Water
Water helps regulate our body temperature through perspiration, which dissipates excess heat & cools our bodies.
We even need water to breathe! As we take in oxygen & excrete CO2, our lungs must be moistened by water. We lose about 1 to 2 pints of water each day just exhaling.
Asthma is frequently relieved when water intake is increased. Histamine plays a key role in regulating the way the body uses & distributes water & helps control the body’ s defense mechanisms. In asthmatics, histamine level increases with dehydration. Our defense for the body is to close down the airways.
The kidneys remove wastes such as uric aced, urea & lactic acid, all of which must be dissolved in water. When there isn’t sufficient water, those wastes are not effectively removed, which may result in damage to the kidneys.
Water lubricates our joints. The cartilage tissues found at the ends of long bones & between the vertebrae of the spine hold a lot of water, which serves as a lubricant during the movement of the joint. When the cartilage is will hydrated, the two opposing surfaces glide freely, & friction damage is minimal. If the cartilage is dehydrated, the rate of “abrasive” damage is increased, resulting in joint deterioration & increased pain.
The actively growing blood cells in the bone marrow take priority over the cartilage for the available water that goes through the bone structure.
Rheumatoid joint pain frequently decreases with increased water intake & flexing exercises to bring more circulation to the joints.
75% of the upper body weight is supported by the water volume that is stored in the spinal disc core. 25% is supported by the fibrous materials around the disc. The spinal joints are dependent on different hydraulic properties of water which is stored in the disc core. Back pain is frequently alleviated with hydration.
Brain tissue is 85% water. Although the brain is only 1/50th of the body weight, it uses 1/20th of the blood supply. With dehydration, the level of energy generation in the brain is decreased. Depression & chronic fatigue syndrome are frequently results of dehydration.
Migraine headaches may be an indicator of critical body temperature regulation at times of “heat stress.” Dehydration plays a major role in bringing on migraines. Dehydration causes stress & stress causes further dehydration.
