Can We Drink Seawater To Eliminate Thirst
Can We Drink Seawater To Eliminate
Thirst
Many stories (especially in films) about people whose planes
or ships were wrecked, ended in vacillations in the middle of the ocean. In
conditions like this, when thirst hits, the only choice is sea water. What
happens if we drink sea water? Can thirst be overcome by drinking sea water?
Our body contains about 72% water. When the body's water
content decreases, the brain commands thirst to appear so that we drink
immediately to replace lost body fluids. When we drink, the flow of water that
passes through the esophagus makes thirst a moment "satisfied"
including when we drink sea water. However, a few moments later we will face
real danger.
Our bodies do need salt, but with certain levels. Seawater
contains a lot of salt, so if we drink it, our body will experience excess
salt. In order not to interfere with the stability of the body's metabolism,
the excess of this salt must be removed, namely through the process of
urination. In order to be properly distributed to the urinary tract, these
salts must be dissolved with sufficient water.
The body then sucks additional water from its own cells to
dissolve the salts. As a result, our bodies actually have to lose water to
dispose of the sea water we drink.
In other words, drinking sea water will make us urinate in
greater amounts than the amount of sea water that enters our body. Instead of
overcoming dehydration, sea water actually makes the body more dehydrated. As a
result, we are increasingly thirsty....