balance are regulated mostly by the kidneys. According to the Water & Minerals article "Our diet today is high in salt (sodium chloride) and low in potassium. The reason for this is that we eat a lot of processed foods, which are high in sodium and chloride, and too few fresh unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fresh meats, which are high in potassium." Too much potassium can be very deadly caused by irregular heartbeats.

Sodium and chloride can be found in table salt, and processed foods. Potassium can be found in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and milk. The recommended intake daily of each of these electrolytes is Sodium 1500mg, Potassium 4700mg, and Chloride 2300mg. Sodium's toxicity contributes to high blood pressure in salt sensitive people, and potassium's toxicity is abnormal heartbeat. Each electrolyte has its own major functions. Sodium and potassium's major functions are major positive extracellular ion, nerve transmission, muscle contraction, and fluid balance. Chloride's major functions are major negative extracellular ion, and fluid balance. Along with these electrolytes, there are deficiency symptoms, but only for two of them. Between sodium and potassium the following symptoms can occur muscle cramps, irregular heartbeat, and fatigue. Those who may be at risk for sodium deficiency are those that consume a severely sodium, restricted diet, and are sweating excessively. People who may be at risk for a potassium deficiency are those consuming poor diets high in processed foods, those taking thiazide diuretics. It is very unlikely to have a deficiency problem with chloride.

Too much caffeine and heavy alcohol consumption can cause many problems. High blood pressure can occur when drinking alcohol, this is where the force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls. According to Kathleen Zelman (2010) "Alcohol interferes with the brain and kidney communication and causes excess excretion of fluids which can then lead to dehydration." (http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-drink-water) Dehydration is when the body does not have enough water. Alcohol and caffeinated drinks increase the urine output, and raises the amount of fluid lost in the body. However, according to Karen Ansel (2008) "While caffeine does signal our kidneys to rid our bodies of excess water, it does so for only a short time, so we still retain more fluid than we lose after sipping a caffeinated beverage.(http://articles.cnn.com/2008-08-26/health/cl.get.fluids_1_daily-fluid-water-fluid-content/2?_s=PM:HEALTH)

Some important ways to ensure that the body does not become dehydrated is by drinking plenty of water every day. On average a person is supposed to consume at least eight glasses of water, it is important to make sure when exercising, water is consumed before, during, and after. Eating more fruits and vegetables will add to hydration, because they are high in water content, and about 20% of our water intake is from the food we eat. It is good to watch the foods that you eat, such as meats they are packed with water, but when cooked it loses water. Vegetables are usually soften when cooked, and therefore don't lose much water.

References

Kathleen Zelman (2010). 6 Reasons to Drink Water. WebMD. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-drink-water

Mark Kovacs (2005). DEHYDRATION- A major cause of decreased performance. Retrieved from http://www.healthfitness.com.au/articles/highperformancetraining/dehydration_performance.html

Karen Ansel (2008, 26 August). Eat your fluids to stay hydrated. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2008-08-26/health/cl.get.fluids_1_daily-fluid-water-fluid-content?_s=PM:HEALTH