BENEFITS OF WATER FOR HEALTHY LIFE

By: SANJANA GUPTA, MD

       Ludhiana, Punjab, INDIA

Did you know that your body weight is approximately 60 percent water? Your body uses water in all its cells, organs, and tissues to help regulate its temperature and maintain other bodily functions. Because your body loses water through breathing, sweating, and digestion, it's important to rehydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water. The amount of water you need depends on a variety of factors, including the climate you live in, how physically active you are, and whether you're experiencing an illness or have any other health problems.

Pure Water Protects Your body Tissues, Joints and other organs

Water does more than just quench your thirst and regulate your body's temperature; it also keeps the tissues in your body moist. You know how it feels when your eyes, nose, or mouth gets dry? Keeping your body hydrated helps it retain optimum levels of moisture in these sensitive areas, as well as in the blood, bones, and the brain. In addition, water helps protect the spinal cord, and it acts as a lubricant and cushion for your joints.

Water Helps Your Body to Remove Waste

Adequate water intake enables your body to excrete waste through perspiration, urination, and defecation. The kidneys and liver use it to help flush out waste, as do your intestines. Water can also keep you from getting constipated by softening your stools and helping move the food you've eaten through your intestinal tract. However, it should be noted that there is no evidence to prove that increasing your fluid intake will cure constipation.

Water Aids in Digestion

Digestion starts with saliva, the basis of which is water. Digestion relies on enzymes that are found in saliva to help break down food and liquid and to dissolve minerals and other nutrients. Proper digestion makes minerals and nutrients more accessible to the body. Water is also necessary to help you digest soluble fiber. With the help of water, this fiber dissolves easily and benefits your bowel health by making well-formed, soft stools that are easy to pass.

Water Prevents You from Becoming Dehydrated

Your body loses fluids when you engage in vigorous exercise, sweat in high heat, or come down with a fever or contract an illness that causes vomiting or diarrhea. If you're losing fluids for any of these reasons, it's important to increase your fluid intake so that you can restore your body's natural hydration levels. Your doctor may also recommend that you drink more fluids to help treat other health conditions, like bladder infections and urinary tract stones. If you're pregnant or nursing, you may want to consult with your physician about your fluid intake because your body will be using more fluids than usual, especially if you're breastfeeding.

How Much Water Do You Need?

There's no hard and fast rule, and many individuals meet their daily hydration needs by simply drinking water when they're thirsty, according to a report on nutrient recommendations from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. In fact, most people who are in good physical health get enough fluids by drinking water and other beverages when they're thirsty, and also by drinking a beverage with each of their meals. If you're not sure about your hydration level, look at your urine. If it's clear, you're in good shape. If it's dark, you're probably dehydrated.

Root of Bad Breath and solution to get rid of it

 

Good dental hygiene should help you clear up a bad case of halitosis. But what's causing your stinky breath in the first place? If you're constantly popping mints or chewing gum to cover up bad breath, you're not alone.

Why? Most cases of halitosis are caused by improper dental hygiene. If you don't brush and floss your teeth after every meal, bits of food that get stuck in your teeth and gums and on your tongue will begin to decay and emit foul odors.

An unclean mouth also means that bacteria can grow, potentially leading to gum disease, which is also one of the causes of bad breath. In addition, certain foods and drink are more likely to cause bad breath, including:

·         Garlic

·         Onions

·         Cheese

·         Orange juice

·         Soda, including diet varieties

After these foods or drinks are digested, their oils make their way into your bloodstream and are then carried into your lungs. The odor is then released through your breath.

Other Causes of Bad Breath

Aside from what you eat and drink, bad breath can also be linked to:

·         A dry mouth. Saliva is your mouth's natural cleanser, so when your mouth is dry, dead cells can build up, which is what causes morning breath. This is an even bigger problem if you sleep with your mouth open. Smoking and certain medications can also cause dry mouth. In more extreme cases, you could have a problem with your salivary glands that leaves your mouth unusually dry.

