Why do we need water? By Kezia

Why do we need water?

                        

We need water for many different reasons. Your body is made up of approximately %60 water, and needs to be topped up constantly. It hydrates us and helps almost every living thing survive, everyone needs different amounts of water and there are many health benefits of drinking water. 

My first point is that we need water to stay alive. It's as simple as that. We lose water by sweating, going to the toilet, digestion, when we sleep and even just by breathing. That is why you need to be topping up constantly. Water hydrates us and stops our throat and lips going dry, helps control our temperature and greases joints, so we can keep them moving when we are active. If you simply decided to stop drinking water altogether, you could die within 3-4 days. As well as getting not enough water, you can also have too much of it, that is a condition called Hyponatremia. When you think too much about drinking water and drink it all the time, you will get over hydrated and that causes your body to get Hyponatremia. 

Secondly, the amount of water people need to survive varies. The average human needs 2-3 litres of water a day, but new research shows that the amount of water we drink depends largely on our weight and environment. You can find water in many foods as well, which makes up about ⅕ of our daily intake of H20. Fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, spinach, cucumber and even brussel sprouts include just over 80% of water.  A new study also found that men need 2.5-3.7 litres of water and women need 2-2.7 litres of water a day. 

My last point is that water can also have many health benefits for humans, like functioning better at school, or work, and improving your energy, effort and mood. A dehydrated brain works harder to accomplish the same amount of work as a hydrated brain, meaning that if you drink water you are more likely to get through a decent amount of work. Another benefit is that water helps strengthen cells in your body, meaning you have a good, strong healthy body!

In conclusion, your body needs water to survive, stay hydrated, and function properly. I hope you have learnt more about why it is so important to drink water all the time.