Water is essential for life. Period. This should come to no surprise, as H2O is necessary for so many of our body’s natural functions. And let’s not even get started on how 70% percent of our weight is water. We need it to survive. The Mayo Clinic recommends 9-12 glasses a day, that’s because we lose so much water through sweating, urinating, defecating and even breathing (in the form of water vapour)!
Needless to say, things go south when you start running low on H2O, but what actually happens? Contemporary research has revealed that as little as 1% dehydration has a negative consequences on one’s mood, attention, memory and motor skills.
To begin with, you’ll quickly become constipated. And that’s because water is essential in not only forming stool, but also pushing it out of the digestive tract. You can tell you’re dehydrated when your stool becomes notably hard and difficult to pass. While we’re in the bathroom, you’ll notice that your urine becomes more concentrated, and that’s because your kidneys are reabsorbing more water to make up for the deficit.
Lack of water will invariably make you feel fatigued. Now there could be a multiplicity of reasons for sluggishness, you may want to get checked up for Iron Deficiency Anemia, or maybe you’re just lazy, but facts are facts, you need water to break down food substances to release energy. The process is literally called ‘hydrolysis’—that’s Latin for ‘breakdown using water’. So, low water means low energy and you feel terrible.
If you’re in the habit of not drinking enough water, you’ll soon find that your skin suffers as a result. And that’s because H2O is pivotal in keeping your skin smooth and plump and maintaining the right osmotic potential in your cells. Low water will make it hard and more likely to wrinkle and crack. What that means is, if you want smooth, lustrous skin, drink up!
Recent studies have shown that low water impairs your ability to concentrate. It’s interesting to note that your brain is really 80% made up of water. Not to mention it requires the right concentrations in its thinking centers to optimally operate. In lay man’s terms: that means you need sufficient water to keep your brain active.
Water is important in maintaining the body’s Natural Temperature. So, if you’re running short on this essential liquid, you’ll find your body temperature going up for no reason, or difficulty cooling down after a workout—that’s called hyperthermia.
If you’re dehydrated, your body will be reach exhaustion sooner, if you push yourself. What that means for you is you could just pass out after a tiring workout.
Water is essential for maintaining the Sodium and Potassium pumps in our muscles. Consequently, if you’re dehydrated, you’ll find yourself waking up in the middle of the night with muscle spasms and cramps.
Perhaps the most well-known side effect of dehydration is increased likelihood of headaches. Fatigue and headaches come hand in hand with dehydration. Basically, not having enough water is pain, and makes you a pain to deal with, for others.
Feeling thirsty, yet?
