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Approximately How Much Water Do You Need Each Day to Stay Healthy?

Decent Essays

Chapter 9
1) Approximately how much water do you need each day to stay healthy?
Water constitutes 50% to 70% of the human body. Its unique chemical properties enable it to dissolve substances as well as serve as medium for chemical reactions, temperature regulation and lubrication (found in the knees and other joints of the body); it also aids in regulating the acid base balance in the body. It helps remove waste from the body and is the basis for saliva, bile and amniotic fluid.

It is clear that obtaining the proper daily intake of water is extremely important. For adults daily water needs are estimated at 2.7 liters (11 cups) for adult women to 3.7 liters (15 cups) for adult men, total water is a combination of fluids and …show more content…

Too much or too little water and/or salt in our bodies is dangerous. Therefore the amount of water and salt excreted in urine and the amount of urine excreted is adjusted to meet the needs of the body.

3) Identify four factors that influence the bioavailability of minerals from food.
Food supplies us with many minerals, but the way in which our bodies are able to absorb them varies. The degree to which ingested nutrient is absorbed from food sources and is available to our body is called bioavailability. The bioavailability of minerals depends on many factors. The mineral content listed in food composition table for amount of a mineral in a food is just a starting point for estimating the actual contribution the food will make to our mineral needs. For example spinach contains much calcium but only 5% can be absorbed because of the vegetables high concentration of oxalic acid, a calcium binder. Usually 25% of calcium is absorbed by adults.

Minerals from animal products are absorbed better as binders such as fiber in plant foods are not present to hinder absorption. The mineral content of plants greatly depends on mineral concentrations of the soil in which they are grown. Refined plant food has a lower content of minerals.

Four factors that influence bioavailability of minerals from food are outlined below:
 Fiber -Mineral Interactions: Components of fiber, particularly phytic acid in grain fiber can limit absorption of some

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