Prolonged dehydration can reduce the impact absorption capacity of joints and cause joint pain. The body loses water daily through sweat, breathing, urine, and bowel movements. These are known as water outlets. Many may consider the viscous products of sneezing to be disgusting, but sneezing is essential to eliminate irritants and could not occur without water. Mucus, which is not only essential for removing nasal irritants, is also necessary for breathing, transporting nutrients along the gastrointestinal tract and removing waste materials through the rectum.
Mucus is comprised of more than 90 percent water and constitutes a first-line defense against injury and foreign invaders. It protects tissues from irritants, traps pathogens, and contains immune system cells that destroy pathogens. Water is also the main component of the lubricating fluid between joints and facilitates the movement of articulated bones. The amount of water we really need depends on the functions of the water and on the mechanisms of daily regulation of water balance. The objective of this review is to describe the physiology of water balance and, consequently, to highlight new recommendations regarding water needs.
Water plays numerous roles in the human body. It acts as a construction material; as a solvent, reaction medium and reagent; as a carrier of nutrients and waste products; in thermoregulation; and as a lubricant and shock absorber. The regulation of water balance is very precise, since a loss of 1% of body water is usually compensated within 24 hours. Both water intake and loss are controlled to achieve water balance.
Minimal changes in plasma osmolarity are the main factors that activate these homeostatic mechanisms. Healthy adults regulate water balance precisely, but young babies and older people are at greater risk of dehydration. Dehydration can affect consciousness and induce speech incoherence, limb weakness, eyeball hypotonia, orthostatic hypotension and tachycardia. Human water needs are not based on a minimum intake, as this can cause a water deficit due to numerous factors that modify water needs (climate, physical activity, diet, etc.).
Water needs are based on experimentally obtained intake levels that are expected to meet the nutritional needs of a healthy population. Regulating water balance is essential for maintaining health and life. On average, a sedentary adult should drink 1.5 liters of water a day, since water is the only liquid nutrient that is truly essential for body hydration. This system is known as water balance and implies that the water inlets must be the same as the water outlets to avoid dehydration (.
Drinking water contains no calories and provides the hydration your body needs without other factors affecting your health. Another homeostatic function of the body, called thermoregulation, is to balance heat gain with heat loss, and body water plays an important role in achieve it. Therefore, integrating sufficient water intake into daily routines is essential to promote spinal health and general well-being. Just two weeks after fertilization, a pregnant woman's amniotic sac is filled with water, providing a protective cushion for the developing embryo.
In addition to your regular rehabilitation program for soft tissue injuries, maintaining a high water intake can help you return to normal movements more quickly and, in some cases, accelerate your total recovery time. If you visit a chiropractor on a regular basis, you can achieve better spinal alignment and better joint function, two important aspects for optimizing the benefits of drinking water. Some scientists have suggested that when there is too little water in the body, heat storage increases and the individual is less able to tolerate heat stress. Another common opinion suggests that when you wake up you should opt for hot or lukewarm water instead of cold water, as it can calm your body.
While daily fluid intake can come from a variety of foods and drinks, it's best to consume water whenever possible. Water is essential for bone and muscle health and for general well-being, and it can make a big difference in back care. Water is good for storing heat, an attribute known as heat capacity, and therefore helps maintain the body's temperature setpoint despite changes in the surrounding environment. There is no fixed amount of water that should be consumed daily, but there is general agreement about what a healthy fluid intake is. If you notice mild joint pain, try increasing your water intake to see how the pain is affected.