The Critical Chemical Needed for Survival

by: SamuelS.Peters
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Word Count: 505

It is a simple chemical, just two parts hydrogen, and one part oxygen. Yet, when these two gases are combined chemically, they become the body's most important nutrient, water!

Did you know that 70%-80% of your body weight is water? It helps to keep the blood a liquid, metabolize fat, maintain body temperature, wash out toxins from the body, transport nutrients, lubricate and cushion organs, and a host of other benefits.

Sixty-four ounces is the minimum amount of water needed per day by each of us. If you exercise regularly or do physical work, you will need even more. When you don't take in enough water, you become dehydrated and the body begins to search for water from other sources, like the blood.

When the body gets dehydrated, it closes down some of the capillaries. The blood becomes thicker, more likely to clot, and it is harder for the heart to pump it through the systems. This results in high blood pressure, heart disease and high cholesterol. Dehydration has also been linked to heartburn, headaches, and arthritis.

Dehydration is a common problem among Americans, up to 75% of us! The body may seem to be signaling hunger when its real need is water. In fact, even when the stomach is hungry, it can be temporarily satisfied with a drink of water. This helps maintain proper body weight.

Our bodies take in water three ways. We get it from the foods we eat, the fluids we drink, and as a by-product of metabolism. It is always better to drink pure water instead of soda, tea, or coffee. These products may actually increase your need for fluids because most contain caffeine, which is a diuretic. Diuretics force out stored water along with certain essential nutrients, a reverse osmosis of the cells.

Dehydration is more than just a little minor problem. It is dangerous! The mind is affected with only a 2% loss of body weight due to a lack of water. Physical performance drops 20%-30% with as little as 5% weight drop because of insufficient water. A 10% drop can make someone sick, and a 20% drop will probably mean death. Of course, since water is this important, you will want to drink water that is pure.

A number of ailments can be directly linked to the lack of water. Significantly, water can also provide the cure, at times better to any medication. Some of these ailments are headaches, stress, kidney problems, hypertension or high blood pressure, cholesterol, and ulcers. Drinking 8 glasses of water a day reduces the risk of breast cancer an incredible 79%, decreases the risk of colon cancer 45%, and makes a person 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

It is obviously not as option that we take in sufficient quantities of water each day. We must also make sure that water is pure and clean. Surprisingly, tap water and even bottled water may not be. Water you purify yourself through a charcoal filter is best. You can be confident 64 ounces of that will eliminate dehydration related illnesses.

About the Author

By using the Black Berkey charcoal gravity filters, the Berkey Water Filter is able to filter out a much higher percentage of impurities than filters where water pressure forces the impurities through. Click the links to learn more.  

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