The Importance of Hydration
Water is the most abundant and yet the most overlooked substance in the human body, the body is nearly 60 percent water, ironically 66 percent of all Americans do not consume the recommended requirement of water. Hydration and dehydration can affect the body in several positive and negative ways depending how you regulate your fluids. Here are some broad categories how the body and hydration correspond i will be covering them in my research paper, brain function, physical performance, weight loss and disease prevention.
First i will cover how hydration and brain function correspond. Have you ever wondered why they give you small cups of water during standardized testing such as the ISAT? When your body has a deficiency of water brain cells and other neurons shrink and the nervous-system slows (Kellet). Therefore your brain cannot and will not operate at optimum speed. A drop of as little as 1 to 2 percent of fluid levels can, impair short-term memory, and lower attention spans (Kellet). With proper hydration however, the brain can react faster and concentrate more efficiently. Many parts of your brain
conduct energy from water. “Kids think and perform better in school when they drink extra water. A Department of Psychology study in the UK reported that children drinking
10 ounces of water (1 ¼ cups) in the afternoon showed improved memory compared to those not having extra water. Another study confirmed that children who stay hydrated do much better on visual attention tasks.” (Dr.Hart) Another important consideration is that water actually holds the cells of your body together. Water keeps the cell membrane together by forming hydronium ions which makes the water sticky and helps bond your cells together. This gives your cells a higher viscosity that helps increase the efficiency of proteins and enzymes (Stiles).
Secondly I will discuss physical performance and hydration. Their have been several...