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The Benefits of Water – Urinary Tract Infections & Urinary System Lithiases
Anastasios D. Kalantzis, Surgeon Urologist-Andrologist
Water is the most widely known chemical compound, it consists of two hydrogen (H) atoms and one oxygen (O) atom and its chemical type is H2O. It is necessary for all known life forms of our planet. Both human and animal body consists of 60 – 70% water (per weight), while its existence in cells can reach 90%.
The Greek word for water, "nero", derives from the byzantine phrase «nearon ydor", which meant "running water". The origins of this phrase date back to the ancient Greek "niron ydor". Until the 18th century, water was considered an element. The father of modern chemistry Lavoisier was the first to prove that water is the compound of hydrogen and oxygen. Since 1992, the 22nd of March has been established by the UN General Assembly as World Water Day.
The benefits of water are plenty. It helps in weight loss and the increase of metabolism rate, skin hydration so it can maintain its elasticity and good digestion. It also reduces muscular cramps and joint pains, is beneficiary for the heart and the brain, reduces the intensity and frequency of headaches and migraines, as well as prevents collapses caused by dehydration etc. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should also consume large quantities of water.
The consumption of water is beneficiary and helps in the good and normal function of the natural filters of our organism, the kidneys.
The kidneys, part of the upper urinary system, are responsible for maintaining the balance of fluids in the organism, by filtering approximately 200 lt of blood daily. They remove toxins and excess water from the blood, regulate the production of red blood cells and activate vitamin D.
One of the commonest conditions of the urinary system is "lithiasis". Depending on the location of the stone, lithiases can be identified as nephrolithiases (kidney stones), ureter lithiases, urinary bladder lithiases and urethral lithiases.
The best and healthiest way to prevent lithiases is the consumption of plenty of fluids and basically water. This means that, depending on climate conditions, a patient with lithiasis predisposition must consume more than 2.5 lt of water every day.
Among the commonest conditions of the urinary system is also the urinary tract infection, a condition that mainly concerns women, as they are in higher risk of developing a urinary tract infection than men, because of their anatomy. Research has shown that almost 50% of women report having suffered from urinary tract infection at least once in their lifetime.
Therefore we should not wait for the first annoying symptoms to appear. Consuming lots of fluids helps the bladder "clean up". We need to drink a large quantity of water every day, in order that the bladder can empty regularly. In this way the urine will not stay in the bladder for a long time. Because when this happens, urine becomes stagnant, thus increasing the risk of microbe multiplication and urinary tract infection occurrence.
According to a research conducted by UNESCO in 2003 concerning the global water reserves, it has been estimated that within the following 20 years the quantity of water per person is going to drop by 30%. Today, approximately 40% of the people who live on this earth do not have adequate water, even for their basic and rudimentary hygiene needs.
It has been predicted that clear water will eventually become the "oil of the future".
