Dehydration: How It Effects Our Overall Health

Written by: Kelly L. Hunter


Water is an essential part of survival for all life forms living on planet Earth and without it; we would all cease to exist. Did you know that a simple headache can be your body’s way of telling you that you need to drink more water? Dehydration can be detrimental to the destruction of our overall health and can cause serious health issues within our bodies. Most of us walk through life never truly understanding our bodies, its functions, or how to properly maintain our health. Water is not just a word or something that we drink, it is what keeps us alive and without it; our bodies would begin to deteriorate rapidly.
It is hard to believe that more than half of our body weight is actually water weight. According to experts, an average adult’s body weight consists of about 60% water (Nutrition, 2006). Infants on the other hand have the most amount of water which makes up about 70% of their weight. The reason that water is so essential to our health is because of the fact that water serves many purposes. “Water bathes the cells of the body and lubricates and cleanses internal and external body surfaces” (Nutrition, 2006). Water, in the form of tears, helps to protect our eyes by keeping them well lubricated as well as helps to wash away any foreign substances like dirt that may get into our eyes.
Other water functions throughout our bodies include: salivation, which helps us to chew our food as well as aids in swallowing; our joints are lubricated with synovial fluid which is produced by the water in our bodies; water in a pregnant woman’s amniotic sac cushions the fetus and protects it from injury; etc. “Blood, which is mostly water, flows through our bodies, delivering oxygen and nutrients to cells and returning waste products to the lungs and kidneys for excretion” (Nutrition, 2006).
When our bodies do not receive the appropriate amount of water that it needs, dehydration will occur. Dehydration is the excessive loss of water in the body which results in the depletion of necessary fluids that our bodies need. “Dehydration, a depletion of body water, will cause symptoms more rapidly than a deficiency of any other nutrient” (Nutrition, 2006, p. 282). Hangovers, from the excessive consumption of alcohol, are a sign of dehydration within your body. Alcohol is associated with water loss because it inhibits the ADH activity in the body. Caffeine can also cause dehydration and should be consumed in moderation; excessive amounts of caffeine may also lead to a depletion of calcium which is a necessary mineral that our bones rely heavily upon for strength and growth.
Water also aids in the regulation of our body’s temperature. As stated in the text, “The water in blood helps to regulate body temperature by increasing and decreasing the amount of heat lost at the surface of the body” (Nutrition, 2006, p. 283). Sweating is another way that our bodies work to regulate our internal thermostat. Our brain sends messages to our sweat glands when our body temperature increases and from there, our sweat glands begin to produce water in the form of sweat. According to the text, “As the sweat evaporates from the skin, heat is lost, cooling the body” (Nutrition, 2006, p. 283). It is important that our bodies are able to regulate body temperature for the simple fact that if our body’s temperature rises above 108 degrees or falls below 80 degrees, it is possible that death can occur.
Electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and chloride are also very important for maintaining a healthy body. Electrolytes are substances that separate in water to form positively and negatively charged ions that conduct and electrical current throughout our bodies (Nutrition, 2006). Healthy nerve conduction, as well as muscle contraction, relies solely on electrolytes like sodium and potassium. Both sodium and potassium are considered to be positively charged ions; however, potassium works within the cells and sodium works on the outside of our cells. “The imbalance of sodium and potassium as well as greater concentration of positive ions just outside the cell membrane are forces that attract sodium to the inside of cells” (Nutrition, 2006, p. 287).
Consuming too much potassium can actually be fatal to our bodies and result in death. Consuming too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure which is never a good thing. Studies indicate that current American diets tend to contain too much sodium and too little potassium. It is important to make sure that your body gets the proper amounts of nutrients that it needs in order to stay healthy so that it can do its job. Chloride is a negatively charge ion that our bodies also need in order to maintain our health. Chloride breaks up in the body and bonds with the calcium in our bodies. The right amount of sodium actually helps our bodies retain a certain level of water that is needed. Too little sodium can lead to dehydration which as discussed earlier can be fatal in some cases.
There are several steps that we can take to ensure that we do not become dehydrated. The most obvious approach is to drink plenty of water every day especially when you are exercising and exposed to long periods of outside heat and humidity. Environments that tend to be hotter and more humid will increase the likelihood of water loss because your body tends to sweat more, especially if you are very active. The amount of water that you will need to consume will depend on how active you actually are. “Water cannot be stored in the body and it is continuously lost, mostly through evaporation and urinary losses, so a steady supply must be consumed” (Nutrition, 2006, p. 285).
In conclusion, water is a necessity that our bodies need in order to maintain appropriate levels of health. An average human being can sustain long periods of time without food; however, our bodies are not equipped to survive the same amount of time without water. In fact, we can only survive a few days without water and becoming dehydrated can lead to many physical health problems including death. It is extremely important to keep yourself hydrated and to consume the recommended amounts of electrolytes that health professionals suggest. When adding electrolytes to your body, it is important to remember that consuming too much or not enough can have severe implications on your health.


Reference

“Nutrition: Choices for Health”. (2006).