Despite recent news reports claiming that drinking water is overrated (or that you can get enough water from your food), natural health practitioners are fairly unanimous in their belief that keeping properly hydrated is one of the best, easiest, and least expensive ways to stay in good health.
The body is 60-70% water and adequate water intake helps to provide the following benefits:
• flushes out wastes
• supports body’s chemical processes
• transports nutrients
• keeps skin moist
• regulates body temperature
• keeps energy levels up
• maintains acid-alkaline balance
• alleviates some headaches
• staying well-hydrated often helps to regulate appetite—people often mistake thirst and hunger, and eat when their bodies are actually craving fluid.
Most people realize that becoming severely and acutely dehydrated can have dire consequences, however, even a low level of chronic dehydration can also have negative effects:
• Increased risk of developing urinary tract infections, kidney stones and constipation (and its potential effects, including hemorrhoids and diverticulosis).
• Increased risk of bladder, breast and colon cancer.
• Mitral Valve Prolapse (a sign of MVP is low blood volume)
• An increase in fluid retention, as the body tries to hold on to water for survival purposes as hydration levels decrease.
• An array of maladies can be caused or exacerbated by chronic dehydration including heartburn and ulcers, fatigue, diabetes, depression, allergies, asthma, rheumatoid pain, back pain, heart pain, headaches, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and leg pain—according to the physician F. Batmanghlidj, author of Your Body’s Many Cries for Water.
• Other symptoms of dehydration include weakness, loss of energy, muscle cramps and dizziness.
• Women going into premature labor are often given IV fluids, and find the labor stopping as they hydrate. Some sources cite dehydration as a contributor to morning sickness also.
How much water do we need? Various sources including the Mayo Clinic Women’s Health Source, say that you should aim for ½ oz. of water per pound of body weight. So for example, if you weigh 120 lbs., you would need 60 oz. of water, or 7.5 cups of water per day. A 200 lb. person would require 12.5 cups daily. Andrew Weil, M.D., says less may be sufficient if the urine is light in color. Mouth breathers usually need more fluids as they tend to become dehydrated more easily.
Recent headlines stated that since food contains water, there is no need to drink an additional eight glasses per day. However, the amount of water in your food depends on what you are eating. If you are eating a lot of fruits, vegetables or soups, your fluid intake may be adequate, but remember, the amount which is required to sustain life vs. that is required for optimal health and vitality may differ substantially.
If you get bored with drinking plain water, try lemon, lime or even cucumber slices in your water. The herbal sweetener Stevia makes flavored liquid drops that can be added to water to give it a boost without sugar or harmful chemicals. There are dozens of types of herbal teas that are excellent hot or iced.
Is my water safe? While bottled water may seem like the safest choice, it does not have the same stringent standards as tap water does—and some states have no regulation at all. There are also good reasons to be concerned about plastics leaking xenoestrogens into the water, and about our landfills since the plastic water bottles do not recycle efficiently. In his book Water, the Ultimate Cure, Steve Meyerowitz says that filtering tap water is a highly recommended method of ensuring a clean and pure water supply. According to Meyerowitz, simple carbon filters in a pitcher, on a faucet or under a sink are inexpensive and effective, although the filters do need to be changed regularly. Activated charcoal (carbon) filters remove organic compounds, odors, tastes, pesticides and some remove heavy metals.
Note: people with kidney problems or other conditions were fluid intake needs to be limited should be following their doctor’s recommendations.
