When you become dehydrated your organs and bodily functions respond negatively and have acute or chronic implications on your health. This is because we essentially are water. You may be surprised to know as an infant your body composition is 75% water. As you age this percentage drops to 60% in adolescence and 50% in your senior years.
The heart is about 73% water and not drinking enough will affect your heart and cardiovascular system. Dehydration has the ability to inhibit wound healing and your ability to fight infections. Blood is 85% water and oxygen, nutrients, and vitamins flow via blood to wounds and white blood cells. To compensate for the lack of water, your heart beats faster, increasing your heart rate and your blood pressure. Your blood will thicken because it retains more sodium. This makes it harder for your blood to circulate through your body, thus decreasing your bodies ability to heal and protect against infection.
Most joints in the human body are synovial joints. Synovial fluid directly lubricates joints and keeps the cartilage soft and smooth, it is made up primarily of water. The synovial fluid reduces friction between bones and helps prevent osteoarthritis. Muscles also surround joints and are made up of about 75% water. Water in the muscle helps form proteins which strengthens the tissue, thus stabilizing the joint. Dehydration can lead to decreased muscle tone and the inability to properly stabilize the joints they surround, which increases the chance of injury.
The brain is 75% water, and without adequate hydration cognitive function goes downhill! Brain cells rely heavily on water and without it concentration, memory, and focus can be inhibited. As discussed earlier water plays a vital role in getting nutrients throughout the body and that includes the brain. Not only does it provide a vessel for nutrients to get to the brain, but it also removes toxins from the brain and the rest of the body through the lymphatic system. The lymph system is nearly all water at 96% and not being properly hydrated will decrease the rate of toxin removal from the body, that means more pimples!
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