If there is one thing you're likely to hear from any massage therapist, it's "Be sure to drink plenty of water!" A recent article in Massage Magazine by Brandi Schlossberg really explains why proper water consumption may be the easiest way to improve your health.

"The body adjusts to changes in food intake, but it cannot adjust to not having enough water," said Robert Greenberg, a scientific consultant for Blue Planet Water who has a doctorate in biochemistry from George Mason University. 'Water is the most important and most often neglected nutrient.' According to Greenberg, even a relatively small drop in the body's water content can lead to a large drop in energy. For in­stance, he said a loss of 4 to 5 percent of water content may result in a 20- to 30-percent drop in physical performance.

'The body's energy production takes place in a fluid environment,' Greenberg said. 'The blood, muscles and organs all need proper water balance to work effectively.'

...[C]onsider these facts from the Duke University Department of Chemistry:
Water, on average, composes 83 percent of blood, 79.2 percent of heart tissue, 75,6 percent of muscle tissue, 74.8 percent of brain tissue, 72 percent of skin tissue and 22 percent of bone.

Besides serving as a large part of our physical makeup, water plays an active role in most bodily functions. From transporting nutrients to ridding the body of waste, water is truly a super life liquid...
"Muscle health... is highly dependent upon water. Liquid is vital to the flow of blood, which serves as a delivery system for oxygen and nutrients to the muscles. According to researchers at Duke University, when water within the body is reduced by 5 percent, muscle strength and endurance decline significantly, resulting in a hot and tired body.

'When water balance [the balance between the amount of water consumed and the amount of water excreted] is disrupted, water is drawn away from the working muscles, where it is needed the most,' Greenberg said. 'Blood volume is decreased, so the heart pumps less with each beat and must work harder to supply the same amount of energy.'...

Water is also the primary component of another transporter—urine. Instead of carrying oxygen and nutrients to cells. urine takes waste products away, transporting toxins out of the body. Without proper water consumption, urine production decreases, thereby decreasing the removal of toxins from the body....

Experts at Duke University describe water as the 'fundamental solvent for all biochemical processes in our bodies.' In other words, water is the primary liquid the body uses to dissolve, or break down, the substances necessary to healthy functioning....

The body also uses water as a thermostat, regulating body heat via sweat. When a person gets too hot... water within the body turns to sweat and evaporates, thereby lowering body temperature and restoring balance.
Fluid is used as a lubricant in joints, helping prevent stiffness and ensuring smooth movement. In the eyes and spine, ... water helps absorb the shock of life's bumps and knocks.

Chemical reactions that involve water are part of processes that range from digesting food and accessing energy to maintaining a healthy pH level—and nearly every bodily function in between.

Experts at Mayo Clinic recommend drinking, on average, about eight cups of water per day. However, the amount of water you consume may need to be altered according to activity level, climate, health considerations and other such factors...

Symptoms of dehydration include thirst, fatigue, headache, dry mouth, decreased urination, muscle weakness and dizziness.

Understanding water's star role in the body makes it easier to keep healthy sipping on your everyday agenda."