What if a person drinks little water? If you drink little water, destructive processes can begin in your body.
The human body is predominantly composed of water. It is not at all surprising that our body needs it in sufficient quantities to restore a harmonious balance. But how much is enough?
Common figures that constantly circulate from mouth to mouth are hardly true for everyone: 2.5 liters of clean drinking water per day is quite a lot for a fragile girl. Therefore, discard stereotypes and drink in a way that makes you feel comfortable. True, unfortunately, many do not drink even the daily minimum.
We decided to dispel common myths, provide answers to frequently asked burning questions and convince you once and for all that you need to drink water. And the more, the better!
Why does the human body need water?
The answer is quite banal. The body needs water to live. On average, about 5 liters of fluid circulate in the body of an adult, and blood plasma consists of 92–95% water. It helps the body perform its functions: delivers nutrients to cells, maintains water-salt balance, normalizes hormones, removes waste and toxins.
If there is not enough water in the body, the blood becomes viscous and viscous. It becomes difficult for the heart to pump it, as a result of which the heart muscle quickly wears out, which can lead to serious pathologies of the cardiovascular system.
If I don't drink enough water, could this be causing my headaches?
Yes maybe. This is due to the fact that brain cells are 80% water. If you don't drink enough, water does not reach the brain, the body begins to suffer from dehydration and headaches appear. Moreover, such a negative effect is possible even with mild dehydration.
By the way, along with water, oxygen and glucose enter the brain. They are vital for the normal functioning of the nervous system, so your mood and well-being are also directly dependent on how much water you drink daily. Here is another important reason to monitor this amount and drink more fluid.
What will happen to me if I don't drink enough water?
If a person drinks little water, his body suffers from dehydration. In particularly critical cases, this condition becomes very dangerous and can even lead to death.
If dehydration is not chronic, then a person may not understand from the symptoms that the problem is that he is not consuming enough fluid. Lack of water manifests itself in headaches, lack of appetite and energy, apathy and weakness, disturbances in the digestive system and intoxication of the body.
When should you drink more than your daily allowance?
There are situations in which it is better to drink a little more water than required. Here are the main situations that should force you to always carry a bottle of clean drinking water with you: staying in a hot climate, active sports and exercise, problems with the digestive system, intoxication of the body.
By the way, young couples who are planning to have a child also need to drink more water. How is this related? The fact is that the basis of seminal fluid is water. It is thanks to her that the sperm manages to easily overcome the woman’s reproductive tract and reach the egg.
I forget to drink water. How to train yourself?
Discipline must be actively trained. The easiest way to remember to drink is to carry a water bottle with you always and everywhere. She will always be in your sight, which means that you simply will not be able to forget about her.
It will also help to determine specific dates when you will drink your next glass. Ideally, drink water half an hour before meals.
Today on the Internet you can find a huge number of mobile applications that help develop healthy habits. Set alerts to remind you that it's time to drink another glass of water. You'll see, very soon you'll be reaching for water yourself without any reminders!
For life. On average, approximately 5 liters of blood circulate in the adult body. Blood plasma is 92–95% water. Thanks to water, blood can perform its functions:
- deliver nutrients to organ cells;
- bring oxygen to tissues from the lungs and return carbon dioxide to them;
- release waste substances from internal organs through the kidneys;
- ensure homeostasis (constancy and balance of the internal environment): maintain temperature, water-salt balance, the functioning of hormones and enzymes;
- protect the body: leukocytes and plasma proteins circulate in the blood, which are responsible for immunity.
If there is not enough water in the body, the blood mass decreases and its viscosity increases. It's not easy for the heart to pump such blood. Premature wear of the heart muscle occurs, which leads to pathology up to myocardial infarction.
That is why during active sports and high loads the body needs more water.
Is it true that lack of water causes headaches?
Is it true. Even mild dehydration causes the brain to work worse.
The brain cells are more than 80 percent water, and it is constantly washed by a fifth of all blood. Plus, the brain is “bathed” in cerebrospinal fluid, which fills all the spaces in the spinal canal and cranium.
