Water is the most important nutrient for our bodies. It is involved in nearly every function of the body. We cannot live more than five days without water, while we can live for five weeks without food. Clearly, water is important! Our bodies are made up of about seventy percent of water; in fact, all of the building blocks of our bodies have water content.
Muscles – 75%
Brain cells – 85%
Blood – 82%
Bones – 25%
Our bodies lose about two quarts of water each day through perspiration, excretion and breathing. To find out how much water your body need, take your weight in pounds and then divide it by two. That shows you how man ounces you need to drink. For example, if you weigh two hundred pounds, you would need to drink one hundred ounces of water each day. Caffeine and sugar steal water from our bodies, instead of adding it. You need more water in warmer or dryer climates, as your body loses more water through perspiration. If you are thirsty, then you are most likely already mildly dehydrated. A dry mouth is one of the last signs of dehydration. The quality of the water you drink is also important, which we will discuss later in this article.
Water regulates our body temperatures. It is also used to transport nutrients and oxygen to cells, as well as removing wastes from the body. Water cushions the joints and helps prevent arthritis and increases the efficiency of the immune system. It prevents the clogging of arteries in the heart and brain, in fact; it is connected to brain function and improves memory. Water not only essential for proper functioning of the body, it also affects our appearance by properly hydrating our skin, which reduces wrinkles and is essential to losing weight.
When our bodies don’t get enough water, we become dehydrated. Dehydration can cause joint pain, arthritis, high blood pressure, digestion problems, headaches, back pain and skin problems. Our bodies just do not function properly without the correct amount of water. Severe dehydration can lead to death! As you can see, getting enough water is one of the most important things you can do for your body!
Most people get their water from the tap, bottled or filtered. None of these methods will rid the water of all contaminates, but some of them are better than others. To decide on which type of water is best for you and your family, you will need to be educated on the pros and cons of each type. We will first discuss tap water.
Tap water generally comes from two sources, surface water and ground water. Surface water comes from lakes, rivers and streams, while ground water comes from the underground water table. About half of America’s ground water is contaminated and we cannot separate our water supply from our environment. Wells two hundred feet deep can still yield contaminated water. Manmade chemicals have contaminated our water. Four billion pounds of toxic chemicals are released into our environment each year. Seventy-two million pounds of that are known carcinogens. Tap water is regulated by the EPA and is required to be tested on a daily basis.
Agriculture is one of the biggest pollutants of our water supply. The use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers create runoff that ends up in our underground water table. Two billion pounds of pesticides are used every year. These chemicals are not removed by conventional municipal drinking water treatment. They are persistent and can stay in our water for decades. Areas where agriculture was or is a major part of the economy have higher concentrations of these pollutants. These chemicals have been show to increase the risk of cancer, especially breast cancer. Some pesticides can imitate the action of estrogen in the body.
Another leading problem with water is contamination from bacteria, viruses and parasites. These are found naturally in our environment and enter the water table through runoff. Agricultural runoff is a major contributor. Chlorine is not effective at killing these parasites. Many doctors believe that microorganisms in tap water may cause the intestinal flu.
Drugs and personal care products also cause water pollution. Drugs such as antibiotics, hormones and painkillers enter our water supply through urination. The soaps, shampoos, and other personal care products we use also enter our water supply and cause pollution. Chemicals from these products have been found in our water supply. Even fish have tested positive for common prescription drugs!
Some signs that your water in contaminated are cloudiness that does not clear upon standing, foaming, or strange smells or tastes not previously there. But be aware, not all toxic substances will change the taste, smell or appearance of the water. For this reason, our water supply is treated with substances that are supposed to make the water safer. Instead, many of these substances make our water more toxic.
Chlorine is added to tap water to kill microorganisms. Unfortunately, chlorine is not effective in killing all microorganisms and it is a toxic substance. Chlorine can combine with organic materials to form trihalomethanes, a known carcinogen. It can kill nutrients your body needs, including vitamins A, B, C and E and Fatty Acids. It has been linked to birth defects and spina bifida. Chlorine can enter your body through your skin as well. When you take a ten minute hot shower, you get more chlorine than what is in ½ a gallon of tap water. Chlorine makes your hair and skin dry and brittle. Skin disorders like psoriasis and eczema can clear up or improve by switching to unchlorinated water.