·         Chronic diseases. Sometimes underlying health conditions can cause bad breath. Lung infections, cancers, kidney or liver failure, diabetes, and gastroesophageal reflux disease, for example, are all associated with halitosis.

·         Respiratory, mouth, throat, and nose conditions. These conditions are also often associated with bad breath. For example, discharge from a sinus infection is known to cause bad breath. If you have an upper respiratory infection such as bronchitis, the sputum coughed up can also cause halitosis.

·         Tobacco products, particularly smoking. Tobacco products can dry your mouth and result in bad breath. People who use tobacco are also at greater risk of developing gum disease, poor general oral health, and oral cancers.

Malnutrition. Starvation or intense dieting can result in bad breath due to ketoacidosis, which is a breakdown of chemicals that occurs during fasting.

Here are the Signs of Bad Breath and unhealthy bacteria inside

There is quite a lot that can be done about bad breath, and most of the tips to halt halitosis are quite simple. It all starts with looking out for the subtle (and not-so-subtle) signs of bad breath:

•          You sleep with your mouth open. According to research, sleeping with your mouth open is a surefire way to dry out your mouth. And a dry mouth will cause halitosis. Often, people who sleep with their mouth open are having trouble breathing through their nose, so addressing any allergy or nasal issues before bed might be a good place to start. You also might find working with a sleep specialist helpful.
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• ·         You smoke or chew tobacco. Both of these bad habits also are guaranteed to give you bad breath. "They decrease the amount of saliva in your mouth. "Saliva contains oxygen, which keeps your mouth healthy and fresh." Here, the answer is obvious: QUIT !
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• ·         You have a white-coated tongue. This is a predictable sign of bad breath. "That white coating is comprised of sulfur compounds that have risen to the tongue's surface and cause bad breath.
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• ·         You have gastric reflux. The churning acid produced by gastric reflux is not only uncomfortable but can also lead to bad breath. "Unfortunately, gastric reflux results in bad breath in a way that's hard to solve. "Ask your doctor about prescribing a medication to get this condition under control."
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• ·         You eat suspect foods. "In the end it's true: You breathe what you eat. "High-protein foods, coffee, onions and garlic, sugar, acidic foods and drinks, and dairy products all result in worse breath because they create an environment for the bad bacteria to grow. It needs to be balanced with fruits, veggies, and alkalinizing good foods."
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•      You take certain prescription or OTC medications. A number of medications can cause dry mouth as a side effect, which in turn can lead to bad breath. In these situations, you can ask your doctor if any alternatives exist to your current medications, prescription or over-the-counter, that might help with the problem.

How you can Beat your Bad Breath

To combat bad breath, try the following:

·         Avoid foods and beverages that you know cause bad breath; this may also mean minimizing your intake of alcohol.

·         Brush for two to three minutes after every meal and floss your teeth at least once a day.

·         Brush your tongue gently to remove dead cells, including the back of your tongue, because that's where bacteria often collect.

·         Drink lots of water to keep your mouth moist and clean. And water really is what's best here: Other beverages, particularly caffeinated beverages, don't work as well as water for halitosis treatment and prevention.

·         Eat less meat and more vegetables and fruits each day.

·         Get dental checkups at least twice a year that include an exam and cleaning.

·         If you wear dentures, bridges, or removable braces, clean them thoroughly at least once a day.

·         Suck candy or chew gum (preferably sugarless) to stimulate saliva production, which helps wash away food particles and bacteria.

When to See Your Dentist about Bad Breath

If you still feel like you have bad breath after trying these tips, ask someone who is close to you for confirmation. Sometimes, you really are your own worst critic. If it is indeed an issue, make an appointment with your dentist to try to uncover what could be causing your bad breath.

Avoid drinking, eating, chewing gum, or brushing your teeth before your dental appointment. Skip the perfume or other scented products too, so that your dentist can truly assess your halitosis. Your dentist will likely ask you a number of questions, ranging from your dental hygiene habits to your general health.

In some cases, halitosis may be due to a buildup of plaque, which is a layer of bacteria on your teeth. If this is the case, the dentist may have you use a special antimicrobial mouth rinse.