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The Importance Of Water For Health

Health Articles | Health Products | Nutrition and Diet | Importance of Water

Water And Health by Jane Thurnell-Read

 

Water is critical to our health: we can survive much longer without food than we can without water. Water is a coolant, a lubricant and a solvent. A large part of what I call 'me' is simply water.

If we do not drink enough water, the body will do various things to conserve water. These conservation strategies can lead to various unpleasant symptoms, but from the bodys viewpoint these are less harmful than being depleted further of water.

For example, simply drinking more water can relieve many cases of constipation. If the body is short of water, it will extract water from the faeces, making them hard and difficult to pass. The end result is constipation. An abundant intake of water can quickly solve this problem for many people. For many years top models have been fanatical about drinking water to maintain a clear skin.

If you want to lose weight, try drinking a large glass of water whenever you feel peckish. Wait ten minutes, and then decide if you still need that food. Dr F Batmanghelidj in his excellent book Your Bodys Many Cries For Water documents how he has helped people suffering from a wide range of illnesses including asthma, headaches, depression, colitis and hypertension, just by getting them to drink more water.

Don't avoid water in order to reduce water retention. If you do that, your body will think a drought is coming and hang on to all the water it can!

A recent study by Dr David Lewis sponsored by Brita, the water filter company, shows that water plays a vital role in our immune system's ability to fight infection, making those who drink sufficient less likely to suffer from flu and colds. This study also showed that those who drank enough water were less likely to suffer from the winter blues and recovered from stress more easily.

Athletes know that, if they wait till they are thirsty before drinking, they are probably already dehydrated, and that means that their performance will be affected. So, what's an adequate amount of water? For a normal adult it is about eight glasses a day. It should be drunk as water (not as tea, coffee, cola, beer, etc.). To begin with you may find this difficult. It seems that the body damps down the thirst reflex when it goes unanswered for so many years. Initially you may find you need to go to the toilet more, but gradually your system gets used to the extra intake.

This is one of the cheapest health tips going! Try it and your body can start to blossom.

If you're not convinced read The Body's Many Cries For Water by F. Batmanghelidj. Check out our water filters for the home and also our travel water filter.