Fluoride is another proven toxin added to tap water under the guise of helping to prevent tooth decay. Fluoride can naturally be found in our water, as well as vegetables and meat. But, unfortunately, the types of fluoride used in our water supply, sodium fluoride and hydrofluocilicic acid (sodium silicofluoride) are not found in nature. Besides being used in our tap water, they are also used in rat poison and insecticides! Sodium fluoride is commonly found in toothpaste. Hydrofluosilicic acid is commonly used in our water and is one of the most corrosive chemicals known to man. These fluorides are linked to osteosarcoma a rare form of bone cancer. They can interfere with how vitamins and mineral function in the body. Fluoride is linked to calcium deposits and arthritis as well as causing harm to the immune system. While added to our water to prevent tooth decay, it can lead to mottled teeth and osteoporosis. Artificial fluoride can be found in sodas and reconstituted juices and many of the foods we eat contain natural fluoride. Americans may be ingesting excessive amounts of fluoride without even knowing it!
When you are unsure of the safety of the water you drink, you can boil it to make it safe to drink. Bring your water to a rolling boil and keep it there for five minutes. This will kill bacteria, but chemicals and heavy metals will still remain. This is both impractical and time consuming to do on a daily basis and you have to wait for it to cool before drinking. Boiling also concentrates any lead in the water, a hazard to your health. Drinking bottled or filtered water are other choices.
Bottle water is considered a food and is regulated by the FDA. Bottle water has less regulation than tap water. It is required to be tested only once a year, while tap water is required to be tested daily. Many bottled waters are just reprocessed tap water. Water bottlers do not have to reveal the source of their water. Most bottle waters are bottled in plastic, which some forms are not safe. PVC in a known carcinogen and leaches into the water. It is shown to cause hormonal imbalances, fertility problems, and damage to cells, organs and tissues. Bisphenol A interferes with fetal development and causes abnormal chromosome loss or gain, miscarriage, Down syndrome and obesity. It leaches into water at room temperature. PET or PETE are considered safer than PVC, but it still leaches into water when the bottles are used repeatedly or bottled too long. PET or PETE disrupts the production of fatty acids and the production of sex hormones. Instead of plastic bottles, look for glass containers or containers made from bio based plastics. These plastics are made form natural products like starch, cellulose and raw rubber. You should never reuse plastic bottles, as they may contain dangerous levels of bacterial. Use a bottle once and then recycle if possible. Don’t store your water bottles near chemicals or in direct sunlight. Store in the refrigerator or in a cool dark place to retard bacteria growth.
Filtered water is another choice. There are many kinds of filters out there, but no filter will remove all contaminates. They can range in price from about twenty-five dollars to many thousand dollars. You will need to research the different filter choices to make the best decision for your family.
Carbon filtration is one of the most inexpensive, reliable and easily found filters on the market. You can pick them up at just about any discount store. There are two types of carbon filters, granulated carbon and solid carbon block. The solid carbon block costs more, lasts longer and does a better job at filtration. It has a slower flow rate than the granulated carbon filter. Pitcher filters are general carbon filters that use granulated charcoal. Not all toxins are filtered out using carbon filtration. It is not effective removing all heavy metals. They don’t remove fluoride or all viruses. If you don’t change the filters as directed, bacteria can build up on it and infiltrate your drinking water.
Reverse osmosis is another option for filtration. Water is filtered through an extremely fine membrane. It is a slow process and reverse osmosis filters can be expensive. Reverse osmosis removes chlorine, fluoride, bacteria, parasites, chemicals and heavy metals. You can add the minerals back to the water at the end of the process. Reverse osmosis creates acidic water that pulls minerals from out of your body.
A water distiller removes everything from the water, even good minerals. It heats water to the boiling point. The steam is bottled to become clean drinking water. Distilled water is worse for your body than water with the minerals in it. It is absorbent and absorbs carbon dioxide and makes the body acidic. It will remove heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, organic compounds, bacteria and some viruses.
In my opinion, the best filtration system is the alkaline system. This filter sits on your counter and uses activated charcoal and an electrolysis process. It produces two types of water, alkaline (which you drink) and acidic (which you discard or use for washing or cleaning). By drinking the alkaline water, you bring your tissues back to an alkaline state. Our body thrives in an alkaline environment and drinking alkaline water helps our tissues get rid of impurities and detoxify more effectively. Cancer cannot grow in an alkaline environment.
A pH level of 7.0 is considered neutral, pH levels under 7.0 are acidic and pH levels over 7.0 are alkaline. Our blood is at a pH 7.4. Most Americans tissues are very acidic. When our bodies are acidic we are more susceptible to diseases such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, arthritis, most cancers, diabetes, autoimmune disease, osteoporosis and most degenerative diseases. You can test the pH level of your body by using pH strips, which can be purchased at drug stores. Use the first morning urine to test your pH level. The color of the strip will tell you what you pH level is. Most people have a pH of 5.0, but we should be between 7.0 – 7.5.
As you can see, water is the most important nutrient your body needs. But, some water is better than others. I hope that this article helps you make an educated choice about what type of water you give your family. I feel it’s really important that we put only the best into our bodies and that by doing so we improve our health and become good stewards over the body that the Lord has given us.
