Your body is amazing. Without you ever having to think about it, your kidneys remove toxins and waste products from your blood, your skin sweats in order to cool you down and your brain gets a wash while you sleep.
Every second of every day your body is hard at work to keep you alive and well, and water plays a crucial role in this.
Did you know?
Your body is approximately 60–75 per cent water. For example, water makes up 25 per cent of your bones, 75 per cent of your muscles and 90 per cent of your lungs.
Bodily fluids, made largely from water, protect you from injury by surrounding your brain, spinal cord and joints. Water carries nutrients through your body via the blood and enables the elimination of waste and toxins through urine and stools.
Water is so important for the health of your kidneys that frequent dehydration, even if it is mild, may lead to permanent kidney damage. And if you are dehydrated your brain will not be able to function properly.
The sensation of thirst reduces as we age so it is important to make sure that elderly people drink enough water. Studies show that dehydration can cause people with dementia to decline more rapidly.
Drinking water is the best way to give your body the liquid it needs. Less liquid stays in the body if you drink tea, coffee, alcohol or fizzy drinks.
