Planning Series Medical Doctor Professor Lee Gyu-jae's 'Senior Water Care': The Era of Functional Water for Elderly Health Has Arrived (#2)

- Even as the body dries out, seniors remain in chronic dehydration due to 'thirst center paralysis' that prevents awareness

- From blood thickened like corn syrup to fake dementia 'delirium'... Warning of domino collapse throughout the entire body

- Must defend against silent life-threatening conditions by using mineral-rich functional water instead of plain water

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Jin-ho] "Water deficiency in old age is not simply a matter of thirst. It signifies a 'domino collapse of full-body functions' directly linked to life itself."

Medical Doctor Professor Lee Gyu-jae (Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine) identified 'chronic dehydration' as the weakest link in senior health, raising warnings throughout the interview.

Although statistics show that water consumption decreases with age, its impact on the body is beyond imagination. We investigated the medical reality of water deficiency that quietly threatens seniors.

■ Brain's Thirst Signal Paralysis: Falling Into the Trap of 'Chronic Dehydration' Without Realizing It

The reporter first asked Professor Lee about the fundamental reasons why the senior generation is so vulnerable to water deficiency. The professor clearly diagnosed that the medical reason seniors don't drink water is not a simple matter of willpower or habit, but rather 'sensory paralysis.'

"As we age, the function of the thirst center in the hypothalamus—which acts as a sensor for our body—rapidly declines. In other words, cells inside the body are screaming as they dry out, but the brain fails to recognize it, so people don't seek water. This is the terrifying essence of 'chronic dehydration' that threatens the senior generation."

According to Professor Lee's medical perspective, this water deficiency that progresses without one's awareness transforms into a 'silent assassin' that destroys the entire body. Its fatal impact causes simultaneous domino collapse in three major organs.

■ From Thickened Blood to Fake Dementia 'Delirium'... Three Fatal Organ Failures

⊙ Blood becoming thick as corn syrup—a direct hit to cardiovascular disease

When body fluid decreases, the absolute volume of blood drops, and viscosity increases sharply. Professor Lee stated, "When blood becomes thick and sticky, blood flow speed decreases and creates an environment conducive to blood clots," and warned, "In seniors with underlying conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, thickened blood can block blood vessels, leading directly to fatal cardiovascular accidents such as cerebral infarction (stroke) or myocardial infarction that can cause sudden death."

⊙ Acute cognitive impairment caused by brain water deficiency—'delirium'

Our brain is approximately 80% water and is extremely sensitive to changes in fluid. Even a mere 1-2% deficiency in body fluid significantly reduces cognitive ability and concentration. Professor Lee shared a frequent and unfortunate case he encounters.

"When dehydration becomes severe in seniors, memory rapidly deteriorates and symptoms of 'delirium'—a state of severe confusion—appear. Many caregivers mistake this for the onset of dementia and urgently take elderly parents to the hospital, but often the actual cause is simply water deficiency."

⊙ Paralysis of the body's 'water purification plant'—the kidneys—and vicious cycle of systemic inflammation

The kidneys are the body's water purification system that filters waste from the blood and excretes it as urine. However, when water is insufficient, it's as if there is no water to wash away waste inside the body, so uremic toxins accumulate entirely. According to Professor Lee, this ultimately leads to acute kidney failure, urinary tract infection, and even systemic inflammatory disease.

■ Solution of Preventive Medicine: Awakening Cells on Schedule, Even Without Thirst

In conclusion, for the senior generation, dehydration is the most dangerous factor that accelerates aging and threatens life. To overcome this, Professor Lee prescribed, "Even without feeling thirsty, a habit of consciously drinking water at set times is absolutely necessary."

Particularly important is the consistent intake of high-quality functional water containing essential minerals necessary for the human body, not plain water from ordinary water purifiers lacking minerals.

Mineral-rich functional water dissolves minerals that are absorbed quickly by the body and deliver hydration deep into cells, thus serving as the most excellent preventive medicine that goes beyond simply replenishing fluids to restoring diminished bodily vitality. This is his position.

So, where has the global trend in functional water research that saves the body progressed?

In the third installment next week, we will conduct intensive coverage of 'global functional water research trends in developed countries,' which are undergoing a paradigm shift from simply clean water to water that treats and prevents disease.