ABSTRACT
For at least three reasons, an argument can be made that water is the most essential nutrient to humans. First, for an adult about 2 to 3 kg of water is needed daily to balance losses. This amount is substantially greater than requirements for all other essential nutrients. For example, the average daily need for water for an adult is about 40 to 50 times greater than protein needs and about 5000 times greater than need for vitamin C. Second, signs of water deficiency or dehydration would be apparent within the first day, while a complete lack of water influx may result in death in as few as 3 to 4 days. Therefore, a deficiency of water leads to the development of deficiency signs at a rate greater than other nutrients. And third, due to the fact that water is the medium of intracellular and extracellular fluids, dehydration or its opposite, overhydration, can not occur without affecting the metabolism of all other nutrients.
