Staying hydrated is important no matter what time of year but especially so during summer. As we spend more time in the water, we also tend to forget to drink enough of it. Here’s why hydration is so important to the health of your spine and your body.
Hydration and Your Body
Did you know your body is made up of 60-65% water? Many of your body’s functions depend on proper hydration to operate and certainly to function optimally. Every cell in your body needs water and it does many other things including:
Regulates temperature
Carries oxygen and nutrients to cells
Flushes out waste products in the liver and kidney
Makes nutrients and minerals accessible to the body by helping dissolve them
Moistens tissues (think your nose, mouth, and eyes)
Provides lubrication to the joints
Helps prevent constipation and increases the ease of bowel movements
Protects body tissues and organs
Assists in the metabolism process
This list isn’t complete but helps show you just how important water is to your health.
Hydration and Your Spine
The health and function of your spine also requires proper hydration. The discs in your spine are made up mostly of water, but they don’t have the ability to absorb water like the rest of your body does. These discs receive nutrition (including water) through imbibition. Imbibition is a process that results only when there is proper motion between the joints above and below each specific disc. This motion creates a pump-like effect and nutrients are moved in and out of the disc, which means proper hydration is required for nutrient delivery.
How Much Water Do You Need?
Most people follow the old rule that you should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day, but keep in mind that each body is different. A good rule of thumb to stick to is to drink half your body weight in ounces. So, if you weight 180 pounds, you should drink 90 ounces of water per day. Keep in mind that alcohol and coffee can dehydrate the body, so keep that in mind when determining your daily water intake.
Chiropractic Care at Healthy Life Chiropractic
Misalignments or restrictions in the spine impact the imbibition process and the supply of nutrients that the discs receive. If the discs are lacking water, it can lead to disc degeneration, instability, and spinal decay. This decline in spinal health can also affect the central nervous system, which communicates with every system, organ, structure, and cell in your body. So, a lack of proper hydration impairs the health of the disk, the spine, and even the overall health of your entire body. With regular chiropractic adjustments, subluxations are removed, and proper alignment is restored, therefore improving the imbibition process. With regular adjustments, you can help your body absorb water and stay healthy.
As summer gets started, it’s important to remember to stay hydrated and remember that heat pulls water from your body. Stay hydrated and keep up with your regular chiropractic adjustments at Healthy Life Chiropractic in Newnan, GA for a happy and healthy summer! Click here to schedule an adjustment today.