Water - Why It's Good To Drink 8 Glasses A Day

By: Maria Esposito

Around about 2.5 litres of water is required on a daily basis for an adult to replace fluid losses that occur through the feces, urine, skin and lungs.

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. Pulse rate and rectal temperature increases

2. Respiration rate goes up

3. Experience numbness and tingling in the fingers and toes

4. Increase in concentration of the blood

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

The difficulty and problems of the blood circulation under such conditions leads to:

1. breathing problems

2. gastro-intestinal upsets

3. nauseousness and loss of appetite

4. if it carries on for an extended period it will cause problems with muscle movement and unstable emotions

In a scientific study involving animals, the restriction of water gave rise to irritabliity and for some, bad temper.

Thirst

It has been demonstrated that under intense physical activity a male will only drink voluntarily around 50% as much water as what is required to replace losses from urine and sweat. Only after rest and food do the cravings for the required amount of water return to replace the fluid 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.

Sugary drinks

Water is the preferred choice of liquid for physical activities that last less than 90 minutes. For activities that would create fatigue after an hour or so, drinks that contain some carbohydrate are better for sustaining power output than water alone.

Article Source: http://www.retirementlivingarticledirectory.com

For an expanded version of this article please go to the alternative medicine website. Maria is a london nutritionist who specialises in the treatment of allergies. She has worked in the holistic medical field for over a decade.

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