Functions of Water - Assignment Example

Functions of Water1. Functions: What do they do for your body?Water has many different functions in the body of a human being. The first of these functions is that water is needed to digest the food and enable getting rid of the waste. It enables the digestion of the juices and the waste id removed through urine and feces. Water is also important in order to remove sweat which is also another way of people to get rid of the waste and toxins in the body. Cells in the body also require water in order to function.

If the body lacks water, it means that the cells will fail to function properly and eventually shut down the whole body system (Batmanghelidj 76). 2. Food sources; from which food it can be obtained.Water can be got from any drink but more so from milk and water itself. Vegetables are the other types of food that contain a lot of water and hence encouraged to be eaten regularly. Fruits also fall in that category of containing a lot of food. These include fruits such as water melons and apples which are juicy.

This therefore means that people should be aware of the type of food they eat in order to ensure they have a lot of water in their body to sustain them even if they cannot drink a lot of water. People are encouraged to take in a lot of fruits and vegetables (Houston and Robin 24). 3. RDA: How much do you need per day?There is no specific amount of water an individual should take. The amount of water needed as it depends on the age of the individual and the amount of water the individual’s body can take.

The intake will also depend on the activities one in undertaking, the weather among other things. The recommended amount is around eight glasses of water daily but this is not a fixed number. People know their ability to take in water and as long as they ensure they drink a reasonable amount of water that can sustain their body as well as eating foods containing water, they are good. 4. Deficiency disease: What happens to you if you don’t get enough?The lack of enough water in the body leads to a condition known as dehydration which is also known as water deficiency.

This happens when the rate of water intake is minimal compared to the amount being lost and especially during physical exercises or in warm weather. The symptoms include dry mouth, poor skin, breathing shallows, eyes sunken, weakness, exhaustion and even going into a coma for really severe cases. Kidneys and other body organs can also begin shutting down due to the lack of water in the cells and blood. 5. Interesting facts: beliefs, what happens if you take more than requiredOne fact is that if one drinks too much water and too quickly for that matter it can lead to water intoxication where the water will dilute the sodium in the blood causing an imbalance in the brain.

Water intoxication as mentioned above is likely to happen in cases where there is high and intense workout by athletes. There are beliefs that are true about people who drink a lot of water having good skin as it is always hydrated (Insel, Elaine and Don 326). Water is therefore good for the body on general. Work CitedBatmanghelidj, F. Your Body's Many Cries for Water: You're Not Sick; you’re Thirsty Don't Treat Thirst with Medications. New York: Global Health Solutions, 2008. Houston, William and Robin Griffiths. Water. New York: Harriman House Limited, 2010.

Insel, Paul, Elaine Turner and Don Ross. Nutrition, Volume 1. New Jersey: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2004.