With water, oxygen and glucose are supplied to the brain, which are necessary for the generation of nerve impulses, that is, for nervous activity. Water removes metabolic products and toxins from the brain.
Therefore, if there is not enough fluid, dehydration (dehydration) of the brain occurs. And along with it:
- increased fatigue and absent-mindedness;
- memory impairment;
- slowing down the speed of mathematical calculations;
- negative emotions.
Dehydration has been found in people suffering from autism, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. But schoolchildren who drink water during the school day improve their academic performance.
What happens if I don't drink enough water?
Your health will worsen. In addition to the headache, other unpleasant symptoms of dehydration from the digestive and excretory systems will appear.
The work of the stomach and intestines is impossible without the supply of water. And there are several explanations for this. Water ensures normal digestion of food and absorption of nutrients from the intestines. If there is not enough water in the body, discomfort in the stomach and constipation will appear.
The kidneys filter 150–170 liters of blood per day to produce 1.5 liters of urine. This means that for the normal removal of toxins and waste substances, you need to drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day, but preferably more.
With a lack of fluid, the filtration ability of the kidneys deteriorates, and they themselves can accumulate an excess of toxic substances. Against this background, various renal pathologies can occur. One of the main medical prescriptions for kidney pathology is the recommendation of drinking plenty of fluids to cleanse them and restore function.
When do you need more water than usual?
When you want to have a child. The basis of seminal fluid is water. Thanks to her, the sperm goes in search of the egg, swimming through the woman’s reproductive tract until conception occurs.
The new organism also spends all nine months in an aquatic environment. The amount of amniotic fluid increases with the size of the fetus, reaching 1,000 milliliters by birth. Water supports the fetus, protects it from infections, and creates conditions for growth and development.
During childbirth, water ensures normal dilatation of the cervix and promotes the safe movement of the baby through the birth canal.
I always drink little. Will this affect me in any way?
You'll likely look worse as you get older.
Avicenna also noted that old age means dryness. In order for the skin to fulfill its protective function, it must maintain turgor (elasticity and firmness). Then she will be able to withstand the hot sun, drying wind or low air temperatures.
Healthy skin consists of 25% water and becomes wrinkled when dehydrated. This means that to maintain its turgor, daily intake of water is necessary. Better than clean, low-mineralized and without gas.
To maintain skin health, it must receive at least 2 liters of clean water per day.
What other negative consequences does water shortage cause?
Even your joints need water. If they are stiff, the person is deprived of freedom: he moves poorly and has difficulty coping with business. According to statistics, 30% of the population has joint diseases.
The joints are covered with cartilage tissue. It is the slippery elastic cartilage that ensures the mobility of bone joints. Water makes up 80% of cartilage. In addition, the articular capsule surrounding each joint contains articular fluid to lubricate the cartilaginous surfaces. With a lack of water, they collapse, causing severe pain to a person.
What should I do if I don't want to drink?
While we're busy doing things, we sometimes don't notice that we're thirsty, and we even confuse thirst and hunger, reaching for snacks when we just need a sip of water.
The best way to prevent dehydration and all its unpleasant consequences is to put a bottle or cup of clean, low-mineralized water on the table and take a sip every time your eyes fall on the water.
If you realize that you are thirsty, then eliminate your thirst in time. And if not, a sip of clean water never hurt anyone.
*According to research conducted by Zenithinternational (specialist consultants to the food and drink industries worldwide) in 2016.
** Eden is “Eden” artesian water.
Every living creature needs water; it is the basis of life on earth. With the help of water, our body performs all its functions. And with enough of it, vital processes in the human body occur at optimal speed.
Water regulates body temperature, normalizes digestion, flushes out toxins and most importantly replenishes the body's water balance.
Coffee, tea, juices and other drinks are no substitute for water. The body perceives them as food, they take a different route and contribute to dehydration.
What signs may indicate that you are not drinking enough water?
High blood pressure
Our blood is 94% water. When there is not enough of it, it thickens and flows worse through the vessels. If you have high blood pressure, immediately drink a glass of good water. Up to 30% of people who died from a heart attack could continue to live if they drank just a glass of water in the first minutes.
Dizziness
Mild dizziness may indicate that your body needs water. If you feel dizzy, drink some water.
Heartburn
If you periodically suffer from heartburn, this is a clear sign of increased acidity in the stomach, and water is needed to reduce it. Drink a glass of water half an hour before and two hours after meals and you will get rid of heartburn.
Headache
One of the causes of headaches is insufficient water intake. If you suffer from migraines, try drinking oxygen-containing water every day and mineral water with magnesium before meals.
Dry mouth
If there is no saliva in the mouth for a long time, then the risk of damage to the mouth and throat increases. Dry mouth is an indicator of significant dehydration; do not try to cope with it by drinking sugary sodas or beer.
Color and turbidity of urine
The darker and more cloudy the urine, the more your body needs water. In this case, urgently increase the amount of water you drink per day until your urine becomes almost colorless. And in the future, try not to let the color get darker.
Hunger
If you still feel hungry even after a snack, then you need to drink water. Hunger signals due to a lack of water in the body are very similar, do not confuse them. Instead of snacking on chips, drink a glass of water. It has no k/kal and a lot of energy.
Urinary frequency
The amount of urination per day varies for each person. But we can say that if the number of your trips to the toilet is no more than 2-3, then this is a sign that you are not getting enough water. This affects kidney function and leads to serious complications.
Dry skin
Dry facial skin indicates dehydration. Drink a glass of water an hour every day until your skin condition returns to normal. And in the future, maintain your water balance at the proper level. Water containing silicon is especially beneficial for the skin.
The human body is approximately 60% water. And without the supply of this fluid in sufficient quantities, the body will face negative consequences. Nutritionist Helen Bond will tell you which ones.
Fatigue
Even slight dehydration can make you feel tired and lethargic. Metabolism slows down and concentration decreases significantly. To increase your energy level, you should drink water in the required amount.
Decreased mental performance
Our brain is 75% fluid, so it is not surprising that dehydration affects its functionality. In addition, a person’s mood decreases and he becomes irritable.
Loss of skin elasticity
The water concentration in the skin reaches 72%. Therefore, sufficient fluid is required to maintain its elasticity. With a lack of water, the skin becomes dry and less resistant to environmental influences.
Memory impairment
Dehydration of the body by just 2% has a negative impact on both short-term and long-term memory.
Increased risk of urinary tract infection
If you drink little water, then not only the risk of urinary tract infection increases, but also the appearance of kidney stones.
Constipation
Adequate hydration of the body helps the gastrointestinal tract function properly. If water is supplied in insufficient quantities, then constipation and bloating are likely.
Increased anxiety and stress
Even minimal dehydration can cause stress, tension and anxiety in a person. These conditions will negatively affect the general process of life.
Dry mouth
Water is a key component of saliva. Therefore, it is not surprising that dehydration of the body leads to dry mouth. And disruption of salivary secretions can lead to tooth decay over time.
Dizziness
Many people think it comes from malnutrition. In fact, dehydration also makes you feel dizzy.
Who doesn't advise us to drink a lot of water? These could be nutritionists and fitness trainers, cosmetologists and doctors, friends and family. But many people are left with the question: “If there is water, what will happen?” Today our goal is to understand what water gives the body, how much it needs to be consumed, and how its excess or deficiency affects its condition.
First of all, people who dream of losing weight decide to drink more water. With the help of water, they try to fill the emptiness in the stomach and satisfy the feeling of hunger. But in fact, the body needs water like air. People often say that they don’t drink much because they don’t want to. In fact, we are simply not used to drinking water. More often we drink sweet drinks, juices, tea or coffee. But, as nutritionists say, only water can quench thirst. Juice, milk and other liquids are food, but coffee and tea are poison. And yet, if you drink a lot of water, what will happen? Will this benefit the body or, conversely, cause deviations in its functioning?
