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Water - Why We Need To Drink 8 Glasses A Day

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Written by Maria Esposito

Friday, 11 July 2008

by MariaEsposito

Usually about two and a half litres of water is needed each day for a reasonably sedentary adult to replace the total water loss that occurs through skin, lungs, faeces and urine, unless they are in an unusual environment.

To replace the water loss about 1 to 1.2 litres needs to be in drinks, (mainly water or cold herbal teas), 0.9 ml is taken though food and 0.3ml will be made by the body (oxidative metabolism).

What happens if you don't drink enough water?

1. Increase in pulse rate and in rectal temperature

2. Respiration rate goes up

3. Numbness and tingling are experienced in the extremities

4. Increase in blood concentration

5. Reduced blood volume and more difficult circulation of the blood

Problems and inadequacies of the circulatory system under conditions of inadequate fluid intake leads to:

1. breathing difficulties

2. gastric upsets

3. nausea and loss of appetite

4. eventually difficulty in muscular movements and emotional instability

In an animal study, where water was restricted the animals were highly irritable and in some cases bad tempered.

Thirst

It has been shown that under intense activity a man will voluntarily drink only about half as much water as what is needed to replace his losses from sweating and urine. Only after food and rest does a person crave the water needed to replace the deficit.

Hot Drinks

Drinking hot liquids can cause a rise in internal body temperature. The body will sweat to bring the temperature down. In medical practice this is sometimes used as a deliberate ploy to temporarily raise body temperature or induce the body to sweat. So cool or cold liquids are preferred to hot ones to replace fluid losses. This is especially the case if hot drinks are always the preferred choice rather than cold ones.

Sugar drinks

During physical activities lasting less than 90 minutes, water is generally the beverage of choice, however, the inclusion of small concentrations of carbohydrate (6%-8% carbohydrate) have been shown to better sustain power output over water alone during physical activities that produce fatigue in 60 minutes or longer.

About the Author:

For a fuller version of this article please visit the alternative medicine website. Maria is a london nutritionist who specialises in the treatment of allergic disorders. She has worked in the complementary health field for over a decade.

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