Aqua

By: dr. Fiastuti Witjaksono, MS, SpGK - PDGMI Jaya

THE FEROCITY OF CANCER

 Cancer is one of the most undeniably horrifying diseases to everyone. The disease might infect people of all ages, regardless of gender and social status. Cancer is also the second deadliest disease in the world after heart attack and cardiovascular. In Indonesia, a research on basic health in 2007 indicated the number of cancer patients was about four people per 1000 residents and deaths caused by cancer were the seventh biggest in the country.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), about 30 percent of cancer cases are caused by unhealthy lifestyle that includes excessive body weight, improper diet, lack of physical activities and smoking habit. Hospital Information System ( Sistem Informasi Rumah Sakit – SIRS) in 2007 suggested breast cancer was the disease mostly suffered by inpatients throughout Indonesia, followed by cervical cancer.

Cancer Prevention:
Until today, the definite cause of cancer is still a mystery. Thus, various types of preventions are required. Since an early age, everyone should practice a healthy and clean lifestyle by:

1. Making sure they acquire balanced nutrition by consuming various kinds of foods in a proper amount during each meal as well as maintaining a regular daily eating schedule.
2. Refraining from consuming hazardous non-food materials such as cigarettes, alcohol, preservatives, and food flavoring substances.
3. Performing physical activities on a regular basis for at least 30 minutes a day.
4. Avoiding physical, mental and social stresses.
5. Drinking enough water in order to toxic substances out of the body

THE ROLE OF WATER IN CANCER PREVENTION

 Two third of our body consist of water. A human being will be able to survive long enough without food, but cannot live without water even for a few days. Every function of cells in our body is affected by water. Generally, water in human body is useful to:

1. Release toxic materials
2. Deliver food and oxygen
3. Maintain body temperature
4. Grease the joints
5. Protect the organs and tissue
6. Control blood pleasure

Lack of water in our body (dehydration) is the main cause of many diseases. Below are the effects of dehydration:

1. The formation of active substances that may be dangerous for body cells (free radicals), which may lead to many diseases, including cancer.
2. Decreased ability of the DNA in repairing damaged cells.
3. Diminishing immunity that is resulted in the derivation of cell’s ability to specify, filter and destroy abnormal cells.
4. Hampering oxygen transportation, which works to kill cancer cells.

So, based on the explanation above, it is clear that sufficient amount of water is very important to keep the cells run optimally in order to prevent many types of diseases.

HOW DO WE KNOW THE STATUS OF OUR BODY HYDRATION?

There are many ways to determine the hydration status of our body. Certainly, each way has its own strengths and weaknesses. Here are the methods we can use to figure out our hydration status:

1. Measuring the total amount of body fluid with dilution
2. Measuring the volume of osmolality and plasma

Although those methods are very accurate and advanced in determining your hydration status, they are still considered difficult and pricey.

However, there is another easier way to check our body hydration status. It can also be done anytime and anywhere. All we have to do is compare the color of your urine with the list of colors in a PURI (Periksa Urin Sendiri) instrument. This particular method allows to immediately re-hydrate ourselves by drinking clean water if the test detects dehydration indication within our bodies.