Water is important. Of course it is. Everyone knows that. But do you know just how important it is? Or exactly what it does for your body other than helping you cool off on a hot day? Read this article from naturopathic doctor in Toronto & thyroid specialist Dr. Pat Nardini to discover the benefits of water, why it's so important, and what it can do to help boost your thyroid health and overall well-being!

1. The Benefits Of Water & How To Prevent Dehydration
Written by: Dr. Pat Nardini, ND on August 21st
2014
Dehydration is a risk all year round! Discover how to stay hydrated with
Naturopathic doctor in Toronto, thyroid specialist, and health expert Dr. Pat Nardini!
Sadly, the summer is fading away and for many of us the time we
spend outside will soon give way to more indoor activities.
But whether you’re basking in the summer sun, carving up a ski hill, or even
remaining sedentary in front of a screen, it’s easy to become dehydrated.
Everyone knows water is good for you. This is not news to anyone. But why exactly
do we need it?
The Miracle of Water
There are a number of statistics on just how much water is in the human body, and
in truth it can vary. Water makes up between 45 and 75% of the human body,
averaging about 65%. And there’s a good reason for this.
Water is crucial to every cell in your body. Believe it or not, not a single component
of your body can function properly without water!

2. Your skin’s primary purpose is to act as a barrier between your body and the
outside world. Essentially, it keeps your squishy bits inside, and keeps the rest of
the world from contaminating them. And it can’t do that without water.
It also lubricates your joints, allowing you to stretch out and curl up without any
issues. It helps keep your body temperature regulated, and delivers oxygen to the
tissues in your body that need it.
It’s a big player in digestion as well. It helps get rid of waste and toxins through your
kidneys and bowels, prevents constipation, and helps dissolve minerals and other
nutrients to allow your body to work properly, especially your brain.
It plays a role in maintaining thyroid health and endocrine health as well. But
perhaps most importantly, it helps your immune system function by creating an
optimal environment for it. And without your immune system, you’re in trouble!
How Do I Know I’m Dehydrated?
As you can see, it’s obviously important to get enough water to maintain your
health. So the solution is just to drink water when you feel thirsty, right?
Not exactly. It’s easy to go through life not knowing that you’re suffering from low
level dehydration. In fact, research shows that by the time you feel thirsty, you may
already be dehydrated.
The average adult loses 1.5 L of water in the urine per day and an additional 1 L
through breathing, sweating, and bowel movements. Even a loss of 2-3% of the
body’s water can lead to malfunction in some of the body’s systems!
So it’s important to watch for signs of dehydration, which is more than just that little
tickle in the back of your throat, and can affect far more than your thyroid health.
Symptoms of dehydration include:
- Dark coloured urine
- Little or no urine output
- No tears
- Sunken eyes
- Dry mouth & skin
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Thirst (obviously)
- Constipation
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Fatigue

3. How To Get Enough Water
Opinions vary among experts, but the general consensus seems to be that the
average adult needs about two litres (eight cups for my American readers) per day.
Your environment and current body condition will make this number vary too. If
you’re exercising a lot or are pregnant, you’ll require more water. If you’re ill or have
a thyroid disorder, you may need to drink more fluids. And during the hottest days of
the summer and coldest of winter, you’ll need to increase your intake as well.
Not all of this needs to come directly from water, though. It can come from other
fluids as well, so long as they don’t contain any diuretics, like caffeine. Diuretics are
chemicals which make you urinate, which will make you lose water more quickly.
In fact, you can even get some of your water from healthy food choices! Cucumber,
melons, celery, and citrus fruits naturally contain a lot of water. Lemons and limes
are especially good for this, since their acidic nature helps your body absorb
minerals, helping to keep you hydrated.
One of the simplest ways to stay hydrated, though, is to increase your salt intake.
Sea salt, and better yet Himalayan salt, contains minerals which keep the water
inside your cells and blood vessels, where it’s needed.
Finally, during the hot summer months you can use cooling herbs to help reduce
excess sweating, keeping the water inside you.
Summary
Getting enough water is not just something to do in the summer. If you make sure
that your body is well hydrated all year, it will go a long way toward keeping your
body healthy. It will keep your immune system working at its best, which will help
fend off a wide range of diseases. Staying hydrated is one of the best forms of
preventative medicine there is!
Until next time, this is Dr. Pat Nardini, putting “Your Wellness First!”
Dr. Pat Nardini, ND is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor in Toronto, Canada. His practice
focuses on promotion of the overall health of his patients through a wide range of
naturopathic methods. He has been in private practice now for over 10 years and
specializes in thyroid conditions, primarily Wilson's Temperature Syndrome. Read and

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