1001 Uses for Water

Bathing two times a day and shampooing a minimum of every two days is advised in or to maintain the health and vitality of the body. The consumption of 8 to glasses of water a day is also urged for optimal health. That is how dependent people are on water every day. An even wider view shows use that water is even used in religious rituals, such as water for cleansing the body for prayer, water for baptism, and holy water to keep away evil spirits, etc. Would you like to know more uses for water?

Not just for Keeping Clean

Since hundreds of years before the birth if Christ, the Romans had realized the benefit of bathing. The main purpose of bathing was to maintain the cleanliness and vitality of the body. Later bathing was also developed as a treatment for medicinal purposes. In is, therefore, not surprising that today people exploit a variety of types of baths, including milk baths, whirlpool baths, and baths in water scented with flower blossoms. Now, people refer to their daily cleansing with tap water for hygiene as baths, while bathing with other ingredients is referred to with the term “spa, which originates from the Greek term “sante par aqua”, which means “water for health”.

Based research done by experts at a thrombosis research center in London, England, if a person bathes in cold water, the blood will circulate more rapidly and refresh the body. Clod water baths are also known to increase the production of white blood cells in the body, which increases the body’s resistance to viruses. Besides that, it helps revitalize skin tissues. The same research institution also proved that bathing in cold water in the morning increased the production of the hormone testosterone in men and of estrogen in women. This increase in the production of hormones influences the quality of sperm and ovum, as well as increasing the sexual drive. In the case of women, the increase levels of estrogen minimized the risk of reproductive problems.

Water therapy

Water used to cleanse our bodies helps us to prevent various health problems, such as heart disease, rheumatism, respiratory infections, skin problems, and digestive tract disorders. Due to this beneficial aspect of water, a number of alternative health treatments have been developed using water. One simple health treatment is to soak in water contain other elements, such as magnets, salt, sulfur and other minerals beneficial to the health.

Other water therapies involve showering, which has a beneficial effect on the skin. The spraying of water on the body results in muscle relaxation, which has an overall beneficial impact for the body much like that of massage. Alternative medicine practioners even say that walking near waterfalls or fountains has a beneficial impact on the body due to the reaction of negative ions created by the water. This reaction can reduce pain, neutralize toxins, and increase the absorption of oxygen.

At this time, a unique therapy is being developed combining water and sound therapy; it is known as Liquid Sound. This therapy is being done in Bad Sulza, Rhuringen, Germany. Patients are asked to recline in water with a high salt content of 3%, similar to that of ocean water, with their arms crossed behind their bodies. At the same time, they listen to music pumped out by speakers at the base of the pool in which they are soaking. After undergoing this therapy, people feel more calm, comfortable and refreshed.

Accelerating the metabolism

Water not only prevents or reduces the risk of health problems, it can also facilitate and accelerate the body’s metabolism. According to nutritionist Dr. Elvina Karyadi, the body of a man weighing 70 kgs carries 45 liters of water. (Women have a lower water content in their bodies because the composition of fat in a woman’s body is higher.) Of the total of 45 liters of water, 30 liters is in the cells of the body (intracellular), while 15 liters is outside the cells (extra cellular). The extra cellular water includes brain fluids, eye and nose fluid, and the fluids in the digestive tract.

The body also actually has a mechanism for retaining the balance of water. The feeling of thirst is a normal mechanism to remind us when the body requires additional liquid. The body requires 2-2.5 liters (8-10 glasses) of water per day. This volume of water includes the ingestion of water from foods (the broth of soup for example), and from drinks, such as milk, tea, coffee, and syrups, etc. Besides that, water is absorbed from the foods digested and metabolized through the bodily tissues.

The release of fluids from the body occurs through several mechanisms for expulsion, such as urination, defecation, sweating and exhaling breath. The amount of water released from the body in the form of urine is around 1 liter daily, in the form feces about 50-60 militers, and through sweat about 1 liter (depending on the temperature).

Dehydration

Water is so important to the body that it is vital to rehydrate in a timely manner. If the body lacks water (dehydration), a number of bodily disturbances can occur. Dr. James M. Rippe, a cardiologist from America advises that people drink more water than necessary to simply eliminate the feeling of thirst. This is due to the fact that even the slightest decrease in the required level of bodily fluids can result in reduced kidney function, which causes fatigue or lack of energy.

Every individual’s need for water varies, depending on a number of factors; activities undertaken, the temperature of the environment, and body weight. This does not mean, however, that light physical work done while sitting in an air conditioned space does not require the consumption of lots of water. Air conditioning cause dehydration of the skin, and for that reason it is very important to meet the body’s need for water.