What I Learned in Nutrition – Water

Good afternoon, everyone! Hope you all are having a fabulous Wednesday. Here is another post all about what I’ve been learning in my nutrition class! I’ve been really enjoying this course so far. I can’t believe there are only four weeks left of the semester. I’m going to be taking one summer class (Accounting, bleh!) and in the fall I’m going to be taking Chemistry. Eeek! But I am excited for the challenge, since I always thought Chem was interesting in High School. In case you missed my previous Nutrition Science Posts, you can catch up here:

Nutrition Science
Carbohydrates
Fats
Protein
Vitamins

Now, time for Water!!!

Water is an essential nutrient. Even though it doesn’t provide us with energy, it does help with the with the absorption of vitamins, minerals, and aids in other body functions such as digestion.

Water is the most abundant substance in the body. Our Bodies are made up of 60% water. Muscles actually contain more water than fat. You can get most of your daily water intake from beverages, while some comes from foods you eat.

• Water is a universal solvent and a transport medium, meaning, it dissolves substances and transports substances throughout the body.
• Water helps maintain body temperature by evaporative cooling. Sweating cools the body by evaporating off the skin.
• Water is a lubricant and a protective cushion. It lubricates joints and also food (by saliva) and helps cushion organs in the body.

When you lose too much water from your body you can become dehydrated. This can result from not drinking enough fluids and/or conditions like vomiting or diarrhea. Ways to tell you are dehydrated:

• Dry mouth/thirst
• Dark urine color. Dark urine means you may not be drinking enough water.

Consuming too much water can cause a condition called hyponatremia. This is when there is too little sodium in the blood caused by overhydration.

(image source)

Daily Needs

• Women need to ingest 9 cups of water day, through food and beverage (6-8 glasses of water)
• Men need to ingest 13 cups of water a day, through food and beverage (6-8 glasses of water)