Health Benefits of Drinking Water

Water makes up two thirds of our body’s weight. Our blood is 83% water, our muscles 75% water and our brain 74%. It is obvious then what water does – ensuring the smooth functioning of our body’s systems. Too little water and dehydration occurs and our digestive system cannot flush out the waste products from our bodies. How much water should we drink? Recommendation on the daily fluid intake consumption guideline that most experts agree on is around 2 to 2.5 litres (or about 8 glasses of water) daily for a normal adult with a typical lifestyle. Children less but the more exercise we do, the more we should drink.

Water acts as a purification system for our bodies, removing toxins and waste, it assists us with weight loss, promotes fitness in body and mind, and keeps us healthy.

Benefits of Drinking Water and Weight Loss

Drinking water boosts our metabolism rate and assists with weight loss. Hot lemon water is believed to assist the process further and increase the benefits by up to three times. Drinking plenty of water helps reduce your appetite and minimises craving for food because it helps reduce your appetite. If we are drinking the correct amounts of water then our kidneys can function correctly. Too little water in our bodies and they struggle, meaning that our livers need to step in and assist. If the liver is assisting the kidneys, it’s not fulfilling its main function which is that of breaking down our body’s fat so we don’t lose weight.

Combat ailments and disease by drinking more water

In many cases dehydration is the prime cause of fatigue, headaches and back pain. If you suffer from lethargy and low energy levels, try drinking more water. If you or your family complain of frequent headaches, the amount of water you’re drinking is likely to be responsible. And, muscle spasms are also caused by not drinking plenty of water a day, so that the body is not adequately hydrated. Excercise can make the symptoms worse as it increases the dehyration if we do not increase our water intake. Carry a bottle with you during the day, drink more and your body will benefit.

Drinking water can reduce hunger

Hunger pangs can be misinterpreted as cravings for water say the experts. Drinking water before your regular meals can help cut down on the amount of food you eat – it works as a really effective appetite suppressant. But make sure that your water intake is just that, don’t count tea, coffee, sodas and juices in your fluids intake as they either contain caffeine which removes water from the body or sugars which makes the body work harder to dilute them causing more dehydration.

Drinking water hydrates our skin and makes us look younger

When we drink plenty of water we hydrate our skin which then takes on a more radiant look and feel. Our bodies need water to flush toxins out of our system and to keep our muscles ‘full’ and strong. Without water our bodies will quickly start to suffer and you’ll be able to see the different in the mirror.

Benefits of Water as a Headache Cure

Water can treat headaches at the source, where pills and medications only mask the symptoms. In large numbers of cases, headaches are caused by dehydration. Even if it is directly related to stress, fatique or other problems, drinking water can greatly reduce the severity of the headache. A properly hydrated body will allow you to think clearly and your headache will ease.

Water Beats Stress!

When we experience stress, dehydration occurs which can lead to the shrinkage of our brains. Correct water intake is therefore vital in decreasing the stress on our bodies and our minds. It is important to feed our thirst.

Flouride and Water Health

Fluoride exists naturally in water sources and it is well known that it helps prevent and even reverse the early stages of tooth decay. Fluoride combats tooth decay by preventing the acid produced by bacteria in plaque from dissolving or demineralizing, tooth enamel, our teeth’s natural protectant. Floride is also incorporated in the structure of developing teeth when it is ingested by our bodies which also protects our teeth. Water fluoridation has proved to be a safe and cost-effective way to reduce the cost of dental care. Today, water fluoridation is estimated to reduce tooth decay by as much as 40%.

Chlorine and Cancer

People continue to use and drink unfiltered tap water even though it can be filled with carcinogenic compounds, when a simple water filter can help safeguard us against cancers. Untreated tap water is filled with dangerous contaminants like nitrate, arsenic, microorganisms, and chemicals from pesticides. When our water is treated, many contaminants are removed but the most dangerous of contaminants is actually added. Chlorine, a know poison to the body, is added as an inexpensive and effective drinking water disinfectant. At least three types of cancer are known to be caused by this chemical and research shows that we are 93% more likely to risk cancer by drinking unfiltered chlorinated water.

Want To Live Longer? Drink Water!

A big reason to drink fresh, clean water is that over the past 100 years our life expectancy has increased by more than 30 years. Cleaner public water is one of the biggest contributing factors according to research evidence. We now take more steps to clean our water supply and have improved our waste water treatment processes which all add up to a longer, healthier life. Water can even help with the fight against diabetes.

Spring water is defined as water which naturally flows from an underground source to our planet’s surface, traveling through cracks and underground caves in the rock formation.

