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Importance of Water
Apart from air, is there any other substance around you that is more plentiful than water? It's all around you and in you. That is the clearest hint of water's importance. For more on the biological importance of water on human evolution, click here. When we discuss the importance of water we are specifically touching on two issues: 1)The importance of a plentiful water supply for our various needs including drinking, cooking and washing. 2)The importance of safe, clean water especially when it comes to drinking water. 3)Ok. Actually there is also the issue of the importance of water to mankind and why it is so vital to drink in just water. (more...) Plentiful Water 1)There's a saying, "Water can be without the company of humans but we as humans can only be without water for a few days." This water is being used up all the time. Even when we aren't working hard or exercising. Want proof? Go to a mirror and breathe on it. What do you see? Right, a thin film of water. We use water even while breathing. That's why you wake up dehydrated. Hey, first thing in the morning, don't break fast, break water avoidance. Yes, drink a large glass of water, or maybe two before you shower, dress or eat. We are not full of baloney. We are full of water. It's most of what we all are. Our bodies are composed of about 72% water. Our brain is over 75% water. Our blood is made up of more than 80% water. Our liver is an incredible 96% water. Is it any wonder that when we start getting dehydrated, we start feeling fuzzy-minded? We start feeling sluggish. Ourliver struggles to eliminate poisons that our bodies take in and store. It needs water to do this. That old advice to drink a glass of water when we voiced any number of complaints had a certain wisdom to it. We take this advice for granted like we do water. We run on water Our very cells depend on water to move and to signal each other. Even slight dehydration leads to disruption of cell movement and distortion of signals. Even at this microscopic level, we need lots of water for our bodies to work properly. Interruption of cell movement and signaling are linked to disorders as varied as Attention Deficit Disorder to Alzheimers and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Click for more information on how the human water cycle emphasizes the importance of water. Water and Energy Our energy level is also dependent on having sufficient water in our bodies at all times. Just a 5% drop in body fluids leads to a 25% loss of energy, a 15% loss of fluids leads to death. (Drink more water and you will have more energy. Oh,and it may even help you and I shed some fat.) And yet, it's estimated that 80% of us walk around suffering from minor dehydration. Now might be a good time to get yourself another glass of water. We'll still be here when you get back. Back? Good. You know I used to think my professors who walked around with large bottles of water were fanatics but I guessthey were on to something. Try it. Okay, so we know that water is of vital importance to us and all living beings. The other issue is the quality of water. It would do us some, but not utmost, good if the water we drank, cooked in and washed in was contaminated. Water Contamination 2)There is lots of information and links on this site about water contamination (see Water Contamination navigation tab)but we might get a head start right here. There is no doubt that there are harmful chemicals and particles in our water supply. The only real issue is whether the amount of harmful substances is acceptable. Well, guess what? We can't really answer that question with certainty. No, not many of us drop dead after drinking a glass of contaminated water. But not many smokers die after their first cigarette either. But what about drinking that same water over our lifetimes? What about normal fluctuations in the amount of harmful substances in our water supply? "Acceptable Risk?" Considering the overall importance of water, does it make sense to drink water that should be helping our bodies to eliminate poisons if that same water has some,even "acceptable" amount of contamination? Some of the good that water provides us with is certainly reduced if that same water is not healthy. Chemicals that are present in our water have been linked to all kinds of disorders. (See our navigation topics for more on this.) Inadequate and contaminated water have been linked to disorders from a to z. Why should that surprise us? After all we are 72 % water. It is easier to cite disorders not linked to inadequate water than disorders linked to inadequate water. The importance of water that is plentiful and of good quality determines longevity and quality of life. So, why is any amount of contaminant in our water supply acceptable?
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