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Water: Essential for Good Health
 
Why is water important for good health?
The body needs water to function. Our bodies are 50% to 70% water. Most parts of the body contain water, including the brain, blood, and lean muscle. Water in the body serves to:
  • regulate body temperature
  • remove wastes (through urine and stool)
  • carry nutrients (food) and oxygen to cells
  • maintain fluid balance and delicate balance of minerals
  • cushion joints and
  • dissolve nutrients to make them available to the body

Water does not contain any calories. The body absorbs water through the stomach and gut. Water leaves the body through urine, sweat, and stool and at times, vomiting and diarrhea.

It is important to balance the amount of water going in to the body with the amount of water being lost by the body. This is especially important if you are:
  • very young
  • elderly
  • ill with fever, vomiting, or diarrhea
  • taking medicines that cause the body to lose water
  • exercising
  • living in hot, humid, dry, or high altitude climates or
  • traveling on a long airplane trip

How much water should I drink?
How much water you should drink depends on your age, what you eat, your level of activity, the weather, your health, whether you are a man or woman, and what medicines you take. Older adults may have a decreased sense of thirst.

The most recent research is no longer advising people to drink 8 eight-ounce glasses of water a day, although it may be advisable for the treatment or prevention of some diseases as well as under special circumstances. For healthy children and adults who eat a balanced diet, drinking water with each meal and between meals will meet the body's need for water.

The healthy body can regulate the balance of water. A quick way to check that you are getting enough fluids is to look at the color of your urine. The urine should be pale yellow. If your urine is dark yellow and has a strong odor or if you go to the bathroom less than 4 times a day, you probably need to drink more fluids.

Men usually require more water than women do because they have more lean muscle. Persons taking certain medicines or who have certain chronic diseases may have to restrict their water intake.

Solid food contains water, so it is important to eat a balanced diet. Other beverages, such as milk, juice and soup, also contain some water and count toward our daily needs. It is important to consider the type of fluids consumed. Soda contains sugar and empty calories. Caffeine and alcohol can cause the body to lose water.

Drink more water during strenuous exercise, in hot weather, and with certain medical conditions. Talk with your healthcare provider about how much water you need daily.




  Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

  HIA File GEN4437F.HTM Release 9.0/2006. Copyright © 2006 McKesson Corporation and/or one of its subdiaries. All Rights Reserved.


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