Artesian spring water wells are those where the water is forced to the surface because the sources are higher than the outlet or at least the groundwater which recharges the source is at a higher level and creates the pressure. Non-artesian spring are usually where water falls at a high level, soaks into the ground and then flows down through underground channels to emerge at a lower level as a stream. Hot springs are created where volcanic or other underground pressure is exerted on the water.

As the water travels through the underground rock formations, it picks up minerals in the form of dissolved mineral solids which can add to the flavor of the water and in some cases add bubbles or effervescence in the form of dissolved carbon dioxide to produce natural sparkling water.

Bottled spring water is often described as mineral water which can in a lot of cases be deceptive. Those springs that produce water which is high in dissolve minerals, ‘mineral springs’ are fine, but a good deal of springs known as ’soda springs’ actually contain dissolved sodium rather than minerals. Mineral springs are those where ‘resorts’ or ’spa towns’ have grown around the site, for example Bath in England, Saratoga Springs in New York and Fontaine de Vaucluse in France.

Is bottled Spring Water safe to drink?

A bottle of quality spring water containing various dissolved minerals can indeed be extremely safe and even healthy for our bodies. Drinking beverages rich in dissolved minerals can help our bodies maintain their natural balance. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has strict guidelines and regulations as to what constitutes ‘bottled spring water’ to safeguard the public. It is water which is naturally occurring and flows from its underground source to the surface where it is bottled. If it is collected by sinking boreholes or by the use of additional force then the composition of the water should be exactly the same as that which flows naturally.

There are countless brands of spring water available through retail outlets and even for delivery to home and office. It’s therfore difficult to recommend one over another as it will invariably come down to personal taste. Other considerations other than taste are the bottler/manufacturers reputation for eco-friendly processes and what effect the plastic they use for bottling has on the environment and our health. This sort of information is usually freely available and if not, we should ask ourselves why and perhaps look to a different beverage bottler.

Claiming that its properties are derived from salicin, a mineral that was once the active ingredient of aspirin, the company will now have to await the investigation outcome from the Food Standards Agency.

For the full story…The Independent

Mineral water, as the name suggests is any water which contains dissolved minerals, either naturally occurring at source or added during the processing stage of production. This includes sparkling, carbonated or effervescent water which again occurs naturally as well as being processed.

Historically, mineral waters were considered a therapeutic ‘cure’ which you could not only drink but bathe in to receive the health benefits. The historic City of Bath in England is a prime example and other towns harboring spas, baths and wells, have basically built themselves around these natural mineral water sources. Pilgrimages to these spas were commonplace.

Nowadays our mineral water tends to be bottled at source and shipped around the world, which is far more convenient than traveling to the source – many of which are now not open to the public but have been turned into big bottling businesses. The number of commercially available brands of mineral water total some 3,000 products across the globe and so there is no real shortage of choice.

The amount of dissolved minerals contained within the water determines whether it is classified as hard or soft. The more minerals, the harder the water. The United States ‘Food & Drug Administration’ (FDA) defines mineral water as having over 250 parts per million of dissolved solids and having to be naturally sourced from bore holes, springs or other underground sources. Mineral water as far as the US FDA are concerned can not be processed to add more minerals although this is not stipulated elsewhere in the world where processed waters are also considered or classified as mineral water.

So, where a great deal of our water today is processed to remove dissolved solids such as minerals, chemicals, gas and other ‘impurities’, often our natural mineral water tends to be bottled at source, retaining all of it’s mineral content which the majority see as being beneficial to our health and well-being. Magnesium and calcium are the most common naturally occurring minerals with various others including iron, potassium and fluoride to name but a few. The tap (faucet) water in some cities and countries for example Zurich in Switzerland also contains large amounts of dissolved minerals and can also be classified as mineral water.

Although our municipal systems have mandatory checks and tests in place to ensure that water safety regulations are adhered to for our safety, there are no such questions asked or testing procedures carried out for spring and mineral waters. We have to place our faith in the bottlers and producers. However, it is generally accepted that the dissolved minerals in this water do not harm us but do actually contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Other chemicals and bacteria present are hopefully treated during the bottling process before we consume the water!

It is also generally accepted that drinking water high in minerals is the best way for us to achieve the correct mineral levels within our bodies so that the mineral content of our bodies isn’t leached away, leaving our cells deficient, which in turn can quickly lead to illness.

Tap water also contains minerals and a simple answer would be to install a carbon filter system or similar, which can ensure that you have mineral water on tap, but with other contaminents and impurities removed. This is quite obviously a much more cost effective solution to buying bottled mineral water from the supermarkets.

Tap or faucet water, depending on which continent you reside, has been commonplace since the middle of the 20th century but was in fact available during the latter part of the 19th. Although a huge infrastructure is required to process and distribute our water under pressure, it’s cost is insignificant in relation to the cost of bottled water – depending on brand etc, up to 1,000 times the cost of processing and distributing the same amount of our tap / faucet water.

