Thirst

This is the 7th volume in an ongoing research monograph series on specialized topics of human nutrition. It is written for workers in the nutritional and allied sciences, has been thoroughly peer reviewed, and uses an interdisciplinary approach that gives a complete update of the subject.

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At one time or another, everyone has said "I am thirsty". Yet what causes this sensation of thirst? It is obvious that a certain quantity of fluid must be present for the body to function normally. How does a water deficit in the body then influence drinking habits? But supposing the physiological need is met, what about the psychological need or social need? Water is certainly the most necessary fluid; then why do we humans often prefer other beverages, even at great cost of effort or money or health? The subject of thirst and drinking behavior are uniquely discussed in this book. For the first time both the physiological and the psychological aspects of water and beverage consumption are examined in one volume. The many recent developments concerning how a lack of water is signalled physiologically and processed neurally to affect drinking behavior are critically surveyed. Prospects for understanding the cultural and sensory influences on beverage consumption are mapped out. The thirty-one chapters by authorities in the field were all mutually reviewed and revised in the light of precirculated comments and round-table discussions. Together they provide a complete picture of the current state of knowledge on what determines fluid consumption in human beings and animals.

Contenu
Section I. Perspectives on Thirst.- 1. Evolution of Physiological and Behavioural Mechanisms in Vertebrate Body Fluid Homeostasis.- 2. Water: Distribution Between Compartments and its Relationship to Thirst.- 3. The Ontogeny of Drinking.- 4. Influences on Human Fluid Consumption.- Section II. Physiological Influences on Drinking.- 5. Osmoreceptors for Thirst.- 6. Volume Receptors and the Stimulation of Water Intake.- 7. Hormonal Inputs to Thirst.- 8. Mineral Appetite: An Overview.- Section III. Neural Pathways of Water Deficit Signals.- 9. Central Projections of Osmotic and Hypovolaemic Signals in Homeostatic Thirst.- 10. Neurochemistry of the Circuitry Subserving Thirst.- 11. Central Control of Water and Sodium Chloride Intake in Rats During Hypovolaemia.- 12. Rostro-Sagittal Brain: Site of Integration of Hydrational Signals in Body Fluid Regulation and Drinking.- Section IV. Neural Organization of Drinking Behaviour.- 13. Sensory Detection of Water.- 14. Neostriatal Mechanisms Affecting Drinking.- 15. Drinking in Mammals: Functional Morphology, Orosensory Modulation and Motor Control.- 16. Drinking: Hindbrain Sensorimotor Neural Organization.- Section V. Behavioural Organization of Drinking.- 17. Learning, Thirst and Drinking.- 18. Effects of Eating on Drinking.- 19. Inhibitory Controls of Drinking: Satiation of Thirst.- 20. Social Influences on Fluid Intake: Laboratory Experiments with Rats, Field Observations of Primates.- Section VI. Determinants of Human Fluid Intake.- 21. Bout Pattern Analysis of Ad Libitum Fluid Intake.- 22. Individual and Cultural Factors in the Consumption of Beverages.- 23. Alcohol- and Caffeine-Beverage Consumption: Causes Other Than Water Deficit.- 24. Environmental and Sensory Modulation of Fluid Intake in Humans.- 25. Physiological Determinants of Fluid Intake in Humans.- Section VII. Variations in Human Fluid Intake.- 26. Thirst and Fluid Intake in the Elderly.- 27. The Consequences of Exercise on Thirst and Fluid Intake.- 28. Effects of Environmental Stresses and Privations on Thirst.- 29. Effect of Changes in Reproductive Status on Fluid Intake and Thirst.- 30. Disorders of Thirst in Man.- Section VIII. A Concluding View.- 31. Thirst and Salt Intake: A Personal Review and Some Suggestions.