Water & The Human Body - The Importance of Survival Water Filters

Water. Most of us take it for granted, but have you ever taken a moment to stop and think just how important water is to you?

For the human body, water is truly a vital resource. You can go weeks without food but only 5-7 days without water. When the water in your body is reduced by just 1 percent, you become thirsty. At 5 percent, muscle strength and endurance declines significantly, and you become hot and tired. When the loss reaches 10 percent, delirium and blurred vision occur. A 20 percent reduction results in death.

Are you prepared for a disaster or emergency that cuts off your normal water supply? What plans have you made to insure a continuing amount of safe water for you and your family?

Hikingware.com suggests that you have a water filtration system as a backup for the 'if & when' of drought or disaster that could seriously impact you and your loved ones.

There is no more important nutrient for our bodies than water. No other substance is as widely involved in the processes and make up of the body. A man's body is about 60 percent water and a woman's is approximately 50 percent. Did you know that the human brain is about 75 percent water?

Every day, we lose 2-3 quarts of water through urination, sweating, and breathing. Since many of the processes within the body rely greatly on water, it is important we replace our fluids regularly to compensate for this loss.

Here are just a few of the vital roles pure water plays in our health.

Water as a Transporter:
Once a substance is dissolved in water, water becomes very important for transporting it throughout the body. Blood, which is 83 percent water, transports oxygen, CO2, nutrients, waste products, and more from cell to cell. Urine is also mostly water.

Protection:
Water is needed for protection as well. It keeps your mouth moist and washes away dirt and grim in your eyes. Water even lubricates our joints, keeping them from getting stiff and making sure motion is smooth.

Electrolyte Balance:
Water is very important in maintaining electrolyte balance within our bodies. Electrolytes are charged ions (such as Na+or Cl-) which must be kept at certain levels to maintain the proper amount of water in our cells. Electrolytes transmit all sorts of information to our brains in the form of nerve impulses and are important in muscular activity as well. To maintain electrolytes at the proper level in our cells, water flows in and out of the cell to make sure that these ions remain in balance.

The most important way water regulates our body temperature is through sweat. Our normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. When you go outside in the sun, you'll probably begin to sweat in no time, especially if you're active. But why does the body need to sweat? Sweat is a way for the body to cool itself down. When we sweat, it evaporates on our skin, drawing heat away from the body and cools us down.