WASHINGTON, 23 July — When was the last time you decided to buy some bottled water? The choices are overwhelming.
Today there seem to be as many choices of bottled water as there is soda. There are distilled waters, natural mineral and spring waters from all over the world, flavored waters and waters fortified with minerals, herbs and supplements. These so-called “designer waters” are supposed to provide the body not only with hydration, but also electrolyte minerals that are lost during exercise.
Whether or not they are healthy is debatable. For example, the waters with herbs usually contain small amounts, which are not potent enough to offer any real benefit.
More esoteric types of therapeutic waters — such as clustered waters, oxygenated waters, magnetized waters and energized waters — are said to have restructured water molecules or an altered magnetic charges that provides improved cellular hydration. Many manufacturers have studies supporting their claims that their waters can enhance health, but few are backed with scientific studies.
In addition to the confusing choices in the marketplace, there are debates over water fraud and contamination. The safety of plastic bottles is also being debated.
Apart from the hype and the profiteers, it is important to remember that we do need plenty of good quality water to stay healthy.
The body of an adult is made up of 55 to 75 percent water. And, an average of 2.7 quarts of water, are lost each day through normal bodily functions, and this water must be replaced to maintain homeostasis.
The water you drink literally goes into every cell in your body, and thus is necessary for every biological function. It is critical for digestion and the absorption of food; it regulates the body temperature, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells and flushes away toxins and other wastes. Water also cushions joints and protects tissues and organs, including the spinal cord, from shock and injury.
Drinking enough water helps to prevent or ease constipation and can relieve the pain of colitis. Water is also crucial for those concerned about their looks: It keeps skin beautiful and less wrinkled. Water is even a natural appetite suppressant: Drinking water helps us lose weight and keep it off.
If you’re committed to good health, water should be your beverage of choice. Beverages such a tea, coffee, soda, and other drinks actually encourage fluid loss due to their caffeine and alcohol content. Too much caffeine can also increase blood pressure and cause an irregular heartbeat.
For children and teens, as well as adults, dependence on fluids other than water has many serious side effects.
Colas contain sugar that promotes tooth decay; they also have phosphoric acid, which can diminish bone density. Sugar also blocks the body’s absorption of water. If you drink 12 ounces of water, your body will absorb eight ounces of it within 15 minutes. If you drink 12 ounces of a 10 percent sugar solution, less than one ounce will be absorbed in the same period. A typical soft drink is made of a 10 to 20 percent sugar solution.
Health expects warn that when children are raised on sugared beverages, including juices, they become accustomed to the sweet taste and reject water. A 1995 study in the Archives of Disease in Childhood showed that 71 percent of preschool children drink no water at all during the day. All of this contributes to dehydration, which can affect the body in many ways.
The consequences of dehydration: According to Dr. F. Batmanghelidj in his book, “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water,” chronic dehydration is often a factor, and may even be the contributing cause, in a host of conditions including asthma, allergies, arthritis, angina, migraine headaches, hypertension, elevated cholesterol, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, depression and diabetes in the elderly.
Dr. Batmanghelidj cites, for example, a peptic ulcer patient with abdominal pain so extreme that he could not walk and had to be carried to the doctor’s office. After only three glasses of water, one per hour, he was pain-free.
Another patient was able to easily and successfully lose, and keep off, 40 pounds just by drinking one-half ounce of water for each pound of body weight every day and eliminating other beverages.
A third patient had a lifetime history of elevated cholesterol. His cholesterol level dropped 70 points after two months of drinking two glasses of water before each meal. He also lost weight.
Dr. Batmanghelidj began to make these discoveries while in prison for his political views. He writes that he was the only doctor present in the prison, and without medicaments, he was at a loss to help the other prisoners. So, he gave them the only thing he had plenty of — water. The results, he said were astonishing and have brought him to where he is today.
In his article, “Water: How 8 Glasses a Day Keeps Fat Away,” taken from the Snowbird Diet, Dr. Donald Robertson, says, “Incredible as it may seem, water is possibly the single most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off. Although most of us take it for granted, water may be the only true ‘magic potion for permanent weight loss.’”
In addition to suppressing the appetite, says Dr. Robertson, water “helps the body metabolize stored fat, helps maintain proper muscle tone, clears wastes and may help relieve constipation.” He suggests drinking a quart of water over a 30-minute period, 30 minutes before meals, three times a day — morning, noon, and before dinner.
As many of us know, our bodies change as they age. Doctors agree that as we age, our ability to recognize thirst diminishes. As a result, elderly people can become increasingly and chronically dehydrated. One reason for this is that older adults can mistake the signal of thirst for hunger, and thus reach for food instead of drinking water. This not only contributes to dehydration, but also to obesity.
How do you know if you’re dehydrated?
Many people say they’re too busy to count how much water they drink daily. But there are ways you can determine whether you’re drinking enough water.
Dark-colored urine is a strong indication that you aren’t drinking enough water. So is chronically dry or wrinkled skin. It’s important to get into the habit of starting each day with a glass of water, then having a glass about half an hour before each meal. Do not drink water during meals, though, because you will wash away the digestive juices working on your food. It is also advisable to wait at least 30 minutes after a meal before drinking water.
If your mouth feels dry and you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. The more water you drink the more reliable your sense of thirst will become.
Your body needs a minimum of six eight-ounce glasses of water a day. Coffee, tea and caffeine-containing beverages don’t count as water. The rule of thumb is that one should drink one ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight. So a 150-pound person needs 75 ounces a day, which is over nine cups of water.
One trick for getting into the habit of drinking enough water is to keep a bottle of water within reach, for instance, on your desk at work. If you drink a cup of coffee, don’t drink another one until you’ve had a glass of water. The same is true of juices or sodas.
Have one if you think you need it for a pick-up, but be sure to drink a glass of water before you have something else.
Some people say they don’t like to drink water because it causes them to make many trips to the bathroom at night. Urologists recommend drinking your day’s supply of water before 6 p.m., and they note that water helps to prevent urinary tract infections in both men and women.
Finally, think a second time before drinking the water that is most available — tap water from the sink. It is important to remember that there are a huge amount of chemicals added at the water treatment facility where your water comes from and that tap water must travel through an intricate web of pipelines before reaching its destination. Metals leached from these pipes can add even more unhealthy elements, such as lead.
Finally, be sure to drink plenty of pure water for a reputable source. It is one of the easiest, cheapest and most effective ways to maintain your health.
