| Water and Human
Metabolism
Water acts as a healing agent in our body. Around 70% of our body
weight is due to water. The quantity is high in organs such as lungs and
brain and fluids such as blood, lymph, saliva and secretions by the organs
of the digestive system.
Metabolism can be defined as the sum of the chemical reactions that
take place within each cell of a living organism and that provide energy
for vital processes and for synthesizing new organic material. Energy
obtained from the metabolic nutrients is utilized for various growth and
other maintenance processes.
Water is the medium for various enzymatic & chemical reactions in the
body. It moves nutrients, hormones, antibodies and oxygen through the
blood stream and lymphatic system. The proteins and enzymes in our body
function more efficiently in solutions of low viscosity. Water is the
solvent of the body and it regulates all functions, including the activity
of everything it dissolves & circulates.
Living organisms are unique in that they can extract energy from their
environments and use it to carry out activities such as movement, growth
and development and reproduction.
The carrier of chemical energy
At any given time, a neutral molecule of water dissociates into a hydrogen
ion (H+) and a hydroxide ion (OH-). Under normal conditions (neutrality),
the concentration of hydrogen ions (acidic ions) is equal to that of the
hydroxide ions (basic ions); each are at a concentration of 10-7 moles per
litre, which is described as a pH of 7.
In case of shortage of water in our house, we try to prioritize the use of
water for essential purposes. Similarly, when the body receives less
water, histamine - a chemical compound present in all cells - initiates a
system of water regulation. Histamine directs some neurotransmitters to
operate sub-systems to regulate water intake. The ratio of the water
content in and outside the cells of the various organs is very important.
As age advances, water content in the cells decreases. Since the water
content in each cell plays a vital role in maintaining its normal
function, inadequate water can lead to loss of some functions resulting in
specific symptoms.
The waste products of metabolism and surplus salts get removed from your
body through urine. The human kidneys normally produce 0.9-1.5 litres of
urine per day, containing some 50-70 g of solids - mostly urea, uric acid,
and inorganic salts. Thus water plays a crucial role in our metabolic
reactions.
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