Water Plays the Role of Lubrication And Transportation of Fluids, Especially Blood

According to Chen Wenrong, director of Hanlin Chinese Medicine Clinic, water lubricates the skin, add moistures to the oral mucous membrane to make swallowing easier, and improves the peristaltic movement of the gastrointestinal tract. Water transports nutrients and oxygen to the tissues and organs and eliminates waste products produced by cellular metabolism.

Lack of water intake can cause chronic dehydration

Chronic dehydration can have many effects on the body:

• Feeling thirsty easily
• Dry skin that lacks elasticity
• Dizziness, chronic pain (including regular migraines, joint pain)
• Feeling tired and getting cramps easily during exercise
• Constipation, abnormal urination
• Inflammation (including urethritis, cystitis, vaginal infection)
• Anxiety, irritability, insomnia
• Obesity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, high blood sugar, cardiovascular disease

Insufficient water intake can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. The main component of blood is water.

Chen Wenrong explained that when there is enough water, the blood can transport oxygen and nutrients smoothly.

Without enough water, blood vessels and capillaries will shrink, blood will become thicker, more easily resulting in blood clots. If there is already a blood clot and the blood vessels have become thinner, it may lead to acute embolism, angina, and chest tightness. Other chronic diseases related to metabolism, such as obesity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, high blood sugar, diabetes, and kidney disease may be exacerbated or develop.

Dehydration is a factor that is often overlooked. For example, If you take painkillers without hydration, pain will return again and create a vicious cycle: dehydration, pain, medication, more dehydration.

Chen Wenrong pointed out that female patients with chronic dehydration are prone to inflammation, leading to urethritis, cystitis, and vaginal infections.

Elderly people often drink less water, may not become thirsty. Signs of dehydration can appear as loss of skin elasticity, reduced urination, and dark urine color.

Surprisingly, anxiety may be related to dehydration. Chen Wenrong pointed out that Chinese medicine emphasizes the balance of yin and yang, and water (yin) and fire (yang) should be balanced. When there is not enough fluid in the body, lack of water transportation and lubrication, the body will become hyperactive and generate internal heat, causing insomnia and irritability.

People have become accustomed to using coffee, tea, soft drinks, and other beverages as a substitute for plain water. These drinks contain some amount of water, but they also contain dehydration factors: caffeine, alcohol.

Summer is on the way and we sweat more and drink more caffeinated drinks. Even unsweetened teas, can cause chronic dehydration.

How much water should I drink?

Generally, 34 to 40 ounces, or 4.5 to 5 cups of water daily.

Chen Wenrong explained that this is because while the human body does need about 5 cups of water per day, some people also consume other foods high in water content. If your water intake is too much, then the body’s ability to metabolize water is poorer, causing swelling and other health problems.

An exception are flu patients, who should be drinking a lot of water as they recuperate.

However, do you really have flu or an allergy? Chen Wenrong said he often encounters patients who ask him, “Doctor, I have a cold, and I drink more than three glasses of water every day, but how come I’m not getting better?” It turns out that the patient has an allergy, not a cold. In addition to urination, allergic patients are likely to have nasal discharge and more phlegm, which may aggravate their condition.

Exercise plays a huge part in losing water. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink water, drink water before and during exercise to avoid dehydration. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to wait until you’re thirsty to drink water,” Chen Wenrong said.