Nutrition Basics - Water

Water contains no calories, but humans need it to live. It is in our tissues, blood, bones, teeth, hair, and skin. In fact we are nearly 60 percent water.

Water is critical to the body's chemical reactions. It dissolves minerals and other compounds, transports nutrients to each cell, removes impurities from the bloodstream and the body, and forms an integral part of the cells themselves. Because water cannot be easily compressed, it can cushion joints, organs, and sensitive tissues such as the spinal cord. Water maintains pressure on the eyes' optic nerves for proper vision, stabilized blood pressure, and helps regulate bodily temperature. Excess heat, from exertion or climate, transforms water into a vapor through sweating. This energy exchange cools the body by carrying heat out and away from the body. The human body generally loses about a quart of water daily through the cleansing and cooling processes. Water must be replaced daily, by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water.

The Professional Chef, 7th Edition
by The Culinary Institute of America