The Importance of Water in your daily routine

Water is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen, ok chemistry lesson over! It is the most essential element, next to air, that we all need to survive. It makes up nearly two-thirds of the weight of the human body and without it we would die in a matter of a few days. The human brain is 80% water, the blood is 82%, the bones are 22% and the lungs are 90%. So if we suffer a drop of 2% in our body’s water reserves it triggers the signs of dehydration (difficulty in concentration, headaches and difficulty in focusing on text etc). Mild dehydration is also one of the most common causes of fatigue during the day. Water serves as a lubricant, forms the base for saliva, forms the fluid that surrounds all of our joints, regulates our metabolism. Water removes toxins from the body, alleviates constipation by moving food through the gut and colon and it regulates our body temperature for both heating and cooling. Water also fills you up without adding any calories. Water has a very important role of preventing disease; by drinking 6 - 8 glasses of water a day you can decrease your risk of colon cancer by 45%, bladder cancer by 50%. Some research suggests that drinking 8 - 10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers. Remember to drink water before and after exercise to prevent dehydration. For optimum digestion it is a good idea to drink a glass of room temperature water about 20 minutes before you eat a meal. Are you drinking the optimum amount of water each day?