What Would Happen If We Didn’t Drink Enough Water
We all know that, along with oxygen, water is the essential substance for our body, but have you ever wondered why? Water does a whole lot more than just quench our thirst; it makes all our bodily functions possible. Let’s take a closer look at the effect of dehydration on each of our organs.
What Dehydration Does to The Brain
Being composed of 75% water, our brain needs to stay properly hydrated for its cells to function. Some of the major components of water – sodium, calcium, and potassium, are electrolytes that allow the transmission of electrical impulses between cells. And when our brain is in top form, we concentrate, think, and move better. When it doesn’t get enough water, dizziness, headaches, confusion, lack of energy, and a negative mood kick in.
What Dehydration Does to The Digestive System
The most obvious effect of dehydration on digestion will be constipation, but there are other underlying problems that you might not notice right away. For instance, we tend to compensate our need for water by eating more, especially unhealthy foods. This naturally leads to weight gain and the problems that it brings forth, i.e. high blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease, etc. Another effect of dehydration is an imbalance in your stomach’s pH: when the stomach becomes too acidic, the probability of acid reflux and ulcers increase.
What Dehydration Does to Heart Health
When you are well hydrated, your blood contains upwards of 90% water, which eases circulation and thus makes your heart’s job much more efficient because it doesn’t need as much power to pump the blood through veins. When dehydrated, however, blood becomes thicker, leading to hypertension. Your body also tries to decrease water loss in your cells by building up cholesterol in the veins.
What Dehydration Does to The Respiratory System
One of the functions of water is clearing airways and lungs to prevent mucus buildup, which obstructs breathing and leads to inflammation and production of histamine, the main causes of asthma and bronchitis.
What Dehydration Does to The Kidneys
One of the roles of our kidneys is flushing out toxins through urine, and when there isn’t enough water, the kidneys retain whatever water is left and stop producing urine. Eventually, since toxins are building up, kidney stones form, and if they’re large enough, they lead to kidney failure or infection.
What Dehydration Does to Bones and Joints
By providing bones with enough calcium and other nutrients, and by keeping the joints lubricated enough to move without painful friction, water can help prevent and relieve painful conditions like arthritis, rheumatism, and osteoporosis. That’s why not getting enough water can make it difficult and painful for you to move.
What Dehydration Does to the Skin
The dangers of dehydration are not only internal. More important than hydrating the skin from the outside is hydrating it from the inside, as dehydration will make your skin visibly dry, cracked, and less elastic, and might cause acne.
While it’s imperative to drink the recommended 6-8 glasses of water daily, it’s equally important that you drink quality water, which we examine in depth here.
How much water do you drink lately and what positive effects have you gained? Share your experience in the comments below!
Sources
https://www.powerofpositivity.com/heres-happens-brain-dont-drink-enough-water/
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4287/10-Reasons-Why-You-Should-Drink-More-Water.html
https://www.livestrong.com/article/537363-does-sodium-affect-the-brain/
https://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/water-for-heart-health.html
https://asthma.net/living/ask-the-experts-is-there-a-connection-between-dehydration/
http://www.actforlibraries.org/what-chronic-dehydration-does-to-the-kidneys/
https://www.thealternativedaily.com/16-illnesses-water-can-prevent-heal/
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