Water Machines

Water Machines-Why your Body Needs H20

The human body is essentially a machine; an incredibly complex, highly sophisticated and yet generally neglected machine. Drinking water is of vital importance to the body, and yet still we persist in substituting it with other fluids, particularly ones that are heavy in sugar, additives and caffeine which can actively harm our health.

Water is the body's fuel, coolant and lubricant wrapped into one, protecting the fragile internal organs and ensuring the endocrine system by which they interact with each other works as designed. When the body is low on water things start to go wrong, even when it is only a mild drop of 1% - 2%.

Fuel

The human digestive system requires water to breakdown foodstuffs and to pass them through the intestinal track. The liver and other digestion organs also rely heavily on water to metabolise and pass nutrients into the bloodstream. These are passed around the body to the organs and cells as required. The blood itself, especially the plasma is almost entirely water, so any drop in the body's hydration will see the body 'robbing' water from it to sustain vital functions elsewhere.

The impact on the bloodstream is twofold - firstly by lowering its fluid content the blood becomes slightly more viscous and its volume is lowered - which means secondly the heart must pump harder to maintain the same blood flow volume. The only way the body can do this is to increase blood pressure and heart rate - not a great situation.

Low water levels mean that the body's metabolic rate drops as the system becomes less efficient. The body responds by storing more fat to compensate for less energy production, and retains water in tissue as an 'emergency' supply because it doesn't know when and where the next drink is going to come from! This is know as Oedema or water retention, and gives the body a bloated appearance. The lowering of the metabolism affects the endocrine system, meaning vital chemical and hormone signals that orchestrate the whole interaction of the body's organs becomes disrupted. The result -low on fuel; your body starts to misfire!

Coolant

The normal body temperature is 37° C. It only has a limit core temperature range before its organs and cells stops working properly. A change of core temperature of just plus or minus 4° C can cause unconsciousness and severe illness (heat stroke 41° C and hypothermia 33° C) , a change of plus or minus 7° C will often result in death.

Therefore in terms of 'life sustaining' physiological systems the body's thermostat is considered vital by your body's own self preservation mechanisms. At the heart of the body's cooling system is water which is used in perspiration. If you get too hot the body increases blood flow to the skin and secretes sweat to help radiate heat off the body. The perspiration evaporates off the skin, thereby cooling it and drawing the heat from the body.

Your body will often override 'minor' physiological functions to gain water for perspiration in an attempt to make sure you don't cook. The more dehydrated you are, the more the body needs to rob Peter to pay Paul. This means basic functions such as the endocrine systems (the communication system between the organs) become less active and efficient.

As sweat is secreted its main constituent parts, water and salt, are lost from the body. Combine this water loss with urination, defecation and respiration (exhaling water vapour) and one can see the body needs to replace its water regularly if it is to function properly.

The rate of perspiration is greatly increased during hot weather or during/after strenuous exercise. Therefore in hot conditions, whether that be natural summertime heat or stuffy central heating in winter, it is important to replace lost fluids by drinking steadily throughout the day.

Mild dehydration is almost the 'normal' condition most workers find themselves in on a daily basis. Once ingested, water can be metabolised in five minutes, and it is therefore one of the quickest methods to re-hydrating the body. A simple glass or two of water in the morning and afternoon can really help your body help itself and prevent things going wrong unnecessarily.

Lubricant

Water not only lubricates the organs and bloodstream but it also the joints and bones. It cushions the joints and helps prevent osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis, keeps the ligaments supple and flexible, the muscles toned and healthy and helps strengthen the bones, improving their density and being a good source of natural calcium.

Water allows the body to deal with attrition and wear & tear meaning your skin, muscles and bones can repair themselves, maintaining a youthful vigour. The fact that the young have a higher proportion of water content in their body mass is no coincidence, and it is a widely held medical view that good hydration is one of the secrets to good health and well being.