Water and Human Health

Abstract

Water is an essential requirement of human body. It makes
up about fifty to seventy five percent of the human body.
We can live without food for many weeks but for water it
is only days. Water is part and parcel of our body tissues
such as fats, muscles, bones etc and is the basic component
of fluids like blood, juices in the digestive tract, sweat and
urine. It is required on daily basis as human body cannot
store it. Water being lost from skin, lungs, feces and urine
needs replenishment on daily basis. However the daily
amount required depends upon the body size, food intake,
rate of metabolism, environmental and weather conditions
and life style of any individual. On an average daily loss of
water in adults accounts for two and a half to three litres
whereas in elderly it is two litres per day that necessarily
needs replacement to maintain health.1