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INTRODUCTION
It is said that water is the ideal drink for the human beings, and that drinking water is good for one's health. The reasons why this would be the case, however, are rarely stated. As a consequence, water, as a drink, is often neglected as a factor in health.(4) Not only that, but water has been attacked many times even discrediting its health benefits.(26, 27, 28, 29) It has become somewhat a controversy, confusing people as to the amount that they need to drink on daily basis.
As a matter of fact, water is one of the most important substances on the face of the earth.(1) The most important life-giving substance in the body, and one that the body desperately depends on.(2) Without it, all life - from plants to humans to animals - would cease to exist.(1)
Do you know, at human conception, a fertilized egg is 96 percent water. At birth, a baby is 80 percent water. As the child matures, the percentage drops, and it stabilizes at about 70 percent when the individual reaches adulthood. In other words, we live our lives mostly as water.(3)
You've got roughly 10 to 13 gallons of water in your body. You are, quite literally, what you drink. If you don't drink enough - and most Americans don't - or if you drink the wrong things, you will compromise your body and your health(5) because water performs many life-sustaining tasks.(7)
For example: water helps process just about every biological, mechanical, and chemical action that takes place in your body. It cushions and protects vital organs, transports nutrients(5) and oxygen(8) within each cell, and dispels acidic wastes. Your lungs need water to humidify the air, they move. The digestive system uses several gallons of water a day to process food. Your brain needs water to perform the chemical reactions required to run your body. Your pancreas uses water to alkalize food coming out of the stomach and into the intestines. Water keeps your skin soft and supple, increases oxygen in the blood, and maintains normal electrical properties of the cells, improving cell-to-cell communication.(5) Water helps carbon dioxide and waste chemicals pass from the cell into the blood to be taken away and passed out of the body.(8)
When the body's tissues and cells are kept well-supplied with ample water, they can fight viral attacks more efficiently. If the body's cells are water starved, they become shriveled-up, parched and dry, making it easy for viruses and diseases to attack.(1) If your body contains enough water, for example, your skin will be smooth and elastic and your eyes bright. Your body will be functioning at its optimal level.(7)
Next to oxygen, water is the most essential material for the efficient working of the brain. Water is a primary nutrient for all brain functions and transmission of information. This is why the brain is housed in a very special "water bag" that goes all the way down the spinal cord and into the lower back.( 6, 8, 34)
But even the parts of the body that look solid, such as muscles, skin, and other organs, contain water.(8)
• Teeth are 10% water,
• Bones are 13% water,
• Cartilage is 55% water,
• Red Blood Corpuscles are 68.7% water,
• Liver is 71.5% water,
• Muscle Tissue is 75% water,
• Spleen is 75.5% water,
• Lungs are 80% water,
• Brain is 80.5% water,
• Bile is 86% water,
• Plasma is 90% water,
• Blood is 90.7% water,
• Lymph is 94% water,
• Saliva is 95.5% water.(1)
The water is indeed a major part of our bodies, a vital ingredient for our health and wellbeing, and literally an essential component, or better yet, a requirement for life as we know it on this planet. There is water in every microscopic cell in your body, in every muscle, and even in your bones. But, what comes in must go out; otherwise, you would swell up like a water-filled balloon.
The human body is in constant need of water. It loses water through the lungs when we breathe out. It loses water in perspiration, in urine production, and in bowel movements.(6)
Hence, drinking water on regular basis is essential for replenishing the lost water and keeping the body at optimal level.
But, how many people are actually aware of it?
To find out, a survey was conducted where people were asked how much water they drink on daily and weekly basis, what else they drink besides water and how much of it.
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