A little physiology
Water is the basis of life on earth. All biochemical processes in the body are associated with water metabolism; moreover, the human body itself consists of 80% water. For the body to function like a clock, it needs a certain amount of clean water. How much is already a somewhat controversial question. The greater the body weight, the higher the need for it. For a person weighing 50 kg, 1.5 liters per day is enough, and if the weight is within 80 kg, then it is advisable to drink about 2.5 liters. The figure sounds quite impressive, and people begin to doubt: “Will I be able to drink that much liquid, and if I drink a lot of water, what will happen to me?” In fact, this happens because we are not used to drinking water, but in vain. Due to constant dehydration, skin and hair problems begin, chronic heart and intestinal diseases worsen, and metabolic processes are disrupted. Even the smell of sweat with a lack of fluid in the body becomes different, sharper and more piercing, due to excess toxins.
There are several other points that affect our need for fluid. This is the ambient temperature. The hotter it is outside, the more moisture the body loses. The second point is physical activity. So, an office worker will need less water than a builder.
The role of fluid in the body
Water is the basis of our existence. It dissolves substances in the body, delivers nutrients to cells, and removes toxins from the body. Therefore, your body will only benefit if you drink a lot of water. What will happen to the kidneys is a separate question that worries most people. We answer: if you do not suffer from serious diseases of these organs, then a large amount of clean water will only be beneficial. In all other cases, you should consult a doctor.
The need for water depends very much on what we eat. If you are a fan of spicy, salty foods and preservative-rich processed foods, then you really need to drink a lot of water. The more junk food you consume, the more resources your body uses to flush out all the toxins and waste. If you care about your health, then switch to healthy foods. Vegetarians can reduce their water consumption to 1-1.5 liters per day. By the way, the amount of water consumed directly depends on the abundance of your meals. If you are used to eating a lot, then you need to drink a lot.
You may be surprised, but almost half of all diseases occur because there is not enough simple water in the body. To prevent your joints from creaking, stones from depositing in your kidneys, and your skin from being too dry, you just need to make it a rule to maintain a normal level of fluid in your body.
How does water loss occur?
All life support processes require water. This doesn't just apply to urination. Together with breathing and sweat, we also release precious moisture. In this way, the body loses about 2 liters of fluid per day, which it must replenish. Soups, compotes, and other food products, of course, contain a liquid part, but it has a different structure and does not replace plain water. It is harmful to drink a lot of water only if you have direct contraindications from a doctor; in other cases, you should at least block the daily loss of fluid. Dehydration of the body is a severe condition that undermines the functioning of its defense mechanisms. This occurs especially often during times of severe vomiting or diarrhea or elevated body temperature. At such moments, water consumption should be as high as possible.
What happens to the body if little water is consumed?
We cannot live without water. Even the process of breathing, which seems to be autonomous, requires a large amount of fluid to moisturize the lungs. Only for this you need about 0.5 liters per day. It should be taken into account that the exhaled air contains moisture, which increases the body’s moisture content by up to 0.7 or 1 liter, depending on physical activity. If the fluid is not renewed, the breathing process becomes difficult. Add to this the costs of the excretory system (sweat and urine), replenishment of the liquid part of the blood, and you will understand that you need to drink a lot of water.
Eating too little of it contributes to the accumulation of waste products and toxins in the body, the formation of excess fat, and can cause poor muscle tone and deterioration of the digestive system. Lack of water greatly increases which can lead to a decrease in blood pressure and the formation of blood clots. That is, the question of why drink a lot of water can be answered very easily: so that the body can fully function.
Separately, we can say about the relationship between a woman’s fragile beauty and the consumption of a sufficient amount of liquid. Now you will understand why you need to drink more water. The smoothness and good color of the skin, condition and hair growth depend on this. With a lack of clean water, wrinkles form much faster, dry skin increases, and hair loss increases.
