No one doubts that water is vital to everyone. But the question of what kind of water to drink – boiled, raw, and perhaps mineral – is the subject of much controversy. Let’s find out which H2O is suitable for daily use and which is better left for emergencies.
Why does a person need water and what are its benefits for health
More than 60% of human body weight is water. According to research, the brain and heart contain 73% water, lungs – 83%, and even our bones are made up of 31% water. Every cell, tissue, or organ in a living organism always needs water to function properly (1).
Therefore, the usefulness of water for humans:
- required for digestion and absorption of nutrients by the body;
- removes “waste” from the body through urine, sweat, faeces;
- used by the brain to synthesize the necessary neurohormones and mediators that regulate the body at different levels;
- helps deliver oxygen to cells (in the blood);
- maintains normal body temperature (through sweat and during breathing);
- protects delicate organs as a “buffer”, such as the brain and spinal cord;
- moisturizes mucous membranes;
- gives tone to the skin, moisturizes it;
- “Lubricates” and cushions joints.
Lack of water leads to dehydration. Dehydration (dehydration) can occur due to an insufficient amount of water that comes with drinking or eating, or excessive water loss, for example, during high temperatures, or intense physical activity. Even moderate dehydration can significantly impair cell function, reduce energy, and manifest itself in fatigue. That is why it is important to drink enough water every day (2).
How much water do you need to drink a day?
Every day we lose water during breathing, sweating, urination, and faeces. To maintain the health of the body, and water balance in the body, it is important to replenish the necessary amount of water. We get water every day while drinking or eating (usually 20% of its volume).
Regarding how much fluid you need to drink per day, there is the concept of “age intake” (drinking water).
Age norms of water consumption (2):
- children from 1 to 4 years should drink 2-4 glasses of fluid;
- children from 4 to 8 years old should drink 5 glasses of liquid;
- children from 9 to 13 years old should drink 7-8 glasses of fluid;
- persons over 14 years of age should drink 8 to 11 glasses of fluid;
- the total daily water requirement for men is 3.7 litres;
- the total daily water requirement for women is 2.7 litres.
How to determine how much water to drink per day?
The rate of consumption (drinking) of water for a healthy person is calculated by the formula: 30 ml per kilogram of body weight. This applies to all water that enters the body with drinking and eating.
However, the need for water depends on (2):
- ambient temperature (especially in case of danger of heat or sunstroke);
- body temperature, for example, with fever, the need for water increases;
- physical activity, for example, while running, intense sweating may dehydration occur faster (water deficiency);
- the state of the body, from the presence of diseases, for example, chronic renal failure or predisposition to edema, the amount of water consumed should be limited;
- with food poisoning, vomiting, diarrhea, or frequent urination, the body loses a lot of fluids and salts (trace elements) that need to be replenished, so the need for water increases;
- during pregnancy and breastfeeding, the need for water increases, but it is worth monitoring whether there is a tendency to edema.
In general, it is difficult to derive a universal formula for calculating the water level for all – you need to focus on the water needs of a particular person, the state of his body in the appropriate climatic conditions, the amount of physical activity, and so on.
If you have chronic cardiovascular or kidney disease, prone to edema, you should consult with your doctor about how much water you need to drink daily.
Signs that you drink enough water:
- no feeling of thirst;
- light yellow urine;
- no complaints of dry skin, mucous membranes of the eyes, hair, nails;
- body skin in tone;
- the intestines are regularly emptied, faecal masses are soft, and there is no constipation.
- When to drink (at what hours to drink water properly):
- during each meal;
- between meals, especially in the heat;
- before, during, and after exercise;
- when there is a feeling of thirst.
How much water do you need to drink to lose weight?
If you want to lose weight, water is a good helper in this matter (3). After all, we can often think about food and think that we are hungry when we really just want to drink.
It is known that water improves metabolism in the body, stimulates the excretion of toxins from the body, and is needed for the proper functioning of the intestine – the formation and excretion of faeces. However, you should not significantly exceed the daily norms of water, because this is an additional burden on the kidneys, which should remove excess fluid from the body.
In the process of losing weight, daily small steps in the right direction to achieve optimal weight provide more health benefits than super-fast diets and rapid weight loss.
Does it matter what water quenches thirst?
Do you think that water is the only option to restore your water balance? In fact, many fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water, for example, watermelon is almost 100% water. We can replenish fluid levels by drinking milk, tea, juice, or other beverages.
However, it is important to remember that sugary drinks contain a lot of sugar, and therefore a lot of calories, which do not give a lasting feeling of satiety, as after a meal. Even drinks that contain sugar substitutes are not “safe” for those who want to lose weight, because you can get used to drinking only something sweet. In addition, most sugar substitutes have a negative effect on long-term health.
So, when it comes to water, you should consume clean water without dyes and sweeteners. You can drink enriched water containing minerals (1).
