© rodale.comDrink up! Staying hydrated keeps every system in your body in top shape.
Believe it or not, the simple answer to that question is probably yes. In fact, most of us function in a chronic state of dehydration. Whether it's because of your busy schedule or simply not having fresh, clean water on hand when you need it, chances are more than good that you simply don't drink enough fluids.
The Toll of Chronic Dehydration
As your body gets used to chronic dehydration, you lose your sensitivity to water deprivation and don't get thirsty when you need to. And that's a real problem because water accounts for more than half of your body mass - in the form of intracellular fluid, interstitial fluids, cerebrospinal fluid, and more. These fluids unite your various organs and physiological systems into one coherent organism, allowing for many of your body's most critical communications.
Of your body's fluids, it's safe to say that none is more life sustaining than blood itself. It's your body's vehicle for delivering nutrients, oxygen, and vital components to your tissues through the arterial and capillary system. The same blood is also used to carry carbon dioxide, by-products, and waste products through the venous system - thereby discharging them through the lungs by exhalation, or through sweat, stool, or urine. Water makes up roughly 83 percent of your blood volume - a significant portion by any standard. So it's easy to see why dehydration is such a problem for your health.
Damaging Your Engine
Attempting to function without enough water is similar to trying to run a car that doesn't have enough oil to lubricate its system. And what happens to a car that isn't lubricated? It heats up, and the engine can crack and get damaged. A similar effect occurs in the body when you're not well hydrated, which often happens because you're too busy and your system is running too fast and too long without a break.
Add in the extra demand for water that comes with spiking August temperatures and you've got yourself a recipe for disaster.
Luckily, the solution is simple: Drink more water. Just be wary of where it comes from.
It's easy to assume that bottled water is the wisest choice, but a federal congressional report revealed that this is far from the case. In reality, there's less oversight of the quality of bottled water than there is of the quality of plain old tap water - a fact that might come as a major shock to anyone spending top dollar on a supposedly safe, clean way to hydrate. Water-quality tests for bottled products are not required by the FDA - and in the past several years, some brands of bottled water have been recalled due to contamination with arsenic, bromate, cleaning compounds, mold, and bacteria.
Unfortunately, that's not the only concern that comes with bottled water: The potential health-related and environmental risks of its plastic packaging are something to consider, too.
In the end, water from the tap is probably your safest - not to mention cheapest - bet. (Consumed out of a glass, of course!) If, however, you're still worried about potential contaminants lurking in your water, you can always consider one of the many home filtration systems available on the market today - while they can be expensive, it may be worth your peace of mind.
that a home water filter is essential most places in the world. Especially if your water is chlorinated and fluoridated. I say this as a person who lives in Melbourne, Australia, where the tap water is supposed to be amongst the "cleanest" and "safest" in the world- and it's still terrible. (If you know what is actually in it).