This essay will focus on dehydration, and water in the body how it is function. The reason water essential to health maintenance and what water can do to the body if not enough is obtained. This essay will mention how the body level based on hydration has on alcohol and caffeine. Sodium, potassium, and chloride compare and contrast how these different electrolytes function in the body. I will also explain the steps to take to ensure people not become dehydrated. Dehydration means excessive loss of water resulting in depletion of body fluids (Grosvenor & Smolin (2006). Dehydration is that you lose more fluid than you take in which occurs because there is not enough water and other fluids in the body to function normal. Dehydration can be prevented by drinking about eight- nine glasses of water a day. Water is essential to health maintenance is that over half of your body weight is water. Every cell in our body carries out the presence of the universal solvent. A person sweat during exercise water with waste is flushed out of your body. Water is needed to prevent dehydration this helps to maintain proper metabolism in our body. All the body tissues varying proportions of water is found in 60% of body weight in adults is water, in a child the water percentage is the highest. The functions of water in the body are for digesting food. Water also helps to cushion our joints and prevents shocks in them. A person will know when he or she have enough water when he or she urine will be lightly yellow. During exercise dehydration occurs because of water loss through sweat is increased. Water functions in the human body plays a critical role by regulating and maintains our body temperature. Water in the body provides many functions that cleanses and lubricate, both internal and external body surface of the cells of a human body. Functions of water in the body also improve digestion and eliminate waste and toxins from the body. When the body does not get enough water you, get dehydrated that causes the mouth to be dry. The brain is signal that the mouth is dry the mouth become dry because less water is available to make saliva. The mouth becomes dry the brain is signal that then motivate you to drink. Dehydration symptoms are from mild to severe these symptoms can be from thirst, headache, dry mouth and, even dark colored urine. Severe symptoms can lead to confusion, nausea, and confusion, lethargic or, comatose with severe dehydration (Medline Plus, 2009). Sodium, potassium, and chloride are key electrolytes in your body (Grosvenor & Smolin (2006). Electrolytes regulate fluid balance, which is important for maintaining acid-bases balance throughout the body. An electrolyte is for nerve conduction and muscles contraction. Both sodium and potassium are electrically charged atom. Concentrated outside cells are sodium and concentrated inside a cell is potassium which are 30 times more concentrated than outside the cell. Chloride that is used for maintain fluid balance is a negative ion in the body. To regulate the amount of water in the body is sodium. Sodium result in the electric signal required for communication among different cells. Sodium high increase can raise blood pressure depending on the individual. People with diabetes or even high blood pressure are found in African American, who is very sensitive to blood pressure raising effect of dietary salt. Potassium blood levels can increase and regulates heartbeat that potentially cause death and muscle functions. Potassium can be deadly getting too much potassium from food from healthy people with normal kidney function. Caffeine and alcohol do supply water to the body, but caffeine and alcohol are considered diuretics. Diuretic means anything that promotes the formation of urine by the kidney (MedicineNet, 2011) Diuretic increase urine output Caffeine has little or no effect on hydration of the body. People can drink about three cups of coffee and, it is considered completely moderate intake. Dehydration caused by caffeine can decreases memory enzymes that can affect brain functioning it stimulates the central nervous system. Alcohol has a dehydrating effect on the body; it slows the rate of rehydration while increasing total urination and, can then lead to a net loss in hydration. Alcohol takes away fluid from tissues and contains toxins. Potassium level is drain by alcohol, which then causes the body to turn off its own process of dehydration. Dehydration by alcohol drinking more alcohol can lead to rehydrate. It is said that drinking water before consuming alcohol to avoid dehydration. There are several steps to take to prevent dehydration; if dehydration is because of the weather this can be prevented. To prevent dehydration adequate fluids should be available. To ensure a person does not become dehydrated is to reduce salt intake. Not adding salt to food preparation and using other seasoning and help to cut back of salt intake. In conclusion to this essay dehydration is when the human body do not consume enough water. Not drinking enough water can lead to mild or severe problem. People can live without food, but it is not possible to go not even a week without water. Drinking plenty water not only help with dehydration but also give you health skin. Drinking water it moisturizes the skin to prevent and help dryness. To prevent kidney failure or liver flush toxins with water. Drinking eight to nine glasses can moreover assist to ease constipation when he or she body consume little water, the internal source do not get what it needs. Result will then be cause by constipation, when he or she consume the eight- nine glasses of water bowl movement will then be regular. To help rid body waste, especially during weight loss water is needed. So take the needed steps to prevent dehydration by drinking the recommended amount of water for the day. Or even living in sometime humid environment consuming water and help to not have dehydration that people end up having to be rushed to the emergency room for dehydration.