Ever heard the fact that 60-70% of your body is water? Well, 71% of the Earth’s surface is actually water too.

The numbers remind us of the extent to which our own bodies are connected to their environment, and how much human health is tied to the planet’s health.

Since they represent over half of the material world here on the surface of our planet, taking care of our waters is no small deal and should not be overlooked.

I’m sure you’ve heard all about the pollution of our waters with overwhelming levels of plastic, metals, amongst other substances that are either inherently toxic or that become toxic in excess – that’s why you’re here, I suppose.

But let’s focus on you.

Why is preserving water important for your wellbeing?

Water is a structure that mediates and regulates your body, enabling metabolic processes to take place fluidly.

This article will walk you through four reasons why you should take care of your waters.

1. Keep your metabolism circulating

Water circulates through the body, facilitating all of its functions from your mouth to your toes. These functions include saliva production digestion, absorption, circulation, and the regulation of body temperature. 

For example, as part of the process of digesting protein, the liver produces urea nitrogen, which then circulates through the blood. As a waste by-product from digestion, it needs to be eliminated through the kidneys into the urine. Luckily, it is water-soluble, which means that by drinking water, you facilitate this process of elimination. 

To make sure that this essential biological process can take place, we first need access to clean water sources.

A first step might be starting to eliminate human-made waste that ends up in the Earth’s water bodies. We can go even further by focusing on reducing the kind of pollution that releases CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, since this will help keep the planet’s temperature regulated, minimizing periods of extreme and catastrophic weather, such as droughts and floods, which directly affect human access to healthy water sources. 

2. Find optimal fitness

The absence of the appropriate level of water (aka dehydration) means that the cells in your muscles will be unable to maintain a balanced level of fluids and electrolytes, which results in muscle fatigue. This means that if you exercise, you will be pushing your muscles too far without meeting their basic needs.

You also need a healthy amount of water in your body in order to sweat when you exercise or when the day is simply too hot. As you sweat, your temperature will cool allowing you to go about your day even when the atmosphere heats up a little.

3. Stay healthy

Recent research has shown that drinking water can taste and smell fine whilst carrying contaminants that are detrimental to our health. Such substances include aluminium, Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, chloramine, among a fair amount of others.

Studies show that the growing amount of heavy metals in the ocean accumulates in the organs of fish, resulting in their mortality. The most concerning toxic metals in the ocean include Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury.

These metals can also be found in our drinking water and their excess consumption has shown detrimental consequences to several body organs including the liver, kidneys, and eyes.

There are places that are more vulnerable than others. People living near agricultural sites are more likely to be contaminated with the residue of pesticides and fertilizers. Whilst people living in countries that are part of the ‘Global South’ (i.e. the group of countries that struggle most when it comes to matters such as infrastructure, education, healthcare, and economic stability) are also more likely do have limited access to clean water due to the lack of planing and appropriate structures to both clean and transport that water.

4. Keep your brain fit

Brain cells depend on water to carry out their essential functions. Dehydrated adults tend to display signs of excessive neuronal activation when performing cognitive tasks, which means that their brains are working harder than usual to accomplish simple tasks.

The consequences of dehydration on brain functioning include drastic mood changes as well as mental fatigue and fluctuations in attention and processing speed.

So get yourself a glass of water to make sure your brain is in top shape and consider the consequences of insufficient or toxic water supply on the health of your brain. Taking care of our water supplies is literally a no brainer.

Conclusion

It’s not just about drinking the two litres per day recommended by doctors, but also about preserving fresh and clean water sources for everyone – because let’s face it, everyone should have the right to a healthy body and mind. 

To do that, we must care for the planet: protectin both the bodies of water from toxic substances and the atmosphere from dangerous gases such as carbon dioxide and methane which proportion drastic climate changes which, in turn, limit human access to clean water.

There are a couple of things you can do. Take part in a project that helps provide clean water to people who are already suffering the consequences of climate change. Generosity.org, for instance, works across 5 countries to provide clean water to some of the regions that suffer the most when it comes to access to healthy water.

And finally, let every cup of water be a reminder of how valuable clean drinking water is in your life.

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Header image by Maksym Kaharlytskyi on Unsplash