Does The Water You Drink Make A Difference?
Does The Water You Drink Make A Difference?
You would think that water was water - cool, refreshing, satisfying water. Unfortunately water sources vary greatly and what they have to offer is as different as the source. Water may look clean and clear, but what is actually inside may surprise you.
Investigations into municipal water sources from around the USA show that our drinking water supplies are less than desirable, containing many pharmaceutical drugs, carcinogens, waste, oil residue and many other products leaching their contents into our water supplies. While water authorities maintain a certain level of cleanliness to the water that is delivered in our pipes, they just simply do not even test for many drugs and chemicals. The chemicals they add to clean the water, such as chlorine and fluoride are dangerous in large doses. Taking a bath or shower for 15 minutes is the equivalent to drinking 8 glasses of these diluted chemicals, as the chemicals invade our open pores.
Many of us turn to bottled water instead, thinking that this water must be better for us. Again that depends upon the source. Natural spring water may be healthy and contain minerals we need, but by the time the water is cleaned and bottled it may not be. Then again, we have no idea of the purity of the source. There are hundreds of ‘natural springs’. But, there is no standard reporting requirement of what a ‘natural spring’ provides. Some sources of water are simply tap water cleansed by using an osmosis system. This is what Coke and Pepsi do. They spend millions of dollars each year convincing you to buy their water product brands.
Water is important to keep our bodies properly hydrated. We need water to restore the fluids that surround each cell and allow for transfer of oxygen and nutrients. Water is necessary for the blood and kidneys to remove waste from our bodies. When we allow ourselves to become dehydrated we slow our bodily processes, affecting our mental and physical performance. Water is simply important to life.
Think of a plant. When it hasn’t been watered it becomes limp and sickly. When we finally do water the plant, it perks back up within a matter of minutes. When scientists look to other planets to determine if the may be habitable, they always look for a source of water. Why? We need water to survive. Water makes up 70% of our body and is part of everything we consume. It is a major source to life. We need water.
The best water for us is water with an alkaline pH. What is pH? It is a measurement of the acid or alkaline nature of anything. 0 to 6.9 is acidic, 7 is neutral and 7.1 to 14 is alkaline. Normal pH for our bodily fluids is 7.3 to 7.5. An acidic bodily fluid environment leads to sickness, while an alkaline environment is healthier. Most natural water sources measure neutral on the pH scale. However, many bottled waters, even those claiming to be full of minerals, test in the acidic range.
Municipal water sources often include chemicals, drugs and additive chlorine these days and test between 6.0 to 6.5 pH, which is on the acidic side of the scale. Reverse osmosis systems may clean water, but leave the water with an acid pH. This is the case with most bottled waters as well. Although bottled water is at least pure in the sense that it has been cleaned of the chemicals found in tap water. Starting with a pH of 6.2, I am able to clean my local tap water and adjust it to a pH of 7.0, or neutral, using a Brita filter.
Why is this important? Our body maintains bodily fluids, especially blood, slightly alkaline. The pancreas works to maintain that necessary pH balance. Processed foods, dairy, meat, coffee and soda are acidic. When our water intake is also acidic, the pancreas pulls essential minerals from organs and bones to maintain an alkaline environment. If our diet remains acidic, we deplete our bodies of essential minerals, leading to heart, liver, respiratory, colon, intestinal and other diseases. By drinking alkaline water with higher pH levels, it is easier to counter an acidic environment and to restore essential minerals. Combine alkaline water with an alkaline diet and you will experience increased energy, vitality and healing.
Where do you get alkaline water? Unless you buy Evian bottled water, which has a pH of 8.0, you will probably need to make your own alkaline water these days. Machines are available that will allow you to set your pH level and will actually give the water a healthy ionic charge. But, unless you want to spend at least $750 this may not be an option for you. You can also filter your water with a home filtration system, use Brita or Pur filters or start with distilled water and add alkaline drops. Alkaline sticks are an effortless, inexpensive option, each lasting 2-3 months. They are simple to use and effective.
We need plenty of water! Not including water in our diets has a negative impact on body functions. Drinking water throughout the day is necessary. As we have seen, there is definitely a difference in the water we drink. Making the choice to drink healthy alkaline water will not only hydrate the body, but offers so many more benefits for your health.