Our tap water brings us many health benefits, not least of all the fact that it is processed to remove any dangerous contaminants. Our water is governed by strict legislation across the globe and while it can contain various chemicals, again depending upon your location, these are used to improve and preserve the water until we drink it. Fluoride is added in many areas and the jury’s out on that one regarding pros and cons. Many other naturally occurring minerals such as calcium carbonate can be present and metal ions like magnesium and iron which are all relatively harmless. Test kits are available for those who are unsure or worried about the state of their supply.

Groundwater is affected by local conditions and these ultimately shape the water you drink. Occasionally there may be a disasterous chemical spill which will alter our local water and in these cases, although thankfully few, we are advised to drink bottled alternatives until it is safe to do otherwise.

So what is Potable Water? Water which is fit for our consumption is classed as Potable Water, whether it is natural such as spring water or processed. It’s all drinking water.

Our tap water is delivered to us through a huge network of plumbing and pipes. The composition of these pipes has changed drastically over the years to a point today where the vast majority of pipes have seen replacement with copper or brass. Plastic has seen an increase in popularity quite recently but it cannot keep our water as clean. Copper is bacteriostatic which means that it is capable of inhibiting the growth and reproduction of bacteria – plastics are not and can indeed harbor bacteria. The one drawback of copper was that the solder used to connect the copper pipe, was composed of lead and tin in equal amounts. Even though the water flowing through our pipes usually coats the interior with mineral deposits, effectively sealing of the lead, United States regulations and those across much of the globe now stipulate the use of virtually lead free solder to prevent lead leaching into our drinking water. Copper pipes can also corrode and pit with cold water.

And now we come to our favorite all time question – is our tap water supply better quality than bottled water? It depends on where you are in the world and where your tap water originates from, what sort of pipes it flows through and whether you have any third party filtration system or purifier in place. It also depends on what brand of bottled water you are comparing it to. There is no hard and fast rule and what one person says the next will disagree with. If you want to try and improve it, install a filter system.

The thing to remember is that most water in the civilized world, be it from taps, faucets, bottles or even your refrigerator, is regulated and falls within the recommended guidelines set for chemical, contaminant, mineral and impurity levels. Our view is that if we can make improvements by using filters or other sensible routes, then why not. What is clear is that our water doesn’t necessarily need to be pure to benefit our health.

If you want to retain a healthy lifestyle and look after your environment then you need to choose the right drinking water bottle carefully. Whether you’re looking at storing water in the fridge for consumption indoors or for outdoors use while hiking, cycling or exercising etc there are a huge amount of design options and types to choose from which even include some with built in and reusable filters. From the cheap single use bottles that you buy your bottled water in at the shops, to the very best aluminium and stainless steel reusable options, the choice is vast.

The plastic bottles made from PET that we buy our water in from shops are the worst for repeated use as they have been proven to leach dangerous chemicals including carcinogens into the water in addition to promoting bacteria.

Bottles made from thermoplastic polymers or polycarbonates are popular reusable bottles that are seen everywhere in schools, fitness clubs, gyms etc, but are also guilty of leaching cancer causing BPA. Some research points to increased amounts of BPA being released when the bottles are warmed as when feeding babies. Yes, polycarbonate is also used for baby bottles! Scary!!

At the top end of the scale we have aluminium and stainless steel bottles. Unfortunately, a good deal of the aluminium bottles have plastic liners which could still cause problems although the latest liners are made from ‘friendly resins’.

The best water bottles by far in our opinion are the stainless steel variety. This material is safe to drink from, does not leach anything into the liquid it stores and is pretty indestructable and so will last and last. Because these containers do not leach any chemical into your drink, the drink tastes better and a lot would say, stays cooler longer. A lot of the top bottles are available with accessories such as carry-cases or straps for securing the bottle to your belt or over your shoulder, especially useful for sport and outdoor use. Obviously with the more expensive water bottles you can also expect to receive a guarantee of quality which should be important to those who are serious about using their bottles over and over, promoting health through proper hydration.

There are a huge number of manufacturers to consider, offering a wide range of product including brand names like Nalgene, Sigg and Kleen Kanteen to name but a few, and so there is plenty of choice at all levels of price with color and style to suit everyone’s taste.

Having decided on a healthy and environmentally friendly, reusable water bottle, one of the most important things to remember is to keep it clean! Water kept in any vessel for any length of time that has been exposed to the air will promote some pretty nasty bacteria. Keep them clean. Buying a dishwater safe water bottle is the best bet as dishwashers tend to operate at very high temperatures and can effectively steralize your bottle.

Live a healthy life and choose the right type of drinking water bottle! They make a great eco-friendly and healthy gift too.

