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The Importance of Water Consumption

The Importance of Water Consumption

Sixty percent of a human’s body weight is made up of water. Considering this, it is evident that water is essential for most body processes, including metabolism, blood circulation, digestion, respiration, excretion, and temperature regulation. Suppose an individual were to go a long time without consuming water and instead consume non-water liquids; this would eventually result in dehydration, affecting all the processes mentioned above.

In the circulation system, about 2000 gallons of blood are pumped daily. Notably, blood comprises 55% blood plasma, which subsequently is made of 90% water (Varchanis, Dimakopoulos, Wagner, & Tsamopoulos, 2018). Lack of water or dehydration means that the percentage of water in blood will reduce, reducing the overall amount of blood in the body. Due to decreased blood volume, the heart pumps faster, increasing the heart rate and blood pressure. Secondly, blood also contains dissolved substances like sodium in the plasma. Therefore, if there is a low concentration of water, such substances become highly concentrated, leading to blood thickening (Suckling, He, Markandu, & MacGregor, 2012). Thick blood also leads to increased blood pressure.

The lungs in the respiratory system are made up of 85% water. As such, the body must be hydrated so that the lungs can function efficiently, which is the process of breathing. Suppose one is dehydrated. In that case, the body tries to prevent water loss from the lungs by closing blood capillaries, which tends to make breathing difficult. Further, dehydration can also cause mucus lining the respiratory system to thicken, making air exchange difficult. In addition, the mucus could become dry, making a person vulnerable to allergies due to histamine production, irritation, and other breathing complications (Lam et al., n.d.).

Lastly, in the digestive system, dehydration can bring about constipation and slow food breakdown, leading to bloating (Diaz, Bittar & Mendez, 2022). Further, long-term dehydration can cause frequent acid reflux, poor nutrient absorption, and stomach ulcers.

References

Diaz, S., Bittar, K., & Mendez, M. D. (2022). Constipation. StatPearls [Internet].

Lam, M., Justin Lam, A. B. A. A. H. P., Lam, C., Mouth, D., Need, H. M. W. D. Y., & Do, W. T. (n.d.). Early Signs of Dehydration.

Suckling, R. J., He, F. J., Markandu, N. D., & MacGregor, G. A. (2012). Dietary salt influences postprandial plasma sodium concentration and systolic blood pressure. Kidney International, 81(4), 407-411.

Varchanis, S., Dimakopoulos, Y., Wagner, C., & Tsamopoulos, J. (2018). How viscoelastic is human blood plasma? Soft Matter, 14(21), 4238-4251.

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Question 


The Importance of Water Consumption

The Importance of Water Consumption

In the distant past, the primary drink was often beer or wine due to access to these substances being easier than obtaining clean drinking water. These days, we all know that water is essential for our bodies.

Consider why you have been told that our bodies need to consume water. How do you think long-term consumption of non-water liquid might have impacted the circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems?