Why Drinking Water Is Important

STEM Education by KidsHealth.org 

 

What do you, the trees, and a hamster have in common? Give up? You all need water. All living things must have water to survive, whether they get it from a water fountain, a rain cloud, or a little bottle attached to the side of a hamster cage.

 

 

Without water, your body would stop working properly. Water makes up more than half of your body weight and a person can’t survive for more than a few days without it.

 

Why?

 

Your body has lots of important jobs and it needs water to do many of them. For instance, your blood, which contains a lot of water, carries oxygen to all the cells of your body. Without oxygen, those tiny cells would die and your body would stop working.

 

 

Water is also in lymph (say: limf), a fluid that is part of your immune system, which helps you fight off illness. You need water to digest your food and get rid of waste, too. Water is needed for digestive juices,  urine (pee), and poop. And you can bet that water is the main ingredient in perspiration, also called sweat.

 

 

In addition to being an important part of the fluids in your body, each cell depends on water to function normally.

 

 

Your body doesn’t get water only from drinking water. Any fluid you drink will contain water, but water and milk are the best choices. Lots of foods contain water, too.

 

Fruit contains quite a bit of water, which you could probably tell if you’ve ever bitten into a peach or plum and felt the juices dripping down your chin! Vegetables, too, contain a lot of water — think of slicing into a fat tomato from the garden or crunching into a crisp stalk of celery.

 

How Much Is Enough Water?

STEM Education by KidsHealth.org 

 

Since water is so important, you might wonder if you’re drinking enough. There is no magic amount of water that kids need to drink every day. Usually, kids like to drink something with meals and should definitely drink when they are thirsty. But when it’s warm out or you’re exercising, you’ll need more. Be sure to drink some extra water when you’re out in warm weather, especially while playing sports or exercising.

 

When you drink is also important. If you’re going to sports practice, a game, or just working out or playing hard, drink water before, during, and after playing. Don’t forget your water bottle. You can’t play your best when you’re thinking about how thirsty you are!

 

When your body doesn’t have enough water, that’s called being dehydrated. Dehydration also can keep you from being as fast and as sharp as you’d like to be.

 

A bad case of dehydration can make you sick. So keep that water bottle handy when the weather warms up! Not only does water fight dehydration, but it’s awfully refreshing and has no calories.

 

Your body can help you stay properly hydrated by regulating the amount of water in your system. The body can hold on to water when you don’t have enough or get rid of it if you have too much. If your pee has ever been very light yellow, your body might have been getting rid of excess water. When your pee is very dark yellow, it’s holding on to water, so it’s probably time to drink up.

 

You can help your body by drinking when you’re thirsty and drinking extra water when it’s warm out. Your body will be able to do all of its wonderful, waterful jobs and you’ll feel great!

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
 

 

STEM Middle School Education Material:

Hydration and Your Body

by TheFactsAboutWater.org:

 

Most of us understand that staying hydrated is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. But what does water really do for our bodies? Water is essential for human life — we can survive only a few days without it.

Studies show that the vast majority of healthy people meet their daily hydration needs by letting thirst be their guide. Recognizing your thirst and your body’s ongoing need for water is essential to the health and proper functioning of your body.

 

A 2004 report from the National Academy of Science (NAS) acknowledged the importance of water in staying hydrated and found that all beverages and foods contribute to hydration. The study said men are adequately hydrated by consuming 100 ounces of fluids per day, including drinking water and other beverages, and women at a level of just more than 72 ounces.

 

That does, indeed, give support to – and goes beyond – the general guidance to consume eight, 8-ounce (64 ounces total) servings of water each day. For consumers who choose water as a beverage for hydration and refreshment, bottled water is an excellent choice because of its consistent safety, quality, good taste, and convenience.

 

According to the NAS, temporary underconsumption of water can occur due to heat exposure, high levels of physical activity, or decreased food and fluid intake. However, on a daily basis, fluid intake driven by thirst and the habitual consumption of beverages at meals is sufficient for the average person to maintain adequate hydration.

 

In addition, the NAS points out that prolonged physical activity and heat exposure will increase water losses and therefore may raise daily fluid needs. Very active individuals who are continually exposed to hot weather often have daily total water needs of six liters or more, according to several studies.

 

For consumers who choose water as a beverage for hydration and refreshment, bottled water is an excellent choice because of its consistent safety, quality, good taste, and convenience.

 

(Source: Dietary Intake Levels for Water, Salt and Potassium to Maintain Health and Reduce Chronic Disease Risk, National Academy of Science, 2004)

 

Health and Hydration Studies 

TheFactsAboutWater.org

Health and Hydration

 

Read what scientists and other water experts have to say on the topic of health and hydration. Click on the article or presentation titles below to be taken to the full study.

 

DWRF Submission #4 to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

Jack West, Drinking Water Research Foundation, September 2014
Zero calorie beverages such as water – including bottled water – can help achieve and maintain a healthy weight and promote health.

 

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recognized this fact when it noted that, “Sweetened foods and beverages can be replaced with those that have no or are low in added sugars. For example, sweetened beverages can be replaced with water and unsweetened beverages.” (29) We would recommend enhanced messaging in this section and other sections like it on water consumption with the incorporation of language on bottled water for the 2015 Guidelines and related supplemental documents, such as the “My Plate” nutrition guide.

 

Moreover, we suggest the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee specifically acknowledge the importance of bottled water since it is the healthiest option among packaged beverages, which in today’s on-the-go society is the primary way most people consume liquids in their diets.

 

DWRF Submission #3 to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

Jack West, Drinking Water Research Foundation, July 2014
DWRF believes that for Americans to drink more water, all sources of water – tap, filtered and bottled — should be promoted. Indeed, given that more than half of the water consumed by Americans is bottled water (according to Beverage Marketing Corporation), language that excludes bottled water, such as drink “freely accessible water,” is counterproductive. Sometimes free tap water is not available. Therefore, qualifying water as “free” can limit people from choosing the healthiest, calorie-free drink available, in whatever form suits their circumstances at the moment.

 

DWRF Submissions (#1 & #2) to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee 

Jack West, Drinking Water Research Foundation, September 2013
Living a healthy lifestyle— a combination of eating a healthful diet and physical activity—is a key component of keeping our bodies performing at their optimal level.

 

A major part of this includes adopting healthy hydration habits. This involves both the quality and quantity of our beverage intake. Water consumption is an integral part of staying healthy. DWRF asks that the Committee keep this in mind as it makes its recommendations concerning the 2015 Dietary Guidelines.

 

The Effect of Soft Drink Availability in Elementary Schools on Consumption

 

Fernandes M. Meenakshi, Journal of American Dietetic Association, September 2008

To quantify the association among soft drink availability, school-based purchases, and overall consumption for elementary school children in the United States. The study is a cross-sectional, descriptive analysis of children in fifth grade across the United States. Measures of soft drink availability, purchases, and consumption are reported by the child in direct assessments by interviewers.

 

Children’s Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages 

 

Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, June 2008
A recent study published in Pediatrics and led by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found that sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are an increasingly large part of children and teens’ diets. Teens who consume SSBs, which include sodas, fruit drinks and punches, and sports drinks, drink an average of 356 calories per day, a significant increase from 10 years earlier. The findings suggest that reducing empty caloric intake by limiting these drinks may be a key strategy for promoting healthy eating and preventing excess weight gain.

 

Bottled Water, Janet Helm, American Dietetic Association, May 2008
Bottled water sales have soared in recent years, as people increasingly choose bottled water in place of calorie-laden beverages. Drinking sufficient water is certainly to be encouraged, but what type of water is better?