Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Thirst Not Only Sign Water Needed

BARBARA A. HOLT, Ph.D.

CLARK COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT

FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE

It has no nutritional value, nor do we know exactly how much we need. It is one of the most important nutrients we can consume and is essential for the proper functioning of the body. It is next to air in importance to life. We can survive for only a few days without it!

This nutrient, of course, is water, that odorless, calorie-less, colorless compound of hydrogen and oxygen that virtually every cell in the body needs to survive.

Thirst goes a long way to insure that we have enough water in our body, but it is not a perfect measure of how much we should drink, according to Teresa Booth, expanded food and nutrition education specialist with the Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas.

It is possible to drink enough water to quench thirst, but not enough to put back water lost through perspiration or illness.

Six to eight glasses of water a day are recommended, but the amount of water a person actually needs is affected by his environment, especially by temperature and humidity. A person in a hot or warm climate needs more water than one living in a cold climate, because he perspires more.

Do you know that water plays an important role in maintaining body temperature? Water also removes metabolic waste by way of urine and sweat, lubricates the joints, surrounds and protects the unborn, gives form to cells, and serves as a medium for thousands of life supporting chemical reactions that take place in the body.

Drinking plenty of water has special implications for the elderly, because they are less likely to feel thirsty when their bodies are in need of water perhaps eight to 10 glasses daily so the kidneys can flush out waste products of protein metabolism.

Most of the water we take in comes from beverages, including juice, milk and soft drinks. Alcoholic beverages as well as tea and coffee also supply water, but because they have a diuretic effect, they increase water output and therefore can actually increase water needs.

Under most circumstances drinking more water than you need cannot hurt you, because the body is efficient in getting rid of what it does not need.

Although we get most of our water from liquids, solid foods also contribute to our daily water intake. Most fruits are more than 80 percent water, while bread is a third water. Cooked lean beef is 60 percent water.

Concern for purity of drinking water remains high. Use of water that comes out of the tap is strictly regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency under the provisions of the State Drinking Act of 1974 a law that sets minimum national standards for drinking water quality. Regulations make your water supply safer, not less healthy. Many consumers prefer bottled water to tap water, but there is no scientific evidence that supports the notion that bottled water is healthier for you.

For more nutrition on health and family living, contact the Clark County Extension office, 246-2281.