Water: How Much is Enough?

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Water: How Much is Enough?

" DrWhitaker.com Health Update Editor "

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Thu, 27 Jul 2006 21:40:27 -0400

 

 

July 27, 2006

 

A few years ago, after finishing ninth in the Indy 500, racecar

driver Tony Stewart flew to Concord, North Carolina, to compete in

NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 that same night — a grueling feat in racing.

During the race, he began to feel nauseous and hot. By the race's

end, he had become so weak and dizzy that he was unable to climb out

of his car and had to be taken to the hospital to replenish his

fluids.

 

Tony was suffering from dehydration, the combined result of exertion

(he drove 1,090 miles that day), heat, and inadequate fluid intake.

Although Tony's story is extreme, many people fail to drink enough

water and, as you'll see, this can have disastrous health

consequences.

 

Your Body Is a Water-Based Environment

Two-thirds of the human body is water. It is the liquid portion of

the blood and the fluid found both inside and outside cells. Water

is required for the distribution of nutrients, electrolytes,

hormones, and other chemical messengers throughout the body, as well

as the removal of waste products. Water is involved in cellular

energy production and the maintenance of body temperature. It is

also an important structural component of skin, cartilage, and other

tissues.

 

A precarious balance exists between fluid intake and output. You get

water from three sources: drink (60 percent), food (30 percent), and

cellular metabolism (10 percent). At the same time, you constantly

lose water. A sedentary person in a temperate climate loses about

two quarts of fluid per day, primarily through urine, sweat, and

respiration. That amount can jump to four to six quarts per day in

hot and/or humid weather, and one to three quarts per hour during

physical activity. It's easy to see how fragile your body's water

balance is. And, as Tony Stewart's story illustrates, dehydration

can quickly take its toll.

 

Dehydration Is a Health Risk

While extreme, life-threatening dehydration is recognized by most

medical professionals, more subtle water losses are often

overlooked. Physicians simply are not taught to recognize the

hazards of less severe dehydration. One of the most vocal

spokespersons on the dangers of inadequate water intake was F.

Batmanghelidj, MD. In his book, Your Body's Many Cries for Water,

the late Dr. Batmanghelidj proposes the paradigm-shifting theory

that chronic dehydration is the root of many of our health problems.

 

As he points out, during a state of drought your body switches into

its " water conservation " mode. One of the primary ways it ensures

adequate hydration is by holding onto sodium. The result is sodium

retention, followed by a rise in fluid levels — the precise

mechanism involved in abnormal blood pressure.

 

Lack of Water Contributes to Health Concerns

With more severe dehydration, your body is forced to get by on

reduced fluid volume, so it compensates by temporarily closing down

capillaries. While the brain and other vital organs continue to

receive enough blood to meet their basic needs, some tissues must go

without. As capillaries remain closed, the tissues they supply

become starved of nutrients and bogged down with cellular wastes.

Among the first areas affected are cartilage and synovial fluid, and

the result is discomfort in the joints.

 

In addition, water-conserving chemicals are released. Chief among

these is histamine, which reduces water loss, but at the same time

may trigger respiratory problems. Prostaglandins and kinins are

released as well, which can lead to a variety of discomforts. As you

can see, too little water causes much more than thirst and a dry

mouth — it parches your entire body.

 

Commit to Eight Glasses a Day

Many people believe they drink enough water. But most of the time,

this just isn't the case. Folks, the only way to ensure that you are

adequately hydrated is to drink at least eight, eight-ounce glasses

of water per day.

 

Some of my patients tell me that the mere thought of drinking that

much water sends them running to the bathroom. It's true — you are

going to urinate more frequently. This is actually a useful

indicator of adequate hydration. If you're only producing small

quantities of dark, concentrated urine, you're not drinking enough.

(To ensure a good night's sleep, try cutting back on fluids two or

three hours before bedtime.)

 

Another common complaint is that it's just too hard to remember to

drink that much water. The solution is to keep a filled water bottle

at your desk, in your car, and near your favorite chair — and to

reach for it before you feel thirsty. Years of chronic dehydration

suppress thirst signals, and your body is likely crying out for

water, even if you are not thirsty.

 

Stay hydrated and healthy,

 

 

Julian Whitaker, MD

 

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