MACRONUTRIENT (WATER)

 WATER

Water is a polar inorganic compound that is at room temperature a tasteless and odorless liquid, nearly colorless with a hint of blue.

WATER AS UNIVERSAL SOLVENT

The simplest hydrogen element, it is by far the most studied chemical compound and is described as universal solvent for its ability to dissolve many substances. This allows it to be the only common substance to exist as a “solid, liquid and gases” in nature.

HYDROGEN BONDING

Water molecules from hydrogen bonds with each other and are strongly polar. This polarity allows it to separate ions in salt and strongly bond to other polar substances such as having a solid from less dense than its liquid form, a relatively high boiling point of 100°C for its molar mass, and a high heat capacity.

Water is atmospheric, means it’s both an acid and a base. It produces H⁺ and OHˉ ions by self-ionization. This regulates the concentration H⁺ and OHˉ ions in water.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF WATER

Water is our body’s principal chemical component and makes up about 60% of our body’s weight. Every system in our body depends on water.

Example: Water flushes toxins out vital organs, carries nutrients to our cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues.

Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don’t have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can drain you energy and make you tired.

DAILY NEED OF WATER

Every day we lose water through our breath, precipitation, urine and bowel movements for our body to function properly, we must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.

The institute of medicine determined that an adequate intake for men is roughly about 13cups (3liter) of total beverages a day and for women is about 9cups (2.2liter) of total beverages a day.

WATER IN FOOD

Water is abundant in all living things and consequently in almost all foods unless steps have been taken to remove it. Most natural foods contain water up to 70% of their weight or grater unless they are de hydrate and fruits and vegetables contain water up to 90% or greater.

FOOD	WATER	FOOD	WATER
Almond	4.3	Ghee	0.2
Apple	84.7	Gur	5.9
Banana	73.5	Honey	14.8
Beef	62.9	Mango ripe	81.6
Bread	35.4	Milk	82.6
Butter	16.5	Orange	87.8
Carrots	82.5	Peanut	4.5
Chapatti	30.9	Pistachio	4.2
Chicken	68.7	Soybean oil	0.1
Chickpea	51.9	Spinach	92.7
Cucumber	95.1	Tomato	93.5
Curd	90.1	Walnut	3.3
Eggs boiled	74.3	Wheat flour whole	12.7
Fish	72.4	Potato	77.1

TYPES OF WATER IN FOOD

Water that can be extracted easily from foods by squeezing or cutting or pressing is known as free water, whereas water that cannot be extracted easily is termed as bound water.

Bound water is usually defined in terms of the ways it is measured. Bound water has more structural bonding than liquid or free water thus it is unable to act as a solvent. As the vapor pressure it is negligible the molecules in bound water are more closely packed than in the liquid state.

An example of bound water is the water present in cacti or pine tree needless the water cannot be squeezed or pressed out.

NATURE OF WATER IN FOOD

Water is abundant in all living things and consequently in almost all foods, unless steps have been taken to remove it. It is essential even though it contributes no calories to the diet. It gives crisp texture or turgor to fruits and vegetables and it also affects perception of tenderness of meat.

Almost all food processing techniques involves the use of water or modification of water in some form: freezing, drying, emulsification. Bacteria cannot grow without water. The water content has a significant effect of maintaining quality of the food.