October 25, 2017
We’re constantly told to drink more water as it’s “good for us” but besides knowing that we are made up mostly of water and it helps flush our system, what else does water do?
3 Reasons To Drink More Water
Transport
Fun Fact: blood is 90% water! As we can guess, blood has many functions but most specifically, it transports oxygen and nutrients to cells. From there, it carries carbon dioxide and other waste products away from the cells.
A more common function of water is in urine. Water in urine helps to transport waste products out of the body. Your urine is a good indicator of how hydrated or dehydrated you are. The darker your urine is, the more dehydrated you are, whereas, the more clear your urine is, the more hydrated you are. We want to aim to have our urine be clear!
Lubrication
Water also acts as a lubricant and cleanser in our eyes! Is the term “my eyes are watering” coming to mind? No, this doesn’t mean you are crying but rather, your eyes are using watery tears to wash away dirt.
Regulation of Body Temperature
Fun Fact: Your body temperature is regulated to stay around 37’C. If your temperature goes above 42’C or below 27’C, death is likely. Okay, that wasn’t really a fun fact but it was a neat fact!
How does water play a role in regulating body temperature? Water holds heat and has the ability to change temperature at a slow pace in order to keep your temperature regulated.
Furthermore, water plays another role in regulating body temperature. The water in our blood (blood is 90% water, remember?) increases or decreases the amount of heat lost from the surface of the body (a.k.a. the skin!). If your body starts getting warmer, blood vessels dilate which causes blood to flow close to the skin. This results in the release of heat. On the other hand, when your body temperature starts to drop, the blood vessels in the skin constrict so that the blood doesn’t flow near the surface, thus conserving body heat.
Conclusion
Water has even more roles in the body but which help us run at tip top shape. Without even going through those reasons, we can already see that water plays a huge role and we can also understand why we need to be drinking enough water everyday. As mentioned above, your urine is a good indicator of how hydrated you are. Furthermore, as activity levels increase or the temperature outside increases, it’s a good idea to intake even more water.