Thirst is one of the first signs that our body needs water. Alcohol and diuretics such as tea and coffee should be avoided.

A significant cause of dehydration is diarrhea which kills millions each year and children are the biggest casualties. Vomiting too causes loss of fluid which is difficult to replace through drinking and sweating can cause a significant loss of body fluids especially if exercising in warm weather.

Other than an increased thirst, the biggest sign of dehydration is a reduction in the urge to urinate as our bodies try to conserve fluids. Our urine becomes very yellow or even orange and is usually accompanied by a strong odour. A dry mouth, muscle cramps and nausea or vomiting may also become apparent and we may also become light headed.

Unless measures are taken to reverse the symptoms of dehydration, the normal amount of blood reaching our brain and other organs will significantly reduce until our bodies are no longer able to function and we slip into a coma

As with any ailment or disease, prevention is the best medicine. If this is not possible then fluid replacement is top of the list to treat the symptoms, by mouth initial and intravenously if more severe. Whichever way, we need to hydrate our bodies and should drink plenty but not to excess as this can cause us even more damage. Electrolytes are commonly used to boost the replacement of fluids in extreme cases and aid rehydration. The best rule is to seek medical attention if at all worried.

Shock, kidney failure, coma and death are common in extreme cases where symptoms go untreated. Medical treatment is a must!

Who’s most susceptible to dehydration? People who exercise in hot weather, pediatric and geriatrics – kids and old people, and those with heat related conditions such as heat rash, heat cramp, heat stroke and heat exhaustion are most at risk and can easily dehydrate, although people of any age can fall victim. Keeping well hydrated at all times is the best policy. Kids are terrible for not drinking enough fluids and so you should keep your child safe by insisting on regular fluid intake to keep them safe and healthy.

Carbonated water is simply water that has been ‘injected’ with carbon dioxide. It is the foremost component of the majority of soft drinks and is the result of carbonation – dissolving carbon gas into normal water under pressure. The process creates carbonic acid (H2CO3) and can be man made or occasionally may occur natural as with Mihalkovo from the Bulgarian Rhodopes.

Also known as soda water, this ‘fizzy’ water can often contain a small amount of any number of chemical additives such as sodium or salt, bicarbonate, potassium citrate or potassium sulphate to name but a few. The type and quantity of additives depends greatly on the producer and how they carbonate their water.

The carbon dioxide forms very small bubbles which generate an effervescent ‘fizz’ effect which people either love or hate in unflavored water. Some liken it to drinking a remedy for hangovers rather than an enjoyable and refreshing glass of water. Whatever you call it – sparkling water, carbonated water or club soda, it is essential the same as non-carbonated or still water except for the bubbles.

The health benefits of naturally occurring sparkling spring and mineral water are legend, but the majority of carbonated water is created or processed artificially by injecting carbon di oxide. We can even create carbonated water ourselves at home by using a ‘SodaStream’ type device.

Whether drinking it to settle your stomach or for the legendary health benefits, drinking carbonated or fizzy water is a very distinctive experience. With or without added flavorings, top restaurants worldwide consider it worthy of adding to their menus.

As with carbonated soft drinks, exposure to air will allow the water to ‘go flat’. Once opened, a bottle of carbonated water is the exact same as bottles of Coke or any other carbonated beverage – they will go flat in a short space of time!

Joseph Priestley was one of the inventors of carbonated water when he discovered how to inject carbon dioxide into water. Born in England in 1767, Joseph was working at a brewery in Leeds when he worked out how to create ‘fixed air’ and impregnate the same into water. His Swedish counterpart, Torbern Bergman developed another solution when in ill-health, he discovered a method of recreating naturally occurring sparkling water which back in 1771 was believed to aid good health.

Some believe that carbonated water is a major cause of dental problems. However, most believe that it is with carbonated soft drinks containing amounts of sugar that the problem lies. As we have already inferred, the difference between carbonated water and naturally still water is negligible.

OK. Is sparkling water better for you than still water or not?

Nutritionally, it depends on the producer ;o) If you take two samples of water with the exact same composition but add CO2 to one of the samples then there will be no discernible difference to health benefits or otherwise.

Though some believe carbonation can help alleviate upset stomach and constipation, carbonated water isn’t necessarily any better or worse for you, nutritionally, than still water. It depends on the waters in question. A water rich in magnesium and calcium, whether carbonated or not would be ideal, so long as it contained little or no sodium chloride – or so the experts say. However, a good many experts also say that sodium in our water can have beneficial effects on our bodies when it comes to reducing cholesterol levels and cardiovascular issues in women post menopause.

We feel that it basically comes down to taste and personal preference.

For more information…. AllAboutWater.org

Source: BNET UK