If a person has a strong thirst, then he will be happy with any water that comes in handy. One-time drinking from the tap or the kettle is unlikely to harm your health, but for daily use, you should still choose more useful water. For example, a clean dining room that meets a person’s biological needs is best due to its neutral chemical composition.
Why is boiled water not the best option? For a long time, it was believed that boiling was a great way to kill all germs and thus purify the water. Indeed, when heated to maximum temperatures, pathogens do not survive, but salts of heavy metals do not go anywhere.
In addition, when chlorinated water is boiled, toxic chlorine compounds are formed in it, which are as harmful to health as microbes. And after cooling, boiled water is a favourable environment for bacteria to multiply.
We should also not forget that boiling kills nutrients – vitamins, minerals, and oxygen. It is no coincidence that even tea should be brewed with water no more than 90 degrees to maintain its oxygen saturation.
What is the best water according to the chemical composition
Understanding why boiled water is not the best option for quenching thirst, let’s find out that it is not recommended to drink every day (4).
Today the following types of water are known:
• Boiled – may contain sediment in the form of scale, as well as toxic chlorine compounds, does not contain nutrients, and therefore is not recommended for regular use.
• Mineral – has a rich vitamin and mineral composition, making it useful for medicinal purposes, but can be harmful in daily use.
• Distilled – completely purified from impurities water, which can be dangerous to the human body.
• Raw water – has a neutral chemical composition, close to pure natural water, making it best for humans.
Why is raw water better than boiled?
It should be noted that not all raw water is better than boiled. For example, in the summer you should boil or defend even water from wells and wells to prevent infection by harmful microorganisms. And raw, and even boiled, tap water should not be drunk at all, especially if there is no accurate data on its chemical composition.
At the same time, quality table water for daily drinking is much better than boiled. There are several reasons for this:
• Neutral composition, which allows you to drink water without restrictions, unlike mineral;
• Absence of harmful substances, which makes water safe for health;
• Neutral taste, most suitable for quenching thirst.
In addition, filtered table water has a softness that makes drinks and dishes based on it tastier.
Filtered water is the best choice for consumption
This way, the best water to drink is filtered raw water. But what filter to choose?
Today among the best filters can be listed Kinetic Reactor. Producers say that KINETIC REACTOR is not like a common water filter, because water does not flow through activated carbon or any other substances, it’s better to say that KINETIC REACTOR is a strong device for water treatment on the tap/faucet.
With the powerful impact forces of microjets, Kinetic Reactor reduces the number of bacteria and heavy metals in the water without the presence of any chemical additives (5, 6; 7; 8). The Kinetic Reactor protective mesh works well and retains all harmful particles from the water network. Inside Kinetic Reactor there are no visible coatings or impurities. KR naturally purifies water without any chemicals, disinfectants, activated carbon, sand, magnetism, or UV light. Kinetic Reactor is therefore more ecologically friendly (6; 8; 9).
Also, KR provides another crystalline modification of calcium carbonate – aragonite, which is less harmful and easily absorbed by the human body. Calcium aragonite promotes bone healing, helps with constipation and indigestion, and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, caries, and osteoporosis, the mineral is rich in bioavailable calcium, which is so necessary for the human body (10; 11; 12; 13).
During the transition of calcium carbonate from the form of calcite to the form of aragonite, carbon dioxide is released, which contributes to the more alkaline water and highly improves ageing at the molecular level. More alkaline water highly improves ageing at the molecular level and helps to maintain health and overall well-being (14; 9).
This way, KR provides a “living” water to our organism, that helps all the cells to be more hydrated and improves health (15; 16; 6; 9):
- Lowers the risk of many diseases, including cardiovascular and nervous disorders, cancer, etc.;
- Flushes out toxins from the body;
- Helps to lose weight at a faster rate;
- Stimulates digestive system; Improves blood circulation;
- Boosts metabolic rate;
- Re-energize the body and uplifts mood;
- Improves ability to focus and concentrate;
- Increase muscles and tendons endurance and flexibility;
- Improves the condition of bones and joints;
- Promotes the growth of healthy hair and gives glowing and healthier skin complexion.
Also, KR saves drinking water on water taps from 40% to 70% (built-in Swiss patent-flow regulator) and has the simplest installation that you can do yourself and without replacement service for the whole year (17). And Kinetic Reactor can be used wherever giving the people the best quality water to drink.
Dr. Oksana Klymenko M.D., PhD, SNHS Dip. (Holistic Nutrition), Medical Doctor, Researcher in the fields of molecular physiology and pathophysiology, molecular biology, genetics, cell biology
References
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- SGS INSTITUT FRESENIUS (Frankfurt, Germany) – test period from 15.06.2021 – 18.06.2021- test report 5342674;
- SGS INSTITUT FRESENIUS (Frankfurt, Germany) – test period from 15.06.2021 – 18.06.2021- test report 5342675;
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