Moderate degree of dehydration
Many people don’t even think about such simple things. Why drink a lot of water, because you can eat soup, an apple, drink juice - and the body will get everything it needs. The majority thinks so. This is a big misconception, because nothing else can replace clean water. If a person drinks little water, dehydration occurs. And most of us are constantly in this state. The first symptom to pay attention to is thirst. Getting used to drinking little, we may not pay attention to it for a long time, especially if we are very busy at work. In this case, the body turns on the saving mode. Sweating decreases and urination decreases. You can work all day and never need to go to the toilet. However, the body works in emergency mode. To compensate for the decrease in moisture reserves, the body begins to remove fluid from the cells. This way water enters the blood, maintains blood pressure at the proper level and replenishes the supply of lymph.
The next symptom of moderate dehydration can be a headache, which is especially severe at the end of the day. This is how the brain, which consists of 90% water, reacts to changes. Those who say that drinking a lot of water is harmful are greatly mistaken. As you can see, everything is just the opposite.
Severe dehydration
Now we will tell you what happens to the body if you continue to live in the same way. We hope that this will become a strong enough argument that will explain why you need to drink more water. If you drink less than a liter of water every day (not counting soups, coffee, tea and alcoholic drinks), then subsequent dehydration can lead to disruption of the function and condition of the kidneys, liver and heart. An extreme degree of dehydration of brain cells is the hallucination that a person sees in the desert, but it is difficult to bring oneself to such a state in urban conditions.
Prevention of water deficiency in the body
To do this, just go to a general practitioner, who will confirm that you can drink a lot of water. Many people fear edema, but in fact it is a sign of serious illness or an attempt by the body to stock up on fluid for future use. If you consume enough water every day (for adults this figure starts from 8 glasses, increasing if necessary for heavy, physical labor, or hot weather outside), then the excretory system will work like clockwork. This means that the metabolism will proceed correctly, and excess fluid will be removed from the body in a timely manner, removing toxins and decay products.
Why is the question still relevant: is it harmful to drink a lot of water? Because its quality in many regions leaves much to be desired, and also because of the prevalence of severe kidney diseases among the population, for which a water-salt diet is indicated.
How much water can you drink per day
Most people live in a constant state of dehydration and don't even know it. However, it is very easy to prevent harmful consequences for the body. To do this, you just need to drink 8 to 10 glasses a day. To avoid unnecessary stress on the kidneys, you need to distribute this amount throughout the day and do not drink water before bed. Of course, this is a relative norm. It depends on lifestyle, quantity and quality of food consumed, and time of year. But in general, the question of whether drinking a lot of water is harmful can be answered unequivocally: no. This should not be taken as a guide to drink as much water as possible. For more accurate calculations, you can use the formula - 30 ml per day for every kilogram of weight.
Water for weight loss
Girls and women pass this rule on to each other: if you drink a lot of water, you will lose weight. In fact, water itself does not have fat-burning properties; it is not able to prevent the absorption of consumed fats or break down those that have already been deposited in the body. But it is a good helper for those who decide to lose excess weight.
To begin with, water serves as a filler for the stomach; it has no calories, but allows you to pacify your appetite and eat less at lunch. To do this, nutritionists advise drinking one or two glasses 15 minutes before each meal.
Other sources of fluid
Caffeinated drinks (teas and coffee) should not be used to quench your thirst. The soda contained in soda, coffee, beer and stronger alcoholic drinks leads to dehydration. Their consumption leads to increased consumption of water reserves in the body. If you regularly use them instead of water, you will experience heartburn, abdominal pain, lower back pain, headaches and depression. Do you still doubt whether drinking a lot of water is healthy? Try drinking the prescribed amount instead of your usual tea for several months. And watch the condition of your body.
Proper nutrition
If you eat enough fresh vegetables and fruits (at least 5 servings per day), you can slightly reduce the amount of water you drink per day. These are exactly the products that give the body precious moisture in the right form. The more your diet differs from healthy, that is, the more flour, fried, fatty, semi-finished products it contains, the greater the need for clean water. You can be sure that drinking a lot of water is beneficial. All leading experts and nutritionists say this.
