Water

Author: Natural Grocers

Structure and Function

Two-thirds of the body is water; therefore, water is the most important nutrient. Without water, nothing biological can occur. It provides the medium where a majority of metabolic reactions take place, helps rid the body of wastes, transports nutrients to where they need to go, aids in metabolizing stored fat, helps regulate body temperature, helps maintain quality muscle tone by allowing the muscles to adequately contract, and helps prevent dehydration. In fact, simple dehydration (insufficiency of water in the body) can be associated with many symptoms and conditions, such as pain, headaches, dry skin, high blood pressure, digestive problems, and sleeping troubles.^{1 2 3}

How can you tell if you are hydrated?

The color of your urine is a good indicator of your hydration status. Ideally, urine should be light yellow. If it begins to become dark yellow, or even orange, you are becoming dehydrated. It means the kidneys are working hard to get rid of toxins in the body in very concentrated urine. That is why urine becomes darker in color. Dark urine is a sure sign of dehydration.³ (Note: If you take vitamin B-complex or B2 you may notice your urine is a bright yellow color. This is not harmful but happens simply because the B2 molecule has a yellow color.)

Avoid “drinking yourself to dehydration" by consuming too many water-robbing beverages, or diuretics, which increase the excretion of urine. By inhibiting the secretion of the hormone that would normally encourage the kidneys to reabsorb water, alcohol acts as a diuretic causing the kidneys to reabsorb less and excrete more water. Caffeine (primarily found in coffee, tea, and some carbonated beverages) can also have a diuretic effect, although it may vary depending on individual tolerance and activity level.^{4 5} These beverages also rob the body of valuable nutrients.⁶ Therefore, when consuming alcoholic or caffeinated beverages, you may need more water to replace water lost through their diuretic effects.

Individual Needs: Although our thirst response urges us to replenish our bodies with needed water, it actually lags behind the body’s true water needs. Therefore, when you are thirsty, you are probably already dehydrated. Factors that impact someone’s water needs include weight, food consumption, metabolic functions, the environment, activity levels (sweating), and caffeine and alcohol intake. Although the general recommendation is that adults should consume 2 to 3 liters (approximately 6 to 8 glasses a day), a more personalized calculation is to divide your body weight (in pounds) in half to calculate s the number of ounces you should drink in one day. Bear in mind, this is your baseline amount. You may need even more water if you live in a dry climate or tend to sweat a lot.

Sources: Besides clean, filtered water, herbal teas and mineral water are good beverages to support hydration. Fruits and vegetables also consist of around 90% water. They supply it in a form that is very easy for the body to use.⁶ Despite claims from water treatment officials, tap water often contains chlorine and chemicals damaging to health. Bottled spring waters are often good choices, but many people would prefer to filter their own tap water at home. There is no one right water filtration system for everyone. When choosing a home filtration system, you should first consider which types of contaminants you want to remove, which can be determined by requesting a water quality report from your water provider or having your water tested. Contaminants you might be concerned with include chlorine and chloramines, volatile organic compounds (a.k.a. VOCs, like pesticides, herbicides, etc.), heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, etc.), bacteria and viruses (giardia and cryptosporidium), general sediment, and fluoride.

What about alkaline water?

Tap water usually has a pH around 7, about neutral. Alkaline water has a pH of 8 or higher, slightly alkaline. Water can be naturally alkaline, like some spring waters that run through rocks and pick up alkalizing minerals, or, as is usually the case with bottled alkaline water, it can be produced through a process of electrolysis, which separates acidic molecules and removes them.⁷ Proponents claim alkaline water can do everything from increase energy to decrease cancer risk, but the science is fairly limited on how alkaline water made through electrolysis might be beneficial. Animal studies and an in vitro study suggest it may have free radical scavenging activity and/or support the production of our endogenous antioxidants glutathione and superoxide dismutase, and may support healthy blood glucose and blood lipid levels.^{8 9 10} Preliminary human studies have hinted that alkaline water may be an effective rehydration drink after excessive sweating and may support better sleep, but more research is needed to confirm these benefits.¹¹ ¹² It should be noted that the body naturally maintains pH within a very narrow range. While we tend to think of being acidic as a bad thing, an acid environment is normal and healthy in some parts of the body, for instance the stomach, small intestine, urine, and the vagina. Although there are no reported negative side effects of drinking alkaline water, some hypothesize that drinking too much may alter the natural pH balance of the body, creating alkaline environments where acidic ones should be. Also, those with kidney disease should consult with their doctor before drinking alkaline water.

The following chart compares popular water filtration choices. If you are buying a water filtration system for your home or office, consider the following things to help guide your decision.

