Water, please! - What our body needs water for

Those who know me know that I have become a real water champion. And all my life I've been the biggest drinker! In my immediate environment I unfortunately observe again and again that many people drink too little (water). For this reason it is a personal concern of mine to make this issue a topic of discussion here

"Are you drinking enough?"

I've been hearing this question from my father since I was little. As a doctor, he knows how important it is to drink enough fluids. It has always been difficult for me to get the recommended daily amount. I simply never felt thirsty and I always wondered why some people managed to drink enough every day so easily. It was only when I started to deal more with the subject and understood why water is so important for our body, that I actively tried to drink enough water.

Nowadays I drink at least two litres of water a day and I feel almost dehydrated inside if I drink less than that. A lot of my "little problems" such as dry skin, chronic fatigue or concentration problems have since almost disappeared into thin air. Of course, the abilities and condition of the body and mind are always an interplay of activities, routines and lifestyles. Therefore, I cannot say exactly how much sufficient fluid intake has really contributed to the improvement of the "symptoms". But I have the feeling that it has made one of the biggest contributions. If you look at what the body needs water for, it explains a lot..

What does the body need the water for?

Water not only quenches our thirst, but above all makes our body function properly.

First of all, in adulthood our body consists of about 60% water and therefore it serves as a building material . Without water the body could neither repair cells nor produce new ones. The trace elements and minerals contained in water are important building blocks for bones and tissue.

Furthermore, water has a transport function . Our blood consists of about 90% water and transports oxygen, hormones and nutrients to our organs and cells. These transports are essential for the substances to work where they are needed

The ability of water to act as a temperature regulator should also not be underestimated. As you probably know, the optimal body temperature for humans is 36-37 degrees Celsius. If we are sick, for example, or do sports, this temperature rises. And then our body sweats to get back to normal. Sweat has a cooling effect on our skin and consists for the most part of what? Water, of course. For this reason it is also important to drink enough water - otherwise our body would dry out.

But that's not all..

Many of the substances that we take in through our food (such as sugar or vitamins) can also only take effect when they react with H2O, i.e. water.

Finally, water serves as a diluent. Water has an influence on all our body fluids. For example, it determines their consistency. Our body fluids can perform their function better when they are more fluid - in other words, when they contain more water. If we are dehydrated, our blood becomes thicker and therefore flows more slowly. Important substances no longer reach their destinations as quickly and this in turn impairs the performance of our body. Dehydration also means that not enough toxins and metabolic waste products can be excreted because the body does not have enough water to flush through. For this reason, it is important to drink plenty of water, especially when you are ill.

How much water should I drink?

On the Internet you can find a wide variety of information. Some believe that 1 litre of water per day is sufficient. Others swear that at least 3 litres of water per day are necessary to ensure that the body functions properly. The German Society for Nutrition recommends drinking about 1.5 litres of water per day as a guideline. Of course, this also depends on factors such as age, climate, weight, physical exertion or living conditions (e.g. nursing mothers should drink more).

By the way, our body excretes about 1 litre of water per day through urine. 0.5 litres are lost through sweat and half a litre is also excreted through our breathing..

In the second part of this article i'm talking about the effects dehydration can have on our body and mind. I'll also share some tips on how to turn heavy drinking into a habit

If you want to learn more about the topics of healthy nutrition, mindfulness or sustainability, take a look here over.