Hey there, welcome to Life Noggin! I'm trying out my new invention today, the
Qbot-9001. I'm using machine learning technology to generate
incredible thought provoking questions to answer. Let's test it now. Prepare to be amazed! let's see what we have here! "Why Can't People just drink a jar of their
own spit to stay hydrated?" Well, clearly I have some bugs to work out
with the Qbot, but, uh, this is a science channel, so I'm still gonna answer it. Your body is constantly producing saliva,
every single day, even when you’re asleep. On a daily basis that means you’re swallowing
roughly one to two liters of spit, and up to 99 percent of that is water. So if you wanted for some reason to gather
a jar or your spit or dare I say the spit of another to stay hydrated, would that work? Well,
First off, don't do that, Second,
let’s consider this logically. Each day the human body loses 2 to 3 litres
of water from breathing, sweating and going to the bathroom. If this vital fluid is not consistently replenished
then dehydration sets in. One of the earliest signs is thirst, and that’s
probably going to make your mouth and tongue feel like the desert. So wait - where did all that saliva go that
you were planning on drinking? The simple fact is when your body is losing
water, there just isn’t enough fluid left over to produce normal amounts of spit. When your body’s fluid level drops, it actually
activates your fight or flight response, and this sends a signal to your salivary glands
to conserve their usual water-y output. If you want to properly quench your thirst,
what you really need is a source of H20 outside your body. So what if you prepared for future dehydration
by storing up vast reserves of spit. Again, don't do this. It won't work, but there's a good reason. You see, hydration isn’t just about fluid
levels; it’s also about what’s contained in those fluids. Even though saliva is made mostly of water,
it also contains electrolytes, mucus, enzymes, bacteria and bicarbonate. This makes saliva much more concentrated than
just plain old water, and your body can tell the difference. The water you actually drink will enter your
stomach and then the bloodstream. From here, it’s the job of your kidneys
to filter through the contents and maintain a nice balance of water and solutes in the
body. At first, after drinking water, the concentration
of solutes in your circulatory system are diluted, and to balance this out, excess water
will move into your cells and organs, hydrating them via the system of osmosis. The problem is, because the kidneys are so
good at their job, the fluid that is lost from your body, like saliva, has about the
same concentration of solutes as the rest of your body. This means that if you drink your own spit,
the body isn’t gaining any extra electrolytes or water, and so this isn’t going to inspire
any water movement or hydration. But all of that’s assuming you’re drinking
the right saliva. When you get dehydrated, your saliva becomes
less water-y and more mucous-y and if this thick liquid is concentrated enough when you
drink it later on, it could actually draw fluid away from your vital organs instead
of to them, dehydrating your cells and making you thirstier. No matter which way you bottle it, DON'T BOTTLE
IT, TRIANGLE BOB, saliva just isn’t going to hydrate you. But that’s not exactly a bad thing. If spit was made solely from water, humans
would choke more often on food, bacteria would flourish in your mouth, your teeth would be
at risk of decay, and you might even lose a sense of taste. Saliva is great for many reasons, but just
make sure to keep it in your mouth for the maximum benefits. So why don't you give me some great questions
down below that I can feed to the Qbot-9001, and maybe it'll learn what a great question
is. If you thought this spit video was interesting
you should probably check out the one we did on the tiny creatures living in your water! These and other disease-causing microbes are
called pathogens. If we come into contact with them and they
enter our bodies, they can cause an infection As always, my name is Blocko, this has been
Life Noggin.
.