Water, Hydration, Purification, Filters

WATER! Three quarters of the earth is covered by salt water. But, it is Fresh Water that is simply vital to living. CLEAN WATER! A necessary item for body health. What is the best water to drink? What about filters and conditioners for the whole house water treatment?

FYI water intake: Experts have determined that the average body needs about about 80 oz of total fluid per day. Your body makes about 16oz per day of water and about 20% of the total comes in food. Climate, activity, and body size effect this amount. Your urine color is a good indicator of consuming the right amount. Clear or slightly yellow is best.* Too much water can harm cells in Brain and Kidneys. The Kidneys function best at this amount as too much water could compromise blood purification process. Plus too much water in blood could flood into and swell nerve cells in attempt to balance mineral electrolyte gradients. Not enough water also is hard on Kidneys and cellular transport of minerals.

*Note: Vitamin B2 supplement consumed at more than 2.5 milligrams will turn urine yellow so urine color is no longer a vital sign of consuming enough water, or liquid.

Cities have elaborate filters and purification systems for water treatment. One of the primary elements is the same one used in swimming pools, chlorination. Also ozone and UV light treatments are available. Bacteria has a way of turning up in many places and has to be reduced or eliminated from water. Plus toxic minerals like lead are undesirable and need a filtration system to remove.The body has by far the most effective and efficient filter system in the Kidneys. But, too many toxic elements could build up and damage the system even if small amounts are ingested over time. 

DRINKING WATER

Bottled waters now fill a large section of markets. Many are promoted according to their source. Mountain spring water tops the list. There are also well waters, mineral waters, distilled waters with no minerals, alkaline waters, and also purified tap water with minerals added back. Which is the best? 

Mineral content between low and high levels in water has been studied and there appears to be an association that shows higher mineral content with lower cardiovascular disease rate. The why is not exactly known. It could be the calcium and magnesium content have benefits, or the opposite and low mineral content over time could pull undesirables toxic elements out of pipes and these toxic elements build up and eventually damage artery walls. There is enough evidence now to stay away from soft waters and use waters with a natural mineral content. A purification system is still advised unless the water is tested and found clean. Thus the advantage of a mountain top source. Water is purified as it falls over rocks in a mountain stream.

Carbon filters are the primary type of purification system to generate drinking water from tap water. Silver is often added to the carbon since it kills bacteria, but now ozone and UV light are also available. Other filter types may remove too many of the minerals, like reverse osmosis. Carbon is like a sponge, it has a very large surface area compared to it's size and traps the undesirable elements as water flows through it. Over time, the sponge like pockets become filled up and that is why the filter has to be occasionally replaced. The manufacturer tests their filters to see how long the filter is effective by flowing and measuring the amount of water it takes until contaminants flow out. If a water system guarantees 100,000 gallons, it would be best to stop and replace it at 80,000 gallons. At the end of a filters life, the flow of water through the filter is slower to allow contaminates to find empty pockets to get trapped, but some contaminates begin to flow out. Most likely not at a very high rate until after the guaranteed amount. 

WHOLE HOUSE SYSTEMS

Water conditioners produce soft water with less minerals which makes it great for washing clothes and keeping mineral deposits out of pipes and off tiles in showers. For these and a few other reasons, many homes use water softeners, especially in areas with hard water, lots of minerals. But, is soft water healthy to use for drinking? Not so according to the observed associations. Thus, a purification system that removes bacteria and heavy toxic metals while leaving the natural mineral content appears to be the best method to produce drinking water. It could be very expensive to filter the whole house water just for drinking purposes.

Another area that would benefit from filtered or purified water would be in showers, baths, and pools. Chlorine gases are released faster from hot water. The hot water opens pores on the skin and this area along with eye tissues appears to be of greater concern than breathing in chlorine gas with effects on the lungs. Obvious this depends on the length of the shower, amount of type of chlorine, and the health condition of the individual. People with respiratory conditions, COPD, or asthma might need to exercise more precaution. This is somewhat controversial as to extent of any health damage to lungs, skin, eyes, and liver. But, the animal studies on chickens and rats don't look good for chlorinated water.  ref ref

WATER NEEDS

The average body needs about 2 and a half quarts of liquid a day. The body naturally produces a pint of wter by itself from various metabolic processes. And remember, many foods especially melons contain water which is naturally filtered by the plant. Artificial fertilizers and chemical pesticides can leave residues in plants that can contaminate plant water, so use caution. Generally, the benefits in plants outweigh the chemical residues. While juicing is a popular method to extract plant fluids, any contaminates or chemicals, whether natural or artificial, get concentrated in the finished product, especially heavy metals like lead. Plus, juicing also concentrates natural sugars to an undesirable level. Eat whole fruits or vegetables as well as some juice. There is no fiber in juice. And that antioxidant ORAC value is quite overworked.