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by Elson M. Haas, M.D.
Water, Water Everywhere
Water is the medium in which all other nutrients are found. Three simple molecules—two hydrogen and one oxygen—bind together to form one molecule of water, the most abundant and important substance both on Earth and in the human body. The hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water are never alone, however. Water is the universal solvent, as most other substances on Earth dissolve in water in varying degrees. In a mountain stream or in our bloodstream, minerals and other substances are always naturally present. Pure (100 percent) water does not exist naturally on our planet. There is no place that is just water, like distilled water; it always has minerals and other substances contained. The planet’s natural water varies in mineral content, as does the water found within the human body. The adult body is at least 60 percent water, but this percentage is even higher before birth. As late as 32 weeks of gestation, the fetus is more than 80 percent water and is surrounded by the ocean-like water of amniotic fluid. The fetus continuously swallows this fluid for nourishment—each day about 250 milliliters for every kilogram of body weight (the equivalent for an adult of about five gallons per day). Without this constant swallowing ofwater and nutrients, the fetus would become malnourished and the digestive system itself could not be properly formed.
Water is the primary component of all the bodily fluids—blood, lymph, digestive juices, urine, tears and sweat. Water is involved in almost every bodily function: circulation, digestion, absorption, and elimination of wastes, to name a few. Water carries the electrolytes, mineral salts that help conveyelectrical currents in the body; the major minerals that make up these salts are calcium, chloride, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. Water requirements vary greatly from person to person. The climate in which we live, our activity level, and our diet all influence our individual needs for water.
Water and Healing
Anything that nourishes can heal, but among all nutrients—perhaps all substances of any kind—water is unsurpassed in its ability to heal. We turn to water for healing (and feelings) in all dimensions of our lives—from hot tubs to hydrotherapy, from bathing to baptism—and the mere sight of water, a mountain lake or ocean tide, can ease the pain of psychological wounds.
The pain of physical wounds is also healed through water. When we’reinjured, our bloodstream carries repair substances to the injury site. About 81 percent of that bloodstream is water. When toxic substances from the environment make their way inside our bodies, our urine (95 percent water) or our sweat (99 percent water) usually carries the toxins back out. Skin wounds heal most quickly in a wet environment, because water accelerates re-epithelialization (the making of new skin) and the rate of wound contraction. Hyaluronan, the well-researched glycosaminoglycan in skin, is believed to promote skin healing by increasing skin hydration.
In countless other ways, water in fundamental to life. Without clean water, we cannot experience optimum health, but by practically every public health standard issued during the past 50 years, humans have not experienced optimum health. One of the reasons for this fact is simple: the Earth’s water is in crisis. Crisis—from the Greek word krisis, meaning “turning point” or “point of decision”—is exactly the right word to describe our present-day relationship with water, both nutritionally and ecologically. The resolution of this crisis is so fundamental to our personal health and the health of our planet that we must look more closely at water than we look at any other nutrient. What is happening to our water is simple: it is Drying Up, Getting Diverted, and Becoming Toxic.
Water Requirements
Water is essential for all life, and drinking the right amount is important to achieving optimum health. All the beverages we drink—teas, coffee, sodas, beer—are basically water that contains other ingredients as well. Drinking good water is still the best way, I believe, to obtain our fluid requirements.
The amount of water we need is based on a number of factors—our size; our activity level, which influences the amount of fluid we lose through sweat; the climate or temperature (higher environmental temperatures increase our fluid losses); and our diet. Special circumstances in which increased amounts of water may be needed include fever, diarrhea, kidney disease, or any situation where excessive fluid losses occur through normal body elimination processes.
We lose water daily through our skin, urine, bowels, and lungs (as water vapor in the air). About half of our water losses can be replaced with the water content in our food. The remaining half requires specific fluid intake, primarily from drinking good water. Caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, tea, cocoa, or colas, and alcoholic beverages do not count as the same volume of water because they act as diuretics in the body, increasing fluid losses from the kidneys. The average human requirement is about three quarts of water per day, including food and beverages. An inactive person in a cool climate may need less, while an athlete training in the desert will need much more. People who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, which are high in water content, will require less drinking water than people who consume proportionally more meats and fats, which are more concentrated and require additional water to help utilize them. In addition to a healthy diet containing fresh fruits and vegetables, I recommend that the average person consume at least 1.5 to 2 quarts of water daily.
Water is best consumed at several intervals throughout the day—one or two glasses upon awakening and about an hour before each meal. Water should not be drunk with or just after meals, as it can dilute digestive juices and reduce food digestion and nutrient assimilation. Some people like to drink one or two glasses in the evening to help flush out their system overnight, even though this may result in getting up during the night to urinate. It is important to drink water to avoid problems such as constipation and dry skin. Drinking enough contaminant-free water is likely our most significant nutritional health factor. Water will keep us current, clean, and flowing through life.
The Future of Water
Writing this article on water was a difficult task. There is so much opinion, misinformation, and proprietary hype that companies use to sell their water or their filter systems. I have distilled the best I could with what I believe. I know there are concerns with public utility water and the Earth’s natural resources. Yet, what’s the best way to clean it up? What’s the most efficient way to filter water at home and ensure drinking safety? And what about all the new “scientific” waters, such as alkaline and “ionic” waters for better body balance (we want to be more alkaline) or microclusters and M-water, which propose to hold together in different molecular balance to better utilize? What water will allow us to hydrate our cells and tissues better? I see all of this being explored more scientifically in the coming years. Since water is second only to air as our most important substance and body component, we really need to know the truth about it and how to make it work right in our body.
Water is out of this world when it comes to nutritional magic, and we’re going to find ourselves more and more dazzled by the miracles of water. What water comes out of the tap we will end up calling “bath water”—at best. And water that has percolated down through healthy soil, water without the pesticides and heavy metals, “real water,” will refresh us in a way we can hardly imagine. On account of its mineral content alone, truly natural and pure, fresh water shall take its place along with the most touted foods and supplements as the key for prevention of heart disease and hypertension, and the key to optimal health.
Elson M. Haas, M.D. is the founder and director of Preventaive Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael, California. He is the author of several popular health and nutrition books, including The New Detox Diet, Staying Healthy with the Seasons, The False Fat Die and Staying Healthy with Nutrition. For more information or to contact Dr. Haas, visit www.elsonhaas.com.
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