Technology

Water  is  the  most  important  entity  of  nature. It can  be  considered  that  its  one  of  natures  greatest  gifts  to  mankind. Water  makes  up  about  75  percent  of  the  surface  of  the  earth. It also  makes  up  more  than  two  thirds  of  the  weight  of  the  human  body, and  without  it, we would  not  be  able  to  survive  beyond  a  few  days. The  human  brain  is  made  up  of  95  water, blood  is  82  and lungs  90. This  water  content  of  the  body  is  maintained  by  constant  replenishing  of  the  water  that  is  lost  by  way  of  sweat  or  from  the  lungs. Even  a  2  drop  in  the  total  content  of  the  water  in  our  body  can  trigger  dehydration.

This  type  of  dehydration  may   be  considered  of  a  mild  type. Mild  dehydration  is  also  one  of  the  most common  causes  of  daytime  fatigue. An  estimated  seventy  five  percent  of  Americans  have  mild, chronic  dehydration. This  can  be  considered  a  pretty  scary  statistic  for  a  developed country  where  water  is  readily  available  through  the  tap  or  bottle. In  under  developed  countries  where  clean  drinking  water  is  not  so  readily  available, dehydration  is  a  common  medical  problem  faced  by  almost  every  individual.

Water  is  important  to  the  mechanics  and  proper  functioning  of  the  human  body. The  body  cannot  function  correctly  without  it. In  fact, all  the  bodily  functions  at  cellular  level    and  organ  level   made  up  in  our  entire  anatomy  and  physiology  depend  on  water  for their  functioning. Water  serves  as  a  lubricant It  forms  the  base  for  saliva, the  fluids  that surround  the  joints. Water  also  regulates  the  body  temperature, as  the  cooling  and  heating is  distributed  through  perspiration. This  helps  to  keep  the  normal  body  temperature  at  a  constant  level. Water  helps  to  alleviate  constipation  by  moving  food  through  the  intestinal tract  and  thereby  eliminating  waste. And  hence  acts  as  a  very  good  detoxifying  agent. It  helps  to  regulate  a  healthy  metabolism  and  plays  a  vital  role  in  nearly  every  bodily process. Water  is  essential  for  proper  digestion  and  circulation, numerous  chemical reactions, nutrient  absorption, waste  elimination  and  flexibility  of  the  blood  vessels. It regulates  body  temperature  and  benefits  the  skin  by  acting  as  an  internal  moisturizer, keeping  the  skin  moist, supple  and  clear, as  well  as  preventing  premature  aging  due  to toxic  buildup. Water  is  extremely  important  as  far  as  the  liver  and  the  basic  well  being  of  a  person  goes. You  can  live  40  days  without  food  but  only  about  3  days  without  water

In  addition  to  all  these  key  roles  water  plays  a  vital  role  in  the  daily  maintenance  of  our  bodies, water  also  plays  a  key  role  in  the  prevention  of  disease. Drinking  eight  glasses  of  water daily  can  decrease  the  risk  of   colon  cancer  by  45, bladder  cancer  by  50  and  it  can potentially  even  reduce  the  risk  of  breast  cancer.              

One  can  give  many  such  examples. Water  can  also aid  in  the  prevention  and  cure  of  many  other  types  of  diseases, ailments and  disorders  that  affect  the  many  systems  of  our  bodies. Most  diseases  like  cough, fever  etc.. need  water  to  be  controlled  and  for restoration  to  normal  health. The  most  important  advantage  about  water  is  that  its  abundantly  available, affordable  as  its  cheap  and  freely  available  to  everybody.

 Water can be without the company of humans but  we as humans can only be without water for a few days.

Though  water  is  recommended  and  naturally  your  bodys  favorite  liquid, Gatorade  is  also enjoyed  by  many  people. Due  to  its  flavored  taste  it  has  become  a  favorite  habit  among  people  to  drink  energy  drinks  like  Gatorade  or  Powerade  when  they  are  feeling  tired  and  dehydrated. People  who  are  physically  more  active  might  prefer  these  energy  drinks  more  than  water  to  stay  better  hydrated. Gatorade  provides  about  half  the  calories  of  an identical  serving  size  of  fruit  juice  or  soft  drink. By  U.S.  FDA  standards, an  eight  ounce serving  of  Gatorade  is  a  low-sodium  food. Gatorade  has  110  mg  of  sodium, the  same  as an  eight-ounce  glass  of  milk  or  one  slice  of  bread. These  types  of  energy  drinks  are  good  to  an  extent  if  you  are  exercising  for  more  than  an  hour  daily  but  for general  types  of  exercises  lasting  less  than  one  hour, water  is  still  the  best  sports  drink  around. The  nutrient  you  most  need  to  replace  during  and  after  these  types  of  workouts  is  water.

It  is  important  and  interesting  to  note  that  the  people  who  dont  need  the  products  like  energy  drinks  may  actually  be  causing  more  harm  to  their  body  than  good  by  consuming  these, particularly  those  with  heart  disease, high  blood  pressure, or  other respiratory  problems. These  should  be  consumed  with  great  caution  among  the  elderly.                                                                        

The  energy  drinks  we  are  aware  of, contain  a  high  amount  of  carbohydrates  or  in  other  words  sugars. These  sugars  if  not  required  by  the  body, which  is  true  in  most  cases, becomes  harmful. The  sodium  that  is  contained  in these  drinks  may  actually  cause  the  person  to  consume  more  than  the  recommended  dose  of  sodium  per  day, which again  is  not  desirable. One  more  disadvantage  that  one  may  tend  to  ignore  about  the  energy  drinks  is  the  fact  that  these  drinks  cause  the  sugar  level  in  the  mouth  to  go  up  and  facilitate  growth  of   bacteria  known  to  cause  tooth  decay. Water  on  the  other  hand  has  a  cleansing  effect  on  the  oral  cavity  and  hence  actually  may  prevent  tooth  decay. This  is  a small  but  very  important  advantage  of  water  over  any  health  drink  we  may  consume.

We  cannot  deny  the  fact  that  these  health  drinks  or  energy  drinks  are  beneficial,  but  anything  that  one  tends  to  put  into  the  body  is  useful  only  if  the  body  needs  it  or  else  its  useless  or  may  even  be  harmful. For  people  who  exercise  regularly  for  an  hour  or  more, these  energy  drinks  may  be  beneficial  during  the  exercise  regime, but  otherwise  plain  water  is  best  for  everyone, as  now  we  know  this  is  one  nutrient  we  cannot  afford  having  a  deficiency  for  in  our  bodies. Rather  than  believing  the  various  marketing  gimmicks  we  should  ourselves  judge  if  we  really  need  these  energy  drinks  or  are  we  just  following  a  fad.

WaterGatoradePowerAdeAdvantages-easily  available
-no  calories
-cleansing  effect  on  oral  cavity
-required  by  the  body  under  all  conditions.
-maintains  normal  body  functions.-provides  instant  energy  during  heavy  exercise.-provides  instant  energy  during  heavy  exercise.disadvantages-purity  should  be  checked.
- no  proven  disorder  caused  by  excessive  consumption.-may  not be easily  available.
-high in calories.
-required  by  the  body  only  in  cases  of  heavy  exercises.
-excessive  consumption.   may  cause  tooth  decay and  other  health  related  problems.-may  not  be  easily  available.
-required  by  the  body  only  in  cases  of  heavy  exercises.
-excessive  consumption  may  cause  tooth  decay  due  to  high  sugar  content.Nutrient value-provides  the  daily  requirement  of  fluids.-450mglit sodium (approx.)
-high carbohydrate content.-225mglit sodium (approx.)
- approx. 78 calories per 8fl oz.Cost-Almost  negligible as  compared  to  energy  drinks, mostly  freely  available.

0.03 per gallon.- approx. 4  for  a  24 oz bottle.- comparable  to  Gatorade.

Daily recommendations
And safety levels-daily 100 ounces of  water  required  by  the  body  for  normal  functioning.
- can  be  freely  given  to  all  including  children  and  elderly.-No  daily  recommendations  known.
-must  be  given  with  caution  to  children  and  elderly.-No  daily  recommendations  known.
-must  be  given  with  caution  to  children  and  elderly.