Water Nutriture: Essential but Misunderstood

In their search for life, space scientists are looking for traces of water on other planets in the solar system because of the well accepted knowledge that water is important for all living systems. Water makes up 60-75% of human body weight. A loss of just 4% of total body water can lead to severe dehydration, and a loss of 15% is fatal. What makes water so essential for survival? Though life on earth is described as a carbon-based phenomenon, it would not be amiss to also call it a water-based phenomenon, as water is the universal solvent that dissolves all biological molecules. Despite this deep understanding of both the chemistry and the biochemical importance of water in human physiology, questions still remain regarding what is the required consumption of water? What type of water is to be ingested? In the context of Nutrition, water is not only an essential nutrient but is also an important source of antinutrients and toxins. Another question that remains ambiguous is: How much water is essential? If it is a nutrient, does it have an RDA? Can one suffer and die from water intoxication? This review puts together in simple terms what one needs to know about water as an essential nutrient in our diet.