A person can survive three minutes without oxygen, 30 days without food and only three days without liquid, says the golden rule. Without water, nothing in our body works.
Water makes up about 80 percent of a newborn's body. As we age, the water content in the body decreases to about 60 percent. Fat cells have a lower water content than other cells. Therefore, obese people have a lower percentage of water than thin people, and women have less than men.
Keeping our body hydrated regularly is essential for survival.
Certain organs contain very large amounts of water. Let's say an eye. Its vitreous body consists of up to 99 percent water. Muscles also have a high proportion of fluid, with around 80 percent. In order to supply our body with enough, it is first of all important to drink, drink and drink again.
Water is absolutely necessary
Our body loses about two liters of fluid a day: through the skin, which regulates body temperature, especially when it's hot. But dry air from heating also has an impact.
The kidneys, which rid our body of toxins, excrete liquid in the form of urine.
If we haven't taken enough fluids, the urine is an intense yellow color. If it becomes brownish, it is a serious warning sign that something is wrong.
Through the intestine, the liquid is excreted with the stool, and in the form of small droplets, we also lose water when we breathe.
We have to make up for these losses by consuming 1,5 to two liters of liquid every day. The need for fluid increases during physical exertion, sports, high temperature, fever, vomiting and diarrhea.
However, it doesn't always have to be water. Soups, fruits or various types of vegetables are also good for the body and help to replenish supplies.
This is necessary, because our body already shows the first symptoms with a fluid loss of one to two percent. If it loses more than seven percent, the situation becomes serious: a rapid pulse or dizziness indicate this, because all chemical reactions and processes in the body require fluid.
A fluid loss of 12 percent can lead to a state of shock or even coma.
The brain needs fluid to protect itself
Neither our brain nor our spinal cord can function without fluid. We have about 140 milliliters of water for the nerves or brain - the so-called cerebrospinal fluid or cerebrospinal fluid. It is a transparent liquid in which the brain, as it were, swims in the skull and which protects it from earthquakes. Every day, we form about half a liter of this liquid.
The first signs that our body urgently needs water are headache and dizziness, dry mucous membranes in the mouth and throat, and possibly difficult swallowing. We are tired, we feel weak, but we often do not associate this with insufficient fluid intake.
When it's hot and we lose extra fluid through sweating, it's possible for circulation to fail and we simply collapse.
The body tells us unequivocally that we urgently need to drink something, because the blood pressure also increases. Without enough fluid, the blood thickens and circulation is disrupted.
The older, the less thirsty
The older we get, the less thirsty we are. It's not uncommon for older people to simply forget to drink enough fluids.
Among other things, this can lead to dizziness, confusion, disturbances or loss of consciousness. In the case of a large loss of fluid, doctors have to replace the lost fluid through an infusion.
Some older people, however, consciously do not drink enough fluids, because in old age many can no longer control urination. Due to the fear of uncontrollable urination or going to the toilet too often at night, many people do not drink enough fluids.
Alcohol dehydrates the body
In case of diarrhea or vomiting, our body needs more than the minimum liter and a half of liquid per day. If the amount of water is not replenished quickly, the body dries out. A lot of fluids are also needed when taking certain medications, such as diuretics.
Alcohol also deprives the body of fluid because it has a diuretic effect. The kidneys try to expel toxic substances from the body, so we often have to go to the toilet to get rid of urine.
Alcohol interferes with the release of the so-called vasopressin in the hypothalamus.
Vasopressin is a hormone that regulates water balance in the kidneys. But if the body does not have sufficient amounts of this important hormone, the kidneys excrete too much water and the water balance is disturbed.
Too much fluid can also be harmful
If we drink five or more liters of liquid within a few hours, it can also be life-threatening and can result in hyperhydration, i.e. an excessive amount of water in the body.
The kidneys are then no longer able to regulate and excrete a large amount of fluid. One of the worst consequences can be cerebral edema.
Huge amounts of fluids are ingested during water drinking competitions. It is a big burden on the body. Not only are the kidneys unable to do their job, but the salt balance is also destroyed. How and whether the body can cope with it at all depends on age, weight and general state of health.
And here the rule applies: measure is important.
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