The Importance of drinking water

BY: DR. MELINA ROBERTS

We are made up of 70% water.  Therefore it is vitally important that we are drinking water all day, everyday, to replenish our body with fresh, clean water.  Water plays a key role in digestion, cellular metabolism, detoxifying and alkalinizing the body.

Many people have become chronically dehydrated.  The body is forced to prioritize bodily functions when the body does not receive a constant, reliable source of water.  There are many disease processes, where the underlying problem is the dehydration process.  The following conditions can be associated with dehydration: chronic pain, headaches, migraines, arthritis, high blood pressure, angina, cancer, menstrual problems, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, gout, kidney stones, skin disorders, diabetes, fungal/yeast overgrowth.

Many people are replacing their water sources with chemical-laced water alternatives such as black tea, coffee, soda pop, beer, wine, juice, flavoured water, which is ultimately hazardous to our health.  For example, soda pop is actually harmful to our water balance as large amounts of our internal water is needed to neutralize the phosphoric acid components.

Our brain receives 15-20% of the blood supply which is mainly made of water, therefore dehydration will inevitable affect cognitive function.  Nerves need water to conduct energy, therefore dehydration disrupts proper nerve function, which can lead to pain.  Lack of water leads to incomplete biochemical processes in the body.  Proteins and enzymes do not function as well in an acidic environment of higher viscosity (stickiness) when the body is dehydrated.  Every cell in the body needs water to function properly.

The bottom line is that we all need to be drinking clean, fresh water to keep us healthy!!