Our bodies comprise 60 percent water, more than half our body weight. This means we should pay close attention to our daily water intake. Regarding drinkable water, there are many factors to be mindful of.
What are the different types of water?
Which water is safe for drinking?
How does water benefit a person?
And how much water does a person need in a day?
Those questions are important because they can help you make wise decisions about your health. Luckily, this article answers all those questions.
Why is Water so Important?
As mentioned, our body is composed of 60 percent of water. Therefore, most of our bodily functions rely on water availability in the body.
Water can cause health problems if we drink too much or too little, so it is essential to know its role in the body.
Functions of Water in the Body
Keeps the Body Hydrated
Our bodies lose a lot of water through breathing, digestion, and sweating. This water loss is especially noticeable during a busy day requiring much physical work.
That is why refilling your body's water tank is important to stay hydrated and moist.
Promotes Easy Waste Removal
Water is essential for digestion. Its function is similar to that of our salivary glands. When food enters the mouth, enzymes found in saliva help break down the food.
Water significantly aids proper digestion and regular bowel movements by softening the end product of digested food.
Water has many technical functions on the body and also significantly affects health. It may even help improve a person's psychological and emotional state.
Benefits of Water on a Person's Health
Maximizes Physical Performances
Ensuring a hydrated body means providing your body with more energy to function effectively. Even a 2% reduction in your total water level can cause specific health problems, such as increased fatigue, body temperature control disorder, decreased motivation, and decreased physical and mental stress.
So, it is best recommended that you drink a few glasses of water after an intense workout or any physically challenging activities.
Improve Brain Function
Hydration for the brain is essential. If not given the required amount of water levels, your brain will be able to function irregularly and improperly. Since the brain is the message sender for all functions of our entire body, paying extra attention to our brain's needs is best.
Studies have shown that one to two percent of water loss in women's brains can impair the brain's brain's functions. Particularly affecting their mood and concentration on any aspect of the matter. Common effects that result from this type of situation are over-fatigue and headaches.
Another study on men has shown that even 1.5% of brain water loss can affect daily functionalities.
Prevent and Treat Headaches
Science has proven that a body with less water can cause headaches or even severe migraines. Also, water itself can help cure those brain-related problems.
Helps Prevent Kidney Stones
The kidneys function as the filtering machine of our body. They aid in extracting waste from the blood, urine, and other body fluids. Thus making them as important as any organ in the body (although all organs are essential).
Drinking the required amount of water daily can help prevent clumps and crystals resulting in Kidney Stones. The primary function of water in the kidneys is to dilute the concentration of minerals.
Effective for Losing Weight
Studies have shown that people who drink two glasses of water before meals will likely lose more weight than those who do not. This is because water significantly impacts the stomach, helping to reduce calorie intake, which gradually leads to weight loss.
There are a lot of sources to get yourself some water to drink. However, there are various kinds of water; not every kind is safe and drinkable. How do you know when water is safe? Where should you get water?
Different Types of Water
There are many choices regarding which source you will use to provide yourself with water. Being aware of the different kinds of water available for drinking will be a significant advantage. Although there may be a wide selection, not all are guaranteed to be safe for drinking.
Tap Water
Tap water is never advised for drinking. It is the most unsafe kind of water. Do not be fooled by its convenience and ease of access.
Furthermore, tap water can contain contaminants that might cause several serious health problems.
Before going further, let us familiarize ourselves with the different contaminants.
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Arsenic. This contaminant is mostly found in tap water and can cause cancer. This is considered a carcinogen and highly poisonous.
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Aluminum. Drinking water that carries aluminum particles can increase the chances of acquiring Alzheimer's Disease. As well as other health problems such as gastrointestinal, skin, and liver diseases.
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Fluoride. This contaminant has been commercially introduced to cure cavities and strengthen the teeth. Fluoride increases the risk of having holes.
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Other contaminants found in water, but rare, are Prescription or OTC Drugs and Disinfection Byproducts.
Bottled Water
You might think that bottled water is safe for drinking. However, since some bottles carry labels that say purified and filtrated water, this has long been a common misunderstanding.
Bottled water makes up 40% of tap water, so it may still contain certain contaminants even before it undergoes the process.
Furthermore, storing a plastic bottle in your water is never recommended. Plastic bottles are composed of a chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA) that has been proven to cause numerous health problems.
Distilled Water
The term "distilled" can be misleading and deceiving because it does not guarantee safe and drinkable water. The distillation process even intensifies the effect of the contaminants in the water.
Distilled water can be relatively safe for drinking, but only for detoxification. If you plan to make it your go-to nourishing drink, it's best to avoid it.
Alkaline Water
Alkaline in water has been widely practiced and used in many countries for the past years. But is it safe as it promises to be? It may benefit health in some ways, but the risk of health problems remains.
The thing about alkaline water is that it has to be consumed within boundaries. One advantage of drinking Alkaline water is that it detoxifies your body. However, detoxification is limited to being done in a week or two. Drinking too much will reduce your stomach acid because of over-detoxification, which will result in ulcers or GERD.
Vitamin or Flavored Waters
Over the past few years, vitamin or flavored waters have grown relatively rapidly. They are believed to be a great and "healthy" replacement for sodas and powdered juices. Unfortunately, these products are part of a company's marketing strategy to increase sales and profit.
Creating Vitamin or Flavored waters involves many harmful elements that can harm health. These waters contain large amounts of fructose corn syrup, additives, preservatives, caffeine, and other elements that can be incredibly harmful.
Coconut Water
Coconuts are found to be a great source of fresh and pure water. Furthermore, coconuts are rich in minerals and nutrients that can help boost your immune system.
Filtrated and Purified Water
The safest water to drink is the one that has undergone the process of both filtration and purification. If water has only gone through either one of the processes, it would not be as healthy as possible if processed using the two methods.
Water Filtration is the process of removing water impurities and bacteria. Although certain viruses and pathogens might still be present, they are too microscopic to be eliminated through filtering.
This is where the Water Purification process comes in because purification kills 99.9% of the remaining contaminants that were not removed during the first process. Therefore, you are guaranteed much safer and more drinkable water.
Now that you know the different kinds of contaminants commonly present in waters and the different types of waters, only one question remains. How much water does a person need?
How Much Water Should You Drink?
No ideal numerical figure tells you how much water you should drink daily. Several factors can complicate determining the amount of water to drink, such as the frequency and intensity of your daily routine or physical activities, genes, climate, weather, country, and current health status.
We were taught to drink an average of eight glasses of water daily when we were young. However, 80% of this belief can help us stay hydrated and healthy.
Yet, this may not work for everyone because of the different factors contributing to the situation.
There is a universal standardized guide for men and women that only reminds them to keep track of their water intake.
- Men are required to intake an average of 13 cups of water a day
- Women are required to intake an average of 9 cups of water a day
But, this guide may vary if you engage in strenuous activities or naturally sweat a lot. Even if you have reached the recommended number of cups daily but still feel thirsty, do not hesitate to drink more water.
You need to increase your water intake if you sweat more than the average person. Breathing and talking also reduce a person's water levels.
In the case of older adults, the ability to identify thirstiness is already quite tricky. That is why it is advised to drink even just a glass of water regulator to increase your water intake rly.
Although all of them effectively tell you whether you have enough water, this is the color of your urine. To know that you have sufficient water, the color of your urine should be light yellow or lighter than that.
If otherwise, then you need to increase the number of glasses you drink per day.
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