Water is essential for life. Whether inside or outside of the body, water heals. We all know it and most of us strive to drink more, but did you know about all of the therapeutic and restorative things that water can do for a body?
A year ago, my dog was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. She could not move, would not eat, and when we took her to the emergency vet, they were straight with us: many dogs with her levels of pancreatitis do not survive. They told us they would start an intravenous drip immediately, and we should pray.
After two days, we visited her. Still attached to her tube, she was spunky, renewed, and thriving, even while still quite ill. She was given pain meds but no additional specific medication other than fluids. This was the first time I was awed by the power of water.
Around the same time, my daughter was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, which affects every system of the body. One of the most important treatments is to drink large amounts of water to keep the blood volume up. When the body is not super hydrated, patients suffer blood pressure issues, heart racing, and are likely to pass out and suffer a host of other symptoms. It’s an extreme example, but, on a lower level, we all exhibit symptoms if not properly hydrated.
Drinking water, especially in the dog days of summer, is essential for children, teens, and adults. There is a reason why people grab some cold water for any person who isn’t feeling well. Water can prevent and cure many ailments:
Cellular level: Keeping hydrated is vital, because nearly every cell in the body needs water to function properly. Being dehydrated causes the heart to pump harder and places a stress on every organ in your body.
Hunger: Experts say that if you have already eaten something, but find yourself feeling hungry, nine out of 10 times you are mildly dehydrated.
Mental clarity: According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, being even mildly dehydrated (defined as one to two percent below optimal levels) can affect mood, cognitive function, and ability to think.
Prevention: By simply upping your water intake, you may able to stave off migraines, headaches, bloating, and constipation. So instead of reaching for over-the-counter relief when these ailments pop up, drink plenty of water to prevent them before they occur.
Detoxify: Water is the best way to flush toxins out of your body. Even if you simply consume too much sugar or salt, by drinking water, you will help bring your body to a healthy equilibrium. Water also helps relieve the bloating from premenstrual syndrome.
The Institute of Medicine advises that an adequate water intake for men is roughly 13 cups a day, while for women is about nine cups daily. Keep in mind that is for a typical day. Factors such as exercise, health conditions, weather, pregnancy, and breastfeeding will require you to increase your daily amount. (It is possible to drink too much water, which can dilute electrolytes to a damaging level, but this is rare. You would need to consume gallons at a time.)
A good sign that you are drinking enough is if your urine is clear-colored. The darker the urine, the more the need for hydration. In children, you can ward off a urinary infection by upping their water consumption if you notice dark urine. Prolonged dark urine may be a sign that your kidneys are not getting enough water to properly filter out toxins.
Danielle Sullivan, a mom of three, has worked as a writer and editor in the parenting world for more than 10 years. Sullivan also writes about pets and parenting for Disney’s Babbl
