The presence of water has made life possible in our planet. Our earth is called a blue planet because most of the earth is covered with ocean and it reflects blue light. It was described by Voyager 1 space probe as ‘Pale Blue Dot’ when its picture was taken from a distance of about 6 billion kilometres on 14th Feb, 1990.
Under ideal health conditions an adult man’s body is composed of 50 to 65% water, while an adult woman’s body has 45 to 60% water. This is because woman’s body has more fat tissue as compared to men. Infants have a higher percentage of water in their body ~ 75-78% which later declines in the first year of life to 65%. Athletes are recommended to keep their body percent water around 5% more than normal adults.
Apart of the above points, body percentage of water also depends on hydration level. People feel thirsty when they have already lost ~2-3% of body water. Even a small percent loss of body water may lead to impaired mental functioning and larger losses could be fatal. Hence, drinking enough water is required to keep yourself hydrated.However, many people may find it difficult to drink good amount of plain water. In that case they can try adding a slice of lemon/orange to water to increase their consumption of water. Luckily, there are also certain fruits like which have high percentage of water in them and hence their consumption helps in keeping the body hydrated, like cucumber (95%) watermelon (92%), strawberries (91%), cantaloupe (90%), oranges (88%).
Consumption of fruits and vegetables with high water content is an easy way to stay hydrated. Athletes have higher water requirements and should consume water before, during, and after a workout session. We should contribute to save water as saving water aids to maintain a balance in the environment. Saving water will guarantee a sufficient water supply for future generations.
