Liquid Assets:
The Value of Fluids to Your Health
Presented by: Barbara Ames
Montgomery County Agent
Family and Consumer Sciences
K-State Research and Extension
What Is:
• The most abundant compound in
your body?
• Used by every system in your
body?
• The most important (but most
forgotten) nutrient?
W
A
T
E
R
Your body is mostly water.
• Water is 55% - 75% of adult body
weight.
• Adults contain 10 to 12 gallons of water.
• The leaner the person the higher the %.
– Muscle is about 70% water.
– Body fat is about 25% water.
– Bones are about 22% water
Water…Protecting Your
Assets
• Transportation.
• Lubrication.
• Digestion.
• Temperature control.
• Cellular work.
• Waste removal.
Protecting your Assets:
Water and your brain.
• Brain tissue consists of 85% water.
• Dehydration can cause fatigue, dizziness,
headaches, confusion and disorientation.
• Dehydration may play a role in depression
and migraines.
Protecting your Assets:
Water and your muscles.
• Muscles are around 70% water.
• A small fluid loss will affect function.
• Dehydration can cause muscle weakness,
cramping and loss or coordination.
Protecting your Assets:
Water and your kidneys.
• Waste products like Urea and Lactic Acid
must be dissolved in water for effective
removal.
• Dehydration can cause your kidneys to
work harder at removing wastes and
cause kidney damage.
Protecting your Assets:
Water and Breathing.
• We lose ½ to 1 liter of water every day
just by breathing.
• Water promotes oxygen intake and
facilitates carbon dioxide output.
• Dehydration can cause difficulty breathing.
Protecting your Assets:
Water and your back.
• Water stored in the spinal column
supports 75% of your body weight.
• Joints in the spinal column are dependent
on the hydraulic properties of water stored
in the discs.
• Dehydration can cause back pain.
Protecting your Assets:
Water and your joints.
• Water helps lubricate joints.
• Proper hydration decreases damage
caused by friction.
• Dehydrated joints will deteriorate faster
over time than well hydrated joints.
Protecting your Assets:
Water and weight loss.
• Water contains no calories and helps
reduce appetite.
• Water assists the body in metabolizing
fats.
• When you feel hungry, your body is often
only dehydrated.
Water…
Reducing your Liabilities
• Water is expelled:
– By your skin as perspiration.
– By your lungs as water vapor
exhaled.
– By your kidneys as urine.
– By your intestine in feces.
• Drinking plenty of fluids reduces your
risk of dehydration.
Reducing your Liabilities:
Dehydration
• Dehydration happens when water output
exceeds water input.
• Fluid loss equivalent to 1- 4% of body
weight can result in fatigue, weakness,
headache and other difficulties.
• Fluid loss of 5 -10% can result in heat
exhaustion and heat stroke.
Reducing your Liabilities:
But I’m Not Thirsty!
• Thirst occurs when a person has already
lost 0.8% to 2% of their body weight.
• Your body can loose 6 to 8 pounds of
body fluid per hour of strenuous physical
activity.
• Measuring body weight is a better
indicator of fluid loss than thirst.
Reducing your Liabilities:
But I’m Not Thirsty!
• Children should be monitored carefully.
– Bodies generate more heat relative to size.
– Have more skin surface relative to body size.
– Don’t instinctively drink enough to replace
what their body loses.
• Breaks should be taken every 15 minutes
during activity to drink at least ½ cup of
fluid.
Reducing your Liabilities:
But I’m Not Thirsty!
• Older adults are especially at risk:
-Ability to sense thirst declines with age.
-May forget to drink enough liquid.
-Percent of body water decreases with age
so there is a smaller margin of safety.
• Lack of fluids is one of the most frequent
reasons people over age 65 go to the hospital.
Reducing your Liabilities:
Drink how much?
• At least 6 cups of fluids daily for adults.
• About 34 ounces of fluids for every 1,000
calories expended.
• A pint of fluid for every pound of body
weight lost.
• More if urine is dark and scanty.
• More in cases of fever, diarrhea, vomiting,
serious burns, etc.
Reducing your Liabilities:
Is water my only choice?
• Cool water remains the best drink for
keeping humans hydrated.
• Other sources include milk, 100% fruit
juice, melons, tomatoes, soups and
broths, etc.
– Add calories to your diet.
– Also add important nutrients.
Reducing your Liabilities:
Is water my only choice?
• Watch out for sugary drinks!
– Contain excess calories.
– Pull body fluids into stomach and intestine.
• Watch out for drinks with caffeine .
– Have a diuretic effect.
Reducing your Liabilities:
Is water my only choice?
• Sports Drinks…yes or no?
– Not generally needed for activities less than
one hour.
– Can be beneficial to supply fluid and
carbohydrate for activities over one hour or in
extreme temperature and/or humidity.
– Can be beneficial to replace fluid and
electrolytes in activities over three hours.
Reducing your Liabilities:
What about Bottled Water?
• A good choice for some:
– Convenient.
– May have better taste and smell.
– Chlorine not added.
– May have added minerals.
– Regulated by FDA.
Reducing your Liabilities:
What about Bottled Water?
• Be aware of this:
– Expensive.
– May not contain fluoride.
– Long term storage may result in
off-odor and taste.
– Manufacture dates not required.
Healthy Rate of Return
• Consistent deposits
of liquid assets can
contribute to large
dividends of good
health.
Liquid Assets:
The Value of Fluids to Your Health
What Questions
Do You Have?
Presented by: Barbara Ames
Montgomery County Agent, FCS
K-State Research and Extension