When thirsty, swallow saliva is less thirsty?

As everyone knows, swallowing saliva in thirst doesn't make you feel better. But why is that? Saliva contains up to 98% of water, but this is not working, according to Dr. Len Horovitz, an internal medicine doctor at Lenox Hill Hospital, New York.

"First of all, we have to know what saliva is , " Horovitz said. "It is a liquid with a very high concentration of proteins and enzymes. This concentration is much larger than water."

Swallowing saliva while thirsty doesn't make you feel better.

Regular drinking water contains very low concentrations of salt or solutes compared to all body fluids. And when it comes to permeability, water always flows toward higher concentrations. If you are drinking a water with low concentrations of other substances, water flows towards the body's cells and you absorb them.

Conversely, when drinking a higher concentration liquid, such as seawater with a high concentration of salt, water in the body flows towards the liquid. This makes your body even more dehydrated.

In fact, most fluids in the human body have concentrations similar to the saline you buy at a drug store. Therefore, if you want to rehydrate your body, you have to drink a lower concentration of water.

Saliva is not among these. It has higher concentrations of enzymes and proteins than salt water, Horovitz said. Even when you are thirsty, your saliva concentration is higher than normal. That's why when swallowing saliva, water in the body will flow towards them, not saliva will flow back to the cells. As a result, you will only be thirsty.

When thirsty, drink water, don't think swallowing will make the thirst quench.

Another interesting fact is related to osmosis and body water levels: watch for a person with severe dehydration. Medical staff will give him a saline solution, through a vein, especially in case he cannot drink water by mouth."When you want to rehydrate someone, you have to give them saltwater, because our bodies are made of" salt water , " Horovitz said.

The cause comes from the saline solution is balanced with other solutions in the body . If a person is given pure water through an intravenous route, water will rush into the cells, inside which are containing liquids with higher concentrations. Cells bulge and risk to burst.

Back to your thirst, saliva will definitely not work . It's best to look for a source of water, instead of thinking that swallowing saliva will temporarily make the thirst quench. However, on the other hand, saliva offers many benefits, such as lubricating the gastrointestinal tract. Saliva also contains enzymes that help break down carbohydrates, fats and proteins. In addition, it contains antibacterial substances, which help maintain oral health.