What Does Water Provide the Human Body?
Water is necessary to maintain homeostasis, the maintenance of nearly constant conditions of every physiological process of the body. “The principal medium of cells is water, which is present in most cells (except fat cells) in a concentration of 70% to 85%. Some cellular chemicals are dissolved in water and some are suspended as solid particles or membranes. Chemical reactions take place among the dissolved chemicals or at the surfaces of the suspended particles or membranes.” Important ions of the cell are the electrolytes (such as potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium) often discussed along with hydration. Ideally, fluid intake and fluid loss are balanced, creating a “steady-state” of hydration, which allows for the “continuous exchange of fluids and solutes with the external environment as well as within the different compartments of the body.”1 How Does Water Loss Occur in the Human Body? Daily water loss occurs by evaporation through the skin, through the lungs when breathing,
