Besides the various convictions made by many different people, one verity cannot be ignored that is ‘thirst’. The research suggests that we should drink water only when thirsty. That means water has to drink when you are longing for it and stop when you have quenched.
Water is one of the most essential needs to be alive. Our body consists 60% of water. And constantly, we lose it either via urine or sweat. It is recommended to drink at least 2 liters or 8 glass of water a day. But many people found it difficult to do.
Although there is little science behind this specific rule. What actually important is staying hydrated. Thirst is an essential mechanism involved in fluid balance in our body.
What makes us thirsty?
Thirst is the feeling of needing to drink something. It occurs whenever the body is dehydrated for any reason. Any condition that can result in a loss of body water can lead to thirst or excessive thirst.
It is an essential mechanism involved in fluid balance. It arises from a lack of fluids or an increase in the concentration of certain osmolytes, such as salt. If the water volume of the body falls below a certain threshold or the osmolyte concentration becomes too high, the brain signals thirst.
If we don’t drink water for a long time, our body recalls us drinking water via dry mouth or a strong urge to consume liquid. But now, Stanford scientists have solved a mystery of What makes us thirsty.
Neuroscientists started working on an experiment with mice and rats. They make a mouse really thirsty by restricting it to water. In such case, you can get the work done what you want by promising sips of water in exchange for the mouse. Moreover, if the mouse drinks enough water, it gets less thirsty. Hence, the lack of motivation was found in this situation to a single drop of water.
In a further study, scientists used a genetically modified TRAP2 technique. The technique allows scientists to tag neurons actively firing in response to specific stimuli. Next, they introduced further genetic modifications to the tagged neurons.
Scientists first used the technique in mice without water, then added an innovation of Deisseroth’s, optogenetics, or light-sensitive genes. This allowed them to turn tagged neurons off and on by using a fiber optic light.
They identified the tagged neurons regulates or drive thirst. Not only could the researchers make satiated mice drink, but they could also finely control how often those mice went to drink.
