Water Facts & Tips

Interesting Facts About NOT Drinking Water

• 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (This likely applies to half the world's population).
• In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
• A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
• One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters investigated in a University of Washington study.
• Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
• Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.
• Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
• Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

Water's Role in the Body

Water helps nearly every part of the human body function efficiently. Considering that our bodies are almost two-thirds water, it is important to understand water's role in healthy lifestyles. The following are just some of the things water does in the body:

• Brain is 75% water / Moderate dehydration can cause headaches and dizziness
• Water is required for breathing
• Regulates body temperature
• Carries nutrients and oxygen to all cells in the body
• Blood is 92% water
• Moistens oxygen for breathing
• Protects and cushions vital organs
• Helps to convert food into energy
• Helps body absorb nutrients
• Removes waste
• Bones are 22% water
• Muscles are 75% water
• Cushions joints

Do You Need More?

Keep in mind that there are other factors that may require you to drink more water. Here's a look at a few:

Dry Air Up There: To combat low humidity levels on airplanes, drink one 8-ounce serving of water for every hour in the air.

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Winter Woes: The colder it gets outside, the more energy your body requires to maintain a 98.6 degree temperature, AND the more water your body needs. So be sure to drink extra water in cold weather.

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Flu Blues: Maladies such as pneumonia and the flu can sometimes lead to dehydration, so be sure to drink more water when you are sick.

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Beat the Heat: If you plan to spend considerable time outside in warm weather, prepare by drinking one to two extra 8-ounce servings of water.

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Moms Need More: Due to high concentrations of water in breast milk, nursing mothers require three additional 8-ounce servings of water per day. Drink up, mom!

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Pregnancy Increases Need: You'll gain as much water weight as baby weight when you are pregnant. This is in the form of increased blood volume, amniotic fluid, and tissue fluids. Be sure to drink 8 to 12, 8-ounce servings a day.

Important Water Facts & Tips

• Roughly 70 percent of an adult’s body is made up of water.
• At birth, water accounts for approximately 80 percent of an infant’s body weight.
• A healthy person can drink about three gallons (48 cups) of water per day.
• Drinking too much water too quickly can lead to water intoxication. Water intoxication occurs when water dilutes the sodium level in the bloodstream and causes an imbalance of water in the brain.
• Water intoxication is most likely to occur during periods of intense athletic performance.
• While the daily recommended amount of water is eight cups per day, not all of this water must be consumed in the liquid form. Nearly every food or drink item provides some water to the body.
• Soft drinks, coffee, and tea, while made up almost entirely of water, also contain caffeine. Caffeine can act as a mild diuretic, preventing water from traveling to necessary locations in the body.
• Pure water (solely hydrogen and oxygen atoms) has a neutral pH of 7, which is neither acidic nor basic.
• Water dissolves more substances than any other liquid. Wherever it travels, water carries chemicals, minerals, and nutrients with it.
• Somewhere between 70 and 75 percent of the earth’s surface is covered with water.
• Much more fresh water is stored under the ground in aquifers than on the earth’s surface.
• The earth is a closed system, similar to a terrarium, meaning that it rarely loses or gains extra matter. The same water that existed on the earth millions of years ago is still present today.
• The total amount of water on the earth is about 326 million cubic miles of water.
• Of all the water on the earth, humans can used only about three tenths of a percent of this water. Such usable water is found in groundwater aquifers, rivers, and freshwater lakes.
• The United States uses about 346,000 million gallons of fresh water every day.
• The United States uses nearly 80 percent of its water for irrigation and thermoelectric power.
• The average person in the United States uses anywhere from 80-100 gallons of water per day. Flushing the toilet actually takes up the largest amount of this water.
• Approximately 85 percent of U.S. residents receive their water from public water facilities. The remaining 15 percent supply their own water from private wells or other sources.
• By the time a person feels thirsty, his or her body has lost over 1 percent of its total water amount.
• The weight a person loses directly after intense physical activity is weight from water, not fat.