Nutrients are all those elements derived from food and drink in order to sustaining metabolic functions of our bodies. We most likely never think of water as nutrient but also many of us don’t realize the extremely important part it plays in all of our bodily functions.
Water is the vital link to life.
All the essential nutrients our bodies need must be supplied to them from outside sources such as food and/or drink as they cannot be made. One such nutrient is water or H2O. It is an essential nutrient simply because life can not exist without it. Health and integrity of every cell in the body highly depends on water. Our bodies’ composition is up to 75% water and deprivation of will kill you faster than the deprivation of any other essential nutrient. Actually it can happen within 3 to 4 days. Water loss needs to be replaced.
Daily water is lost through urine; respiration and perspiration to be replaced and balanced back again by water intake. Thirst being the trigger mechanism it tells us when to drink more of it. The daily recommendation of water is not as specific as with so many other nutrients. There are several reasons for this and they are related to variables such as your geographical location, season, physical activity, body composition and size, age and your state of health to name a few.
Under normal circumstances adults may drink from six to eight cups each day. On special circumstances however, the intake and output of fluids should be carefully monitored. For example young children tolerate high temperatures less efficiently and vomiting or diarrhea in infants and/or young children quickly leads to dehydration. The aged also may be at an increased risk of dehydration because of the influence of some medication, their state of health and less efficient thirst mechanism to alert them when the body needs more fluids. Both young and old should be encouraged to drink often.
For athletes of their entire nutritional concerns water intake is the most important. Athletes needs for nutrient water is critical in order to control temperature and levels of fluids in their bodies. Fluid loss of two to three percent of body weight from sweating can easily impair performance while fluid losses of eight to ten percent of body weight can result in heat stroke and even death. Marathon and long distance runners may lose up to three liters of sweat per hour. To prevent excess fluid loss (dehydration) during activity athletes must drink frequently before, during and after exercise.
Our water supply comes from many different sources. Most foods even those that are solid contain water. Some have very high content of water such as lettuce; 90 percent, while others such as fats, oils and sugar are among those with the least. Our bodies get about one third to one half of their water needs from food.
Water takes part in all of the body’s biological and chemical reactions including those of metabolic and digestive enzymes. For example the digestion of carbohydrates and protein to forms that can be utilized by the body it rests on water. Water is our body’s transportation medium. It is the means by which nutrients, essential elements, hormones and other substances get distributed to the entire body and waste byproducts are removed. However, when there is no need for extra water drinking too much and too often can cause hyponatremia. This is when sodium in the blood drops to a dangerously low levels.
The Purity and safety of drinking water is equally essential. Our oceans, rivers and lakes are heavily polluted from industrial, chemical and biological waste. In addition to those chemicals are chemicals such chlorine, fluoride and aluminum salts that added to our water by the water authorities, in the cities and towns around the world. They story is that they do so for our Well Being. It is of paramount importance for substances essential to life such as the air we breathe, nutrients we consume and the water we drink to be pure and safe for our bodies to do well.
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