How healthy is drinking water?

[x-termin8or]

Does anyone know how healthy drinking water really is? I think it is actually something taken for granted a lot. For the last 6 months i have been drinking almost nothing but water and i have noticed i have a lot more energy, feel more awake, my skin is healthier and overall i feel a lot healthier.

Can this really all be a result of changing my diet slightly by only drinking water or do you think that there's a big chance there are actually many other factors involved?

 

[Andy M.]

A lot depends on what you were drinking before and how much. Any change in your helath or general condition is a combination of foods and beverages you added, those you stopped along with changes in activity and environment.

The helathfulness of drinking water would vary from location to location and from time to time. You can't make a blanket statement.

 

[Alix]

Xtermin8or, upping your water intake will definitely have a positive influence on many things. It is just your body getting what it really needs to work properly and flush toxins out of your system (thus the clearer skin). But, as Andy says, much depends on what you were drinking before that you have eliminated.

The water itself has no magical health properties or any additives that make it wonderful. Its just the liquid our bodies need to work efficiently. Drinking the right amount everyday just helps things work right.

 

[mcnerd]

My city provides a report on its drinking water twice a year. It's better than the 'bottled' stuff for the most part.

Just don't be excessive on drinking water. People have actually died from drinking too much of it, but in your case it seems your change of diet and more water intake was needed by your body to function correctly so you saw an improvement.

You are no different than a plant that gets sufficient water and nutrients. In the right balance you get a happy plant with lots of blooms.

 

[x-termin8or]

Yeah actually as well as only drinking water in the last 6 months i have also cut down on eating chocolates, and other fatty foods and increased the amount of vegetables, fruits, etc i eat. But i still think the water was the main thing that helped IMHO.

 

[GB]

Ditto to what Andy and Alix have already said. Just to add a few things, most people do not drink enough to begin with. Anytime you are thirsty you are already dehydrated to some degree. You should never get to the thirsty point. Of course that is not realistically possible, but knowing that when you are thirsty you really do need to replenish your liquids is an important step. Water is going to be better for you in most cases than most other things, especially when it comes to soda and sugary juices.

You also have to be careful not to drink too much water. That can kill you believe it or not. I actually came very close to passing out from drinking too much water once. thankfully a friend was with me and saw the color change in my face and made me lie down. Had I kept drinking I could have died.

Edited to add: Sorry mcnerd, I started posting before your post went through. I did not mean to leave you out.

 

[x-termin8or]

Wow i never realised how over drinking was so serious and that people have actually died from it! I guess the trick is you just have to be balanced in everything you do.

 

[GB]

Wow i never realised how over drinking was so serious and that people have actually died from it! I guess the trick is you just have to be balanced in everything you do.

Exactly. Like "they" always say, too much of anything is not good.

 

[Lisar]

My sister just to loose weight started drinking nothing but water and it works well for her. In the past year she has lost 60 pounds. She does exercise to though.

 

[mcnerd]

Water intoxication (also known as hyperhydration or water poisoning) is a potentially fatal disturbance in brainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain functions that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits by over-consumption of water.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication#cite_note-0

 

[Michael in FtW]

You need to drink enough water to stay hydrated - but too much water (Hyponatremia) can kill you because it washes out the electrolytes (sodium and potassium) your body needs to keep it's electrical system working ... without enough of either one your heart will not beat. Of course, it's not as simple as just the amount of water you drink - replacing the electrolytes lost through sweating also need to be replaced ... otherwise the problem is exacerbated because the added water will just further dilute the already depleated electrolytes even more.

In the old days ... we took salt pills - these days we have Garotade!

Other threads we have had on Hyponatremia and Electrolyte replacement:

Is there such a thing as drinking too much water?

Gatorade and Headaches


Another thing that has the potential of stopping your heart is switching from salt to a salt substitute composed of potassium chloride ... this is from another old thread on salt substitutes.

most people do not drink enough to begin with. Anytime you are thirsty you are already dehydrated to some degree. You should never get to the thirsty point. Of course that is not realistically possible, but knowing that when you are thirsty you really do need to replenish your liquids is an important step. Water is going to be better for you in most cases than most other things, especially when it comes to soda and sugary juices.

I totally agree.

Yeah actually as well as only drinking water in the last 6 months i have also cut down on eating chocolates, and other fatty foods and increased the amount of vegetables, fruits, etc i eat. But i still think the water was the main thing that helped IMHO.

You have changed too many things to be able to attribute all of your "healthy feeling" changes to being related just to your water consumption. You have significantly changed your diet. I'm sure it is a combination of all of the changes you have made in your diet.

 

[sugarx2]

I have a very effective NIKKEN PI MAG Water filter. It filters out all the heavy metals and chlorine down to .01 microns, and then puts back the necessary minerals. It tastes pure, and is almost antiseptic. I prefer not to drink tap water. What I have read scares me. In my area, they say it is safe, but then if you ask them directly, they tell you they sell off our purer local water, and ship in the junk from Los Angeles and Sacramento areas, so it is all al LIE! I don't take chances with my water.

I don't have to wear designer labels, or drink designer labels, but when it comes to my water Definitely NIKKEN is the best for me.

Any filtered water is better than tap, but some filters are far more effective and healthier than others.

What I have read, though is that distilled water may be clean, but it is literally dead water, and leaches the minerals out of your body. So if you have distilled water filtering systems you should add the minerals to all your drinking water before you drink any of it!

Candy

 

[x-termin8or]

What about in the UK? Do you know if the tap water there is quite good compared to bottled water? I have heard from a lot of sources that tap water in the UK is actually a lot better compared to other european countries...

 

[sugarx2]

Filtered Water, from a safe and better made filter will be better, no matter what tap

What about in the UK? Do you know if the tap water there is quite good compared to bottled water? I have heard from a lot of sources that tap water in the UK is actually a lot better compared to other european countries...

Filtered Water, from a safe and better made filter will be better, no matter what tap.

I do not know specifics about other countries from the USA, but the more technology they apply to water for the masses, the worse it seems to get. Here, they have started to recycle toilet and other used water for consumption. I can not imagine how they clean it. I do know lots of prescription drugs and chemicals are showing up in our water. The mixture is probably lethal to less than totally healthy people (like me). Plus, how long can healthy people stay that way drinking other people's drugs and arsenic daily, no matter how small the amounts. Over time our bodies react.

 

[Cooking Freak]

I have put a second small tap with a special set of filters on my kitchen - working pretty fine. No dust or anything and water is drinkable. I prefer it to the one in bottles.

 

[sugarx2]

More water info

I have put a second small tap with a special set of filters on my kitchen - working pretty fine. No dust or anything and water is drinkable. I prefer it to the one in bottles.

Mine runs from the sink as well. Nikken also makes a travel water bottle with a built in filter. It works well, but is only .2 microns. The sink one is .01 microns. The sink one has a third filter with the minerals built in to put them back, the water bottle doesn't remove them to begin with, so you get that much of whatever good was actually in the tap water to begin with.

But it takes out all the chlorine and heavy metals. It doesn't remove all the water soluble toxins, but it gets all bacterias. Interesting almost no filters can remove viruses, which is why they must chlorinate first, then remove the chlorines.

The Nikken water bottles also have a holder available, that has a farinfrared reflective fabric, and a magnet in the base for more energy in the water. Tastes great too. I often sold these and just put a Nikken magnet taped to the bottom of the bottle. Those who couldn't afford the high price of the holder could at least get the magnetic energy added. It really makes a difference in the texture, and taste of the water.

Seychelle who created the original water bottles and filters did Amways, and other companies through the years. They also sell their own brand, but only NIKKEN has the FIR and Magnetics in theres from Seychelle, as far as I know. Other brands may now be doing similar things as well. This industry grows with the need. The worse the water supply, the more filters become available.

I have a NIKKEN shower filter too. I used to cough the whole time I was in the shower, but now with no more chlorine fumes I actually enjoy the shower!

Hope more people become aware of water issues. If we all drank more water we would be a lot healthier and happier. I do agree that overdosing on any water isn't good either, but a good 6 full glasses per day, not including sweet juice, and coffee, tees and other drinks would benefit all of us!

 

[ribs and steak]

My parents have a seperate well for drinking water. when I'm at work I'll have either soda or water. I've been trying to include water in diet for some time. As for bottled water i get Aquafena or Dasani.

 

[sugarx2]

Coffee vr. Water

I use great water from my filter, but I drink it mostly in the form of COFFEE, and I know that is not a great thing to do. They just released info though that four cups of coffee a day will offset some kinds of cancer, so that is good news. I will still be a bit dehydrated, unless I can get myself to drink more clear clean water!

 

[CasperImproved]

I use great water from my filter, but I drink it mostly in the form of COFFEE, and I know that is not a great thing to do. They just released info though that four cups of coffee a day will offset some kinds of cancer, so that is good news. I will still be a bit dehydrated, unless I can get myself to drink more clear clean water!

You might try what I have been doing the last few months if you like apple juice. I buy the inexpensive apple juice at the store, use about a 1/4 ratio with regular water. This will add a lot of flavor to the water, without the ton of calories and sugar of the regular juice. I've been drinking a lot more water then I used to.

Bob

 

[x-termin8or]

By the way, can i ask: What type of water do use think is better, absolutely pure clean water or normal tap water (which isn't perfectly clean) but still ok to drink?

I read/heard somewhere that believe it or not the normal tap water is actually better to drink then the normal absolutely pure clean water you can get in some special filtered taps...

What does everyone else think?