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“When the well is dry, we know the worth of water,” by Benjamin Franklin is an oft repeated quote whenever the importance of water’s life giving and life sustaining properties need to be stressed.

Why do you think water forms an important part of our diets?

What is it that makes drinking water vital for our existence?

We all are taught and also learn as we grow up that no living organism can survive without water. 

Seventy percent of our body is made up of water. Blood is mostly water, and our muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a large percentage of water. 

Water plays an important role in all the major functioning of our bodies.

• Water regulates body temperature and transports nutrients to all parts of our bodies.
• Water transports oxygen to our body cells and removes waste.
• Water protects our organs and body parts and holds them together.

 Water acts as the catalyst in all our metabolic functions. Our central nervous system is so sensitive that even 1% water loss can have effect on the nerve functioning and cause psychological disorders. Water is also essential for detoxification of body . It flushes out all the toxins resulting in a healthy body.

Since, water is the basic requirement for our survival water management is crucial for leading a healthy and stress free life. We take in water not just by drinking but also with other food items and fruits.  The body loses water through sweating, urination and respiration. So replenishing this lost quantity is very important to keep us healthy. But what happens when we lose the precious fluid. The condition is called Dehydration.

Dehydration is not a disease but a condition that results out of low water consumption or excessive water loss. Many people visit doctors when suffering from dehydration and are given medicines rather than being advised to increase their water intake. The medicines may improve your condition but may show signs of some bigger problems. 

How do we diagnose dehydration: If your body feels thirsty more often then you are not feeding it enough water. You could also notice that your urine color has turned yellowish or amber with a strong odor. Just keep in mind that this change in colour could also be seen if you are consuming riboflavin or Vitamin B. 

Other symptoms include chronic pains in joints and muscles, lower back, groin, headaches and constipation. And if the body is deprived of water then your body can fall prey to a number of diseases which include:

Chronic pain

Colitis pain

Dyspeptic pain

Hiatus hernia

Rheumatoid arthritis pain

Low back pain

Neck pain

Anginal pain

Head aches

Depression

High blood Presume

High blood cholesterol

Excess body weight

Asthma and allergies

Diabetes

The best way to avoid all such ailments is by drinking plenty of water in a day. Our health depends on the quality and quantity of the water we drink. Hence drink pure natural water rather than tap water.

How much water should one consume?

If you want to know the accurate amount of water needed by your body, take your body weight in pounds and divide the number by half. This will give you the precise number of ounces of water per day you need to consume. In case you do exercise, your water intake should not be less than eight ounce for every thirty minutes you remain active. People who consume alcohol are required to drink an equal amount of water as well. If you stay in hot climatic conditions your body’s water requirement will go up. So the quantity of daily water consumption depends on a number of factors. 

Water content is found in the various fruits, vegetables that we eat or add to our beverages. Twenty percent of our water need is satisfied through the consumption of such foods and drinks. However pure water is the best way to fulfill your body’s water requirement because sodas have sugar content so it may add up to your calories whereas water is a 0-calorie drink that costs next to nothing. Caffeinated beverages will also add to your daily water need. Even though caffeine is a diuretic, if you regularly consume caffeine, your body will regulate itself to that diuretic effect.

Options such as Herbal teas that aren’t diuretic may serve as good additional sources of water. Juices are also good because they have additional vitamins and nutrients.

Drink Enough Water

So the bottom line remains that inspite of busy schedules we can’t afford forgetting to consume enough water. For comfort and easier accessibility, carry your own bottle of water while working, traveling, or exercising. If you feel it’s monotonous drinking plain water all the time, try out some flavored drinks, keeping in the mind the calories intake. 

As Loran Eisely very rightly said, “If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.”