It is widely known that the human body is generally composed of water and that we also need to consume a certain amount in order to survive. Your blood is composed of 83% water; your muscles and kidneys are made up of 73% water; the brain is made up of 76% water and your lungs are made of 90% water. The suggested amounts for water consumption are 3 litres (12 cups) for men and 2.2 litres (9 cups) for women.
EVERYONE WHO IS NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER WILL EXPERIENCE SOME OF THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS:
Your Urine is Dark Yellow
Typically, the urine should have a light yellow-amber colour. But then again, if you don’t drink enough water, the kidneys will eliminate “more waste products in the urine, such as toxins, dead blood cells or proteins, which results mainly in darker urine. After consuming certain medications your urine can be also darker, B-Vitamins, blackberries, beets, asparagus or food colouring.
If you ever notice a change in urine colour, you should increase the intake of water immediately and then observe if your urine colour becomes lighter. If it happens that your urine stays dark for a longer period, it certainly could be a sign of serious health issues such as gallstones or hepatitis.
Your Urine Output is Reduced
Usually, people urinate between 6 to 7 times every day. And if you don’t drink enough water, there is less fluid available to replace the fluids that are excreted from the body. In this case, the kidneys will keep as much fluid as possible in order to prevent dehydration. Increase the fluid intake immediately if you urinate less than 6 times per day.
Constipation
Constipation is caused by lack of fluids in the body. If you don’t drink enough water, your body will start to absorb water from wherever it can, this also includes the colon. Deficient amount of water in the large intestine is going to lead to harder stools. So, consuming a lot of water is very important if you want to prevent or treat constipation.
Physical inactivity can also cause constipation, hypothyroidism, stress, intestinal inflammation and food sensitivities.
Your skin is dry and wrinkles are more defined
Dr Diana Howard’s study reveals that dehydration can lead to an irritated, itching, inflamed and sensitive skin. In some cases, the skin can become red with bleeds and cracks. Wrinkles are also caused by the lack of fluids. If you like to revitalize your skin, drink more water.
Hunger and Weight Gain
The body has one small defect – it does not recognize the difference between thirst and hunger. Hypothalamus, the part of the brain responsible for the regulation of thirst and hunger, often gets confused because it causes hunger when your organism needs water.
Eating a snack instead of drinking water will only result in a weight gain and excess caloric intake.
Every time you feel hungry, you should drink a cup of water and wait for 15 minutes. If again you still feel hungry after that, it’s a sign that you should sure eat something.
Thirst and Dry Mouth
Many people find it hard to believe that feeling thirst for water is a sign that the body is dehydrated. Dry mouth usually occurs with thirst and it is an additional sign that the body needs hydration.
Headaches
Not drinking enough water will force your body to absorb water from all of your tissues just to compensate for the lack of fluids. Because of this, your brain tissue loses some of its shrinks and moisture, dragging away from the skull. This activates the pain receptors and this result into a headache.
More post: the health benefits of green tea.
At the very same time, that you don’t consume enough water, the volume of the blood drops, falling the amount of oxygen that is being carried to the brain. In response to that, the blood vessels in the brain are going to dilate and the headache will strengthen.
Fatigue
Mild dehydration can also cause tiredness, fatigue and can lower the energy. Every time your body lacks water, the heart must work harder to push oxygen and nutrients through the body.
Thus, when you will start to feel tired, skip the coffee (which by the way is dehydrating) and drink water instead. Coffee, soda, tea and sports drinks are never substituted for water.
Joint Pain
Water is a great lubricant for the joints because it allows two bones to slide over each other as the joint moves. In case you don’t drink enough water, the joint will immediately become nutrient deficient, and this leads to damage of the cartilage cells.
You must remember that if your organism is lacking water for a prolonged period of time, your cartilage is going to degenerate beyond repair.
Weak Immune System
Dehydration can increase the concentration of toxins in the blood, and this will weaken the immune system. Drinking enough water is very important if you want to eliminate the toxins and help the immune system to defend itself from infections.
EXTRA TIP
Try to reduce the intake of some beverages such as juice and coffee, because they can essentially dehydrate the body due to their sugar and caffeine content.
