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Water - Drink To Your Health

Editors Note: We found this article in the Spring 2001 newsletter of Health Plan of the Redwoods, an HMO based in Northern California. It was so good, we thought we’d share it with you. Why water? It’s one thing that IC patients often struggle with. It’s fairly common for IC patients to not drink enough, thus leading to constipation and dehydration. This article, written for the general public, will give you some general guidelines on appropriate water consumption – especially during these hot summer months.

WATER – DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH
Written by: Constance Burtnett

Are you suffering from:
* Lack of concentration?
* Constant fatigue?
* Fluid retention?
* Migraine headaches?
* Lower back pain or joint aches?
* Complications from allergies or asthma?
* Acid stomach or morning sickness?

Maybe you're not drinking enough water.

Doctors and nutritionists are starting to suspect that dehydration plays a major role in many physical complaints. Many people don’t realize they’re not drinking enough water because they don’t feel thirsty. But lack of thirst is actually a signal that you’re dehydrated. Dry mouth is an SOS signal that your body is in the late stages of severe dehydration. When the body is properly hydrated, your normal thirst mechanism kicks in and you start to feel thirsty again when you need more water.

WHY WE NEED WATER
Between 55% and 75% of an adult’s body weight is water (typically 10 to 12 gallons). Brain tissue is 85% water, and our blood is 83% water. Many people are surprised to learn that water comprises 73% of lean muscle, 25% of fat, and 22% of bone. Water regulates body temperature, removes wastes and toxins, and cushions the joints. It helps dissolve nutrients so they’re accessible to the body. And because proper hydration increases blood volume, it also increases the amount of oxygen available to brain cells, thereby helping our thinking processes.

HOW MUCH TO DRINK
Doctors recommend that inactive people drink 1/2 ounce of water daily for each pound of body weight. In other words, a 160-pound person should drink 80 ounces of water each day, which equals 10 eight-ounce glasses. Physically active people should drink more. The recommendation for very active people is up to 2/3 ounce per pound of body weight. People also need to drink more water during hot weather, particularly young children and seniors.

Nutritionists recommend that overweight people drink an extra eight ounces for each 25 pounds of excess body weight. When people don’t drink enough water, their kidneys can’t flush all toxins from the body, causing the liver to come to the kidneys’ aid. This detracts from the liver’s primary function of helping to digest fat and other nutrients. Thus, staying well-hydrated allows the body to metabolize fat more efficiently. Water also helps overweight people feel more full and therefore eat less.

SOME BEVERAGES DON’T COUNT
Don’t count caffeinated beverages or alcohol toward your daily water total. Both actually dehydrate your body and thus increase your need for water. Caffeinated beverages and soda contain substances that tax the body more than cleanse it. Also, juices contain a lot of sugar, so drink juice sparingly, and drink enough water to flush the excess sugar quickly through your system. People also gain a certain amount of liquid from food, perhaps four to five cups per day. But the amount is hard to gauge, so nutritionists recommend not counting food liquids toward your daily total.

WHAT HAPPENS TO ALL THAT WATER?
Adults lose nearly 12 cups of water per day. We lose between 1/2 cup and one cup of water each day through the soles of our feet (which explains why socks smell bad). Plus, we lose another two cups per day through other perspiration. The lungs use two to four cups of water per day to aid the breathing process. When the lungs don’t get enough water, the body produces more histamine, which forms mucus that can clog air passages. That’s why it’s important for people with asthma or allergies to drink a lot of water.

Urination and bowel movements account for the rest of daily water loss. Constipation is almost always the result of dehydration. Drinking plenty of water eliminates the need for laxatives. A recent study also showed good hydration to greatly reduce a person’s risk of developing colon cancer. Some people worry that a sharp increase in water intake will cause too many trips to the bathroom, but the bladder tends to adjust after a few weeks, reducing the initial need for frequent urination.

Urine that’s clear or very light yellow indicates that your body is well hydrated. Athletes, of course, lose more water through perspiration and respiration and therefore need more water. Some Olympic team doctors tell athletes that if their urine is golden, their medal won’t be. Doctors remind athletes that the muscles, lungs, and heart all depend on proper fluid levels to function at peak efficiency.

TREATING YOUR OWN WATER
It’s important to make sure you’re drinking pure water, but it can be difficult to determine which water is pure. While most municipal tap water in America is safe to drink, many homes have unsafe levels of lead in the pipes. To play it safe, some people like to take the extra measure of buying a water filter or distillation process for their kitchen sinks.

Common treatment systems include:
a. Activated carbon filters remove organic contamination and pesticides but do not remove inorganic chemicals and heavy metals like lead.
b. Ceramic filters remove harmful cryptosporidium and giardia organisms, along with rust and dirt. Experts recommend having both activated carbon and ceramic filters operating at the same time. It’s very important to change and clean these filters regularly, though, so they don’t become breeding grounds for the very contaminants you’re trying to remove.
c. Ultraviolet filters kill all microbes and organisms, including viruses. Many people include a UV filter along with activated carbon and ceramic filters.
d. Distillation removes all heavy metals and contaminants and kills all bacteria and viruses. This process is costly, though, and doctors worry that because it removes all minerals from the water, drinking distilled water can leach minerals from our bodies.

IS BOTTLED BETTER?
While bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, experts urge caution in choosing the brand you drink. Bottles labeled simply “drinking water” or “purified water” are probably tap water. If the water came right out of the tap without any treatment, the label must disclose which municipality it came from. Most of these brands are filtered or disinfected before bottling, however, so their labels need not mention the water source.

Between 1996 and 1999, the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) analyzed 103 brands of bottled water. Of those brands, one dozen exceeded federal, state, or industry guidelines for chemicals, minerals (such as arsenic), or other contaminants. The NRDC recommends choosing water that’s bottled by members of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA). These companies open their plants to unannounