Drinking is the act of consuming water (or a beverage A drink, or beverage, is a liquid which is specifically prepared for human consumption. In addition to filling a basic human need, beverages form part of the culture of human society that contains water) through the mouth. Water is required for many of life’s physiological processes. Both excessive and inadequate water intake are associated with health problems.

Physiology

A daily intake of 3-6 liters of water is required for the normal physiological functioning of the human Humans are bipedal primates belonging to the species Homo sapiens in Hominidae, the great ape family. They are the only surviving member of the genus Homo. Humans have a highly developed brain, capable of abstract reasoning, language, introspection, and problem solving. This mental capability, combined with an erect body carriage that frees the body,^{[citation needed]} depending on ambient weather conditions and diet (especially salt and sugar intake).^{[citation needed]} The absolute minimum over the long term is about 1.6 liters (600 ml for urine, 200 ml for fecal losses, and 800 ml for losses via the skin and lungs).^{[citation needed]} This includes water contained in food (i.e., it is not essential to actually drink 1-2 liters of water a day for survival, though it is often recommended for good health).^{[citation needed]}

The sensation caused by dehydration of the body is called thirst Thirst is the craving for fluids, resulting in the basic instinct of animals to drink. It is an essential mechanism involved in fluid balance. It arises from a lack of fluids and/or an increase in the concentration of certain osmolites such as salt. If the water volume of the body falls below a certain threshold, or the osmolite concentration. The sensation of thirst is a dry feeling in the back of the throat and an intense desire to drink fluids. Thirst is regulated by the hypothalamus The hypothalamus is a portion of the brain that contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions. One of the most important functions of the hypothalamus is to link the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland in response to subtle changes in the body's electrolyte In chemistry, an electrolyte is any substance containing free ions that make the substance electrically conductive. The most typical electrolyte is an ionic solution, but molten electrolytes and solid electrolytes are also possible levels, and also as a result of changes in the volume of blood circulating.

Role in disease

Polydipsia Polydipsia is a medical symptom in which the patient displays excessive thirst. The word derives from the Greek πολυδιψία, which is derived from πολύς + δίψα (dipsa, "thirst"). An etymologically related term is dipsomaniac, meaning an alcoholic is the medical term for consumption of large quantities of water and may be a sign of various diseases (Diabetes Mellitus Diabetes mellitus —often referred to as diabetes—is a condition in which the body either does not produce enough, or does not properly respond to, insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas. Insulin enables cells to absorb glucose in order to turn it into energy. This causes glucose to accumulate in the blood, leading to various potential, Diabetes insipidus Diabetes insipidus is a condition characterized by excessive thirst and excretion of large amounts of severely diluted urine, with reduction of fluid intake having no effect on the latter. There are several different types of DI, each with a different cause. The most common type is neurogenic DI, caused by a deficiency of arginine vasopressin (AVP), and some psychiatric conditions).^{[citation needed]}

Much of the world's disease is caused by the lack of clean drinking water Drinking water or potable water is water of sufficiently high quality that it can be consumed or used without risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually consumed or used in food. Lack of water in diet will eventually cause death by hypernatremia Hypernatremia or hypernatraemia is an electrolyte disturbance that is defined by an elevated sodium level in the blood. Hypernatremia is generally not caused by an excess of sodium, but rather by a relative deficit of free water in the body. For this reason, hypernatremia is often synonymous with the less precise term, dehydration and dehydration Dehydration is defined as excessive loss of body water. It is literally the removal of water (Ancient Greek: ὕδωρ, hýdōr) from an object. In physiological terms, it entails a relative deficiency of water molecules in relation to other dissolved solutes. There are three main types of dehydration; hypotonic (loss of strictly water),, particularly when sweating Perspiration is the production of a fluid, consisting primarily of water as well as various dissolved solids (chiefly chlorides), that is excreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals. Sweat contains the chemicals or odorants 2-methylphenol (o-cresol) and 4-methylphenol (p-cresol), as well as a small amount of urea consumes much of the body water. Unclean and unsanitary water can contain many bacteria The bacteria ( [bækˈtɪərɪə] ; singular: bacterium)[α] are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals. Bacteria are ubiquitous in every habitat on Earth, growing in soil, acidic hot springs, radioactive waste, water, and and parasites that would otherwise be absent in clean water. Studies show that in some developing countries more than half of the population does not have access to safe drinking water.

It is also possible to overhydrate Water intoxication is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain functions that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits by over-consumption of water. Normal, healthy (both physically and nutritionally) individuals have little reason to worry about accidentally consuming too much water. Nearly all, which sometimes happens with athletes who consume too much water, thereby diluting the concentration of salts in the body. Also the consumption of alcohol In chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl group (-O can lead to excessive consumption of water due to the fact that alcohol dehydrates the body. Overconsumption of water can be a sign of disease A disease or medical condition is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions, associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune diseases and/or mental health problems(e.g. damage to the hypothalamus), as stated above.

Alcoholic beverages

“Drinking” is often used as a synonym Synonyms are different words with identical or very similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn (σύν) ("with") and onoma (ὄνομα) ("name"). The words car and automobile are synonyms. Similarly, if we talk for the consumption of alcoholic beverages An alcoholic beverage is a drink that contains ethanol . Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. Additionally, “having a thirst” or “being thirsty” can metonymically Metonymy is a figure of speech used in rhetoric in which a thing or concept is not called by its own name, but by the name of something intimately associated with that thing or concept. For instance, "London," as the capital of the United Kingdom, could be used as a metonym for its government. (See below for more examples.) express a desire to drink alcohol An alcoholic beverage is a drink that contains ethanol . Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Drink A drink, or beverage, is a liquid which is specifically prepared for human consumption. In addition to filling a basic human need, beverages form part of the culture of human society
• Drinkware
• Swallowing Swallowing, known scientifically as deglutition, is the process in the human or animal body that makes something pass from the mouth, to the pharynx, into the esophagus, with the shutting of the epiglottis. If this fails and the object goes through the trachea, then choking or pulmonary aspiration can occur. In the human body it is controlled by

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