Saturday, August 30, 2008

The 2 Gases Your Body Can't Live Without

By Samuel S. Peters

Twenty per cent of our atmosphere is oxygen. When this gas is united chemically with hydrogen gas, the result is water, our body's most important nutrient.

Water makes up 70%-80% of the body's weight and helps to maintain body temperature, to metabolize body fat, to wash toxins from the body, to make blood the right viscosity, to lubricate and cushion organs, to transport nutrients, and a host of other things needed for the body's health.

We each need at least 64 ounces of water per day. If you are active, you need even more. When you don't get enough, you become dehydrated. Then the body takes the water from any place it can, including the blood.

One result of dehydration is that the body closes some capillaries. This makes the blood thicker, harder to pump, and more likely to clot. This in turn results in high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and possible heart disease. It has also been linked to arthritis, heartburn, and headaches.

Some have estimated that as many as 75% of Americans are dehydrated. Sometimes the body might seem to be saying, "I'm hungry," but it is really saying, "I'm thirsty." A drink of water also might temporarily eliminate hunger pangs and help to keep body weight under control by avoiding snacking.

We get water from the fluids we drink, from the food we eat, and from metabolism. Soda, tea, or coffee are pour substitutes for pure water. In fact, these can actually increase the need for water because the caffeine in them is diuretic. This means it actually forces from the cells the water they contain as well as some essential nutrients.

Dehydration is more than just a little minor problem. It is dangerous! The mind is affected with only a 2% loss of body weight due to a lack of water. Physical performance drops 20%-30% with as little as 5% weight drop because of insufficient water. A 10% drop can make someone sick, and a 20% drop will probably mean death. Of course, since water is this important, you will want to drink water that is pure.

While a lack of water is often the cause of some ailments, drinking water is likewise also the cure. Problems such as ulcers, stress, headaches, high blood pressure, kidney problems, and problems related to cholesterol are often alleviated by drinking pure water. Just 64 ounces a day of the free liquid have decreased the risk of breast cancer by 79%, bladder cancer by 50%, and colon cancer by 45%.

Perhaps your body is craving water right now and you don't even know it. So go get a glass. But be sure it is pure first. Water taken from the tap will probably have impurities. So might even bottled water. Best is the water you purify yourself through a charcoal filter. You can trust it to help you maintain good health.

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