Water is very important for any living being to survive. A living organism can live without food at least for some days but not without water. Hence it is considered as the universal solvent and an important nutrient. Water is an essential component of the body since each and every cell of the body is composed of water. Life is not found to exist without water.

Let’s see the various functions that water performs within the body:

v Transportation of nutrients and oxygen to various parts of the body through blood

v Excretion of the wastes products from the body

v Each and every metabolic reaction occurring in the body requires water. For instance, the acid base balance, fluid electrolyte balance

v Regulates the temperature of the body

v Formation of blood volume

v Prevents various parts of the body from shocks

v Serves as lubricant around body joints

I wish to throw light on the functions that water performs in human body.

As soon as the water level gets reduced in the body, there is a sudden decrease in the blood volume as well as the blood pressure. This causes the anti-diuretic hormone to be released by the pituitary gland due to the stimulation of hypothalamus. This aids the kidneys to retain more sodium and water, thereby increasing the blood volume.

The kidneys respond to the reduced blood flow by releasing the enzyme rennin. Renin initiates the activation of the protein angiotensinogen to angiotensin. Angiotensin performs dual function in the body by acting on the adrenal glands as well as the blood vessels. Angiotensin act on adrenal glands and stimulates the secretion of aldosterone. Angiotensin constricts the blood vessels thereby resulting in raising the blood pressure. The dual action of aldosterone and blood vessel constrictions together results in increasing the blood volume by the enabling the kidneys to retain water and sodium.

These dual mechanisms could not be considered a safe mechanism of maintaining water balance unless the individual drinks adequate amount of water.

As each and every one are aware of the fact that each and every cell within the body is composed of water. The water is present both inside the cell and outside the cell. Water is incapable of moving freely across the cell membranes. It requires minerals during the transportation within the body. Hence the transport of water could be detected by knowing the mode of transport of minerals. The balance of both the minerals and water in right proportion is termed as the fluid electrolyte balance.

Any disturbances caused in the body such as vomiting, diarrhea, wounds, burns, and sweating heavily would bring about an imbalance in this fluid electrolyte balance. Immediate consumption of electrolytes along with water is recommended in order to restore the fluid electrolyte balance of the body.