Did you know that roughly 70% of your body is made up of water? Water is essential for human survival and not drinking enough water can have some serious consequences. A person can live without food for about a month but only one week without water. We lose water every day through breathing, urine, stool, and evaporation from the skin. These losses must be replaced every day for the body to function normally.
The recommended daily water intake for men, according to The Institute of Medicine, is roughly about 13 cups (3 liters) of total beverages a day. The recommended daily intake for women is about 9 cups (2.2 liters) of total beverages a day.
These are some of the symptoms you may notice if you are not consuming enough water:
Thirst: Thirst is a way of your body telling you to drink water; however, it is not always a reliable early indicator of the body’s need for water. You will usually feel thirsty because you’re not drinking the amount of fluid your body needs. This may be because you’ve been sweating heavily or you’ve lost fluid.
Fatigue: Fatigue is one of the first symptoms of dehydration. A study from Tuft’s University found that mild dehydration of about 1 to 2 percent loss of body weight as water can impair
thinking. Your body cells need adequate water to balance the fluids and electrolytes in the body. When you are not adequately hydrated, the blood volume decreases and your heart works harder to push oxygen and nutrients around the body, making you feel tired.
thinking. Your body cells need adequate water to balance the fluids and electrolytes in the body. When you are not adequately hydrated, the blood volume decreases and your heart works harder to push oxygen and nutrients around the body, making you feel tired.
Headaches: Dehydration, as explained above, decreases blood volume, which lowers blood and oxygen flow to the brain. The blood vessels in the brain dilate, leading to swelling, which causes a headache.
In addition, when you are dehydrated, your brain tissue loses water, causing your brain to shrink away from the skull. This triggers the pain receptors and gives you a headache.
Dry mouth: Dry mouth is also an early but unreliable sign of dehydration.
Dark urine and decreased urination: Urine naturally has some yellow pigments called urobilin or urochrome, which give it the characteristic yellow colour. This color can
change in intensity from light yellow to very dark because of what we ingest, the chief of which is water. Dark-colored urine, in addition to a reduced frequency of urination, could mean you need to drink more water.
change in intensity from light yellow to very dark because of what we ingest, the chief of which is water. Dark-colored urine, in addition to a reduced frequency of urination, could mean you need to drink more water.
Dry skin and wrinkles: Drinking enough water keeps it moisturized and looking supple. When you are dehydrated, the skin begins to look dry and you may notice wrinkles. So, before you run to spend a fortune on skin treatments, try drinking more water.
Constipation: Not drinking enough water can lead to constipation. The colon draws water from body waste to make it solid. When there is too little water available, the stool becomes dry, hard, and difficult to move through the colon.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, be sure to drink more water every day.
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