Water is used to hydrate all of the cells in the body including the organs and tissues which helps to regulate its temperature and maintain other bodily functions at the optimum level. This article What are Tissues? – Types and Explanation describes the kind of tissues there are in the body and their importance in keeping the rest of the body operating properly.
Tissues are the building blocks of the body, everything from our bones to organs like one’s heart and brain. The four types of tissues are epithelial tissue, connective tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue. Tissues are made up of individual cells which share a similar structure (how they’re built) and function (what they do).
Connective tissue anchors all parts of the body together to make it function cohesively. Ligaments attach bones to each other and tendons attach muscles to bones. The connective tissue is made up of collagen and elastin which gives it elasticity and cartilage, with some other specific cells in the mix but what’s most important is the cushioning fluid.
Water is essentially a “food” for tissue health since it forms fluids in and around the joints to ease movement. The muscle tissue that surrounds the connective tissue of our joints requires enough fluids so that nutrients can be delivered. This enhances muscle performance and reduces the risk of muscle cramping due to dehydration.
Water is known to keep the blood, bones, and brain hydrated but also it protects the spinal cord and is a lubricant for joints and tissues. If you’re active, have an illness or you’re experiencing other health problems, this is when you need more water to lubricate the areas such as the tissues so that they can function. When your eyes, nose, and mouth gets dry, this is a sign that the tissues are dehydrated.
It’s the blood which delivers nutrients to the tissues in the body but when the blood is too thick, which could occur due to dehydration, its delivery system is impeded and the tissues don’t get the nutrients they need. The blood becomes too concentrated so drinking water will help the viscosity of your blood. Check out the article Here’s What Happens to Your Body When You’re Dehydrated which describes the effects of dehydration.
Water is also found in fruit and vegetable juices, teas, and milk or milk alternatives like almond and rice milk. But the sugar in fruit juices may add extra calories to your daily intake so it’s healthier to just drink water. Remain hydrated by carrying a bottle of water with you at all times since water assists in the biochemical breakdown of the proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates that we ingest. This, in turn, helps the tissues and joints to remain lubricated.
The importance of tissue fluid cannot be underestimated. Within the fluid of the tissues are platelets, white blood cells, plasma which is the liquid part of the blood that contains salts, glucose, amino acids, vitamins, urea, proteins, and fats. An exchange occurs between the cells and blood but also provides an environment for the cells to do their job at keeping the body functioning. Maintaining tissue fluid at an optimum level is necessary for internal homeostasis and balance. In this Mayo Clinic diagram, it illustrates how adequate hydration impacts bodily functions.
In the series, The Truth About Cancer, this short video segment Why Water is Critically Important for Your Health, Paul Barattiero discusses how water is a filtration system that removes toxins from the body. He claims that a good portion of the population is chronically dehydrated. “When you are not properly hydrated, our metabolic rate is reduced, our thought processes are reduced, and the toxins that are supposed to be removed are not happening so our bodies are taxed and burdened with having to do it in other ways. We end up with skin issues and we end up with a lot of different pathologies just as a result of chronic dehydration because we are not putting water in.”
Another type of tissue which needs to be hydrated is the fascia. This article Muscle Fascia: The Most Important Tissue in the Body describes in detail that fascia is one of the most important tissues in the body since it is a tissue structure that connects to the bone. It helps to keep other elements and structures of the body in place. When tissues, especially fascia, get damaged due to dehydration, it can lead to immobility and fascia takes time to heal.
In the TED video at the beginning of this article, biomedical engineer Dr. Gerald Pollack, a professor at the University of Washington, describes the importance of water in his presentation Water, Cells, and Life. Dr. Pollack researches biological motion and cell biology. “Just as water behaves like a light-driven battery, cells actually operate much the same way also as a light-driven battery,” explains Pollack.
Toxins can get lodged and stored in fat, blood, bone, connective tissues, lymph, and joints if we don’t flush them out on a regular basis. This is why it’s important to drink enough water and move on a daily basis. Since fluids are pumped through the connective tissues, lymph, and joints, moving helps the cleansing process. Having adequate water intake, a healthy diet, and exercise is the best strategy to achieve optimum health.
LINKS
The Health Benefits of Water
https://www.everydayhealth.com/water-health/water-body-health.aspx
Top Foods for Tissue Health
https://www.leanonmeals.ca/the-top-foods-for-tissue-health
Here’s What Happens to Your Body When You’re Dehydrated
https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-re-dehydrated
Mayo Clinic – Functions of Water in the Body
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/multimedia/functions-of-water-in-the-body/img-20005799
Top Foods for Tissue Health
https://www.leanonmeals.ca/the-top-foods-for-tissue-health
Why Water is Critically Important for Your Health
https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/why-is-water-important
Muscle Fascia: The Most Important Tissue in the Body
http://www.thepathmag.com/muscle-fascia-the-most-important-tissue-in-the-body
Curebiome
http://www.curebiome.com/how-and-where-your-body-stores-toxins
Water, Cells, and Life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9UC0chfXcg
