Why Do People Need to Drink Water?
Approximately 60 percent of the human body is comprised of water, according to the Mayo Clinic. The entire body depends on water consumption to maintain life. Without water, a human can live only a few days.
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Water Loss
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Water loss occurs when a human breathes, perspires and through natural body functions. When water loss results, the body must have a renewed water source to maintain life. Men should consume approximately 13 cups of liquid per day and women should consume approximately nine cups to maintain hydration, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Dehydration Effects
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Without adequate water consumption the human body undergoes dehydration. The effects of dehydration are loss of concentration, headache, dry eyes, dry mouth, heart palpitations and muscle cramps. If dehydration persists the body will suffer coma, complete organ failure and death.
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Regulation Benefits
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The body regulates exactly how much water it requires to function and alerts the brain when it needs more water, making a person thirsty. The body will increase urine output when it has an overabundance of liquid and it will decrease output if the body requires extra water to function.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit glass with water image by Alexander Ivanov from Fotolia.com
