PREVIEW

This Is How Our Brains Know the Amount of Water We Need When We’re Thirsty. When we're thirsty, we drink, right? A recent study says it might not be that simple. The study, published in the science journal 'Nature,' finds the brain and body work together in a complex way to gauge when we need to hydrate. Experts say the human body has several thirst-related checkpoints, which the brain utilizes to process how much water we need. As it can often take water more than 15 minutes to absorb into the bloodstream, these checkpoints are crucial to our health. Experts say one of the first checkpoints is when water hits your mouth, giving "...your brain a refreshing feeling.". The next checkpoint, experts say, is gulping. Researchers found the act of gulping water is like a meter for the brain, which promptly deciphers how much fluid is entering the body. The next step occurs in the intestine. The intestine is tasked with transferring water into the bloodstream, where cells in the hepatic portal area respond to hormones produced when water dilutes the salt found in the intestine. Researchers say our survival depends on "multiple layers of redundancy and multiple failsafe mechanisms." When considering our water dependency, experts say the complicated process is to be expected. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT