Is Water Really The Number One Ingredient
For Slowing Down The Aging Process?
Reprint of an
article by
Daniel C. Hammer
from the Article Codex website,
articlecodex.com
Introduction by Dr. Don Rose,
Writer, Life
Alert
--
The article
reprinted below is a summary of facts and conclusions concerning water’s role in
the human body, as well as its role in weight management and aging. The collection of info below will hopefully convince
you (and me) to drink more H20, because let’s face it, most of us aren’t getting
enough. --Don Rose
--
Some people would say that oxygen is the number one ingredient for life and they
would certainly be correct in that statement. Try going without it for 5 minutes
and see what happens. No, stop! I was just joking. We all know
that if deprived of oxygen we will die in a very short period of time.
But with our absolute need for oxygen to sustain life, oxygen also has a dark side
to it. In respiration the oxygen molecule splits to create an
unstable oxygen atom or free radical. Because free radicals are unstable they
will attack the nearest stable molecule to steal an electron. Although this
stabilizes them it creates a new free radical. This begins a chain reaction
that can result in the disruption of a living cell. It is this disruption
or free radical damage that is generally believed to be the main factor in aging.
Although we desperately need oxygen to live it is also a major factor in causing
us to age.
Then Food Must Be The Number One Ingredient, Right?
Although missing a meal could make you cranky like an old geezer, you really could
live for a couple of months without lunch. In fact, most people could exist
without food for 2 months or more. When you factor in the average American
diet then you may become part of the new reality in
America
. The increase in diabetes and obesity is staggering. In fact, obesity
and its corresponding health risks have now overtaken the risks from smoking cigarettes.
We are literally eating and drinking our way to an early grave. The other
sad fact is our children are now at a higher risk with a corresponding decrease
in longevity. Not a good recipe for anti-aging.
You Said “drinking our way to an early grave” So Water Can’t Be Number One,
Right?
You’re equating drinking water with drinking coffee, soda or beer. You’re
thinking that you get lots of water in the eight cups of coffee you drink or the
several cans of soda you consume. Or maybe you stop at the convenience store
or gas station for your daily 32 oz drink. Or maybe you’re counting the bottle(s)
of beer after work because it makes you go to the bathroom so surely you’re adding
to your water intake. SORRY! THESE DON’T COUNT! It needs to
be pure water and lots of it! Before I tell you why, let me give
you some facts that you can share around the water cooler at work.
Water Cooler Facts to Impress Your Co-Workers:
-
The average adult body is 55 to 75% water.
- Everyday your body must replace 2-3 quarters of
water. Remember, there
are 4 quarts to a gallon so you need at least a half-gallon of water each day.
- The human brain is made up of 85% water.
That gives new meaning to the
phrase: “His brain is swimming with ideas!”
- Your blood is 83% water, which makes sense, but
your lungs are 88% water.
Go figure!
- A 2% drop in your body’s water supply can trigger
signs of dehydration such as
short-term memory problems, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on
smaller print. So, if you’re having a difficult time reading your email this
morning, then you need a glass of water more than a new pair of glasses.
-
It is estimated that 75% of Americans have mild, chronic dehydration.
- We lose 2 to 4 cups of water from breathing. I was so fascinated with this fact that
I did a Google search and in 1959 the world’s population was 3 billion and in 1999
it surpassed 6 billion. At an average of 3 cups of water lost in breathing
per individual, today we are adding 1.125 billion gallons of warm water to the atmosphere
every day. I wonder if this has an affect on global warming.
- The average 12 oz can of regular pop contains
155 calories and 9 teaspoons of sugar.
The average American consumes 54 gallons of soda per year. That breaks down
to 1.5 cans or 230 calories per day all derived from sugar. Since there are
3500 calories in a pound of fat, the average American could see a 1-lb weight gain,
from regular pop consumption, every 14-15 days.
- Most dark colas contain phosphoric acid which
directly affects the acidity of your body.
To compensate, your body will pull calcium from its bones to neutralize this acidic
environment. This leads to a greater increase in the potential for osteoporosis.
-
Caffeine is a mildly addictive, stimulant drug and increases the excretion of calcium
as well as acts as a diuretic to rob your body of its necessary water.
Alright Stop! You’ve Made Your
Point!
As you can see,
water is a necessary and fundamental part of our lives. In fact, the water
you drink literally becomes you! There is so much more I could
say on this topic but let me leave you with this. Pure water contains
no calories, no artificial sweeteners and colorings, and is fat-free, cholesterol-free,
low in sodium and not acidic. It plays a major role in weight
loss and weight management. Many regard water as the most significant factor
in losing fat. Because it contains no calories you can consume as much as
you want without weight gain. It serves as an appetite suppressant and helps
the body metabolize stored fat. Water also helps to reduce water retention
by stimulating your kidneys. Water retention is usually a sign that you are
not drinking sufficient water thus causing your body to retain water to compensate
for this shortage. Every biochemical action that takes place in your body
takes place in water. Because of this it is critically important to look at
the source of your water intake because what it contains will have a direct effect
on your health and aging.
Dan Hammer has a background in biology, chemistry and exercise physiology. He used
to run one of the largest health club operations in the Chicagoland area and has
been helping people with their wellness issues for more than 25 years. His
website www.AgingNoMore.com provides current information
on how to slow down the aging process.
The article above is covered by a
Creative Commons
Attribution-NoDerivs 2.5 License.
The information provided is, to the best of our knowledge, reliable and accurate.
However, while Life
Alert
always strives to provide true, precise and consistent information, we cannot guarantee
100 percent accuracy. Readers are encouraged to review the original article, and
use any resource links provided to gather more information before drawing conclusions
and making decisions.
Dr. Don Rose writes books, papers and articles
on computers, the Internet, AI, science and technology, and issues related to seniors.
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