Initial installation costs of the system
Cost and ease of replacing cartridges and other filter components
Where the filtration system will live in your home (such as a pitcher model, on the counter, under the counter, or a whole house system)
Water and energy requirements of the filtration system
Is the water filtration system certified by a third-party certifier such as NSF International or the Water Quality Association (WQA)?

Quick Guide to Common Water Filtration Options

Filtration Type	How it works	Pros	Cons
Carbon Filter	Reduces contaminants by trapping or absorbing them in the carbon	Low initial cost Easy to use and maintain Removes a wide range of contaminants	Varies greatly in range of contaminants they can remove Does not effectively remove inorganic pollutants such as arsenic, fluoride, nitrate and perchlorate Is the most effective means to remove volatile organic chemicals (VOCs)
Reverse Osmosis	Pushes water through a semi-permeable membrane that blocks particles larger than water	Very effective at removing most contaminants, creating very pure water Often combined with a carbon filter to further improve water quality	Uses 2-5 times more water than it produces Can be expensive to install and maintain Generally not effective at removing volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) Removes most beneficial minerals, too*
Distillation	Heats water to the boiling point and then collects the steam as it condenses, leaving many of the contaminants behind	Very effective at removing most contaminants, creating very pure water No filters to replace	Requires electricity for use Can take a long time to purify a substantial amount of water Removes most beneficial minerals, too* Generally not very effective at removing volatile organic chemicals (VOCs)
Ultraviolet Light Disinfection	Is used to kill or inactivate bacteria and viruses in water that chlorine is ineffective at treating	Water is completely disinfected from pathogens	Does not remove all impurities—is not effective on dissolved impurities such as rust, pesticides, fluoride, arsenic, etc.

*Some people who use reverse osmosis or distilled water choose to “remineralize” it—adding some of the beneficial minerals that have been removed back to the water before using it. This can be accomplished by adding a small amount of a mineral rich sea salt (such as Himalayan or Redmond Brand Real Salt) to the water, about ¼ teaspoon to a gallon of water, or by adding trace mineral drops available as a supplement. For a home reverse osmosis system, a remineralization filter can also be added to the system.

References

Whitney and Rolffs. Understanding Nutrition. West Publishing Company. 1993.
Ross, Julia. M.A. The Diet Cure. Penguin Book. New York 2000.
Batmanghelidj, E. M.D. Your Body’s Many Cries for Water. Global Health Solutions. Falls Church, VA. 1997.
Kill;er SC, Blannin AK, Jeukendrup AE. Evidence of dehydration with moderate daily coffee intake: A counter-balanced cross-over study in a free-living population. PLoS One. 2014. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084154
Goldstein ER, Zeigenfuss T, Kalman D, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and performance. J Int Soc Sports Nut. 2010.7:5.
Holdford, Patrhttp://www.ewg.org/research/ewgs-water-filter-buying-guide/filter-techn…. The Optimum Nutrition Bible. The Crossings Press. Freedom, CA. 1999.
Goldman, R. (2022, May 5). Alkaline water: benefits and risks. Healthline.com. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/alkaline-water-benefits-risks
Logozzi, M., Mizzoni, D., Di Raimo, R., Andreotti, M., Macchia, D., Spada, M., Fais, S. (2020). In vivo antiaging effects of alkaline water supplementation. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem, 35(1), 657-664. doi: 10.1080/14756366.2020.1733547
Hamasaki, T., Harada, G., Nakamichi, N., Kabayama, S., Teruya, K., Fugetsu, B., Gong, W., Sakata, I., & Shirahata, S. (2017). Electrochemically reduced water exerts superior reactive oxygen species scavenging activity in HT1080 cells than the equivalent level of hydrogen-dissolved water. PloS one, 12(2), e0171192. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0171192
Jin, D., Ryu, S. H., Kim, H. W., Yang, E. J., Lim, S. J., Ryang, Y. S., Chung, C. H., Park, S. K., & Lee, K. J. (2006). Anti-diabetic effect of alkaline-reduced water on OLETF rats. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry, 70(1), 31–37. https://doi.org/10.1271/bbb.70.31
Weidman, J., Holsworth Jr, R.R., Brossman, B., Cho, D.J., St Cyr, J., Fridman, G. (2016, Nov 28). Effect of electrolyzed high-pH alkaline water on blood viscosity in healthy adults. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 13(45). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-016-0153-8
Tanaka, Y., Saihara, Y., Izumotani, K., Nakamura, H. (2018, Oct-Dec). Daily ingestion of alkaline electrolyzed water containing hydrogen influences human health, including gastrointestinal symptoms. Med Gas Res, 8(4), 160-166. doi: 10.4103/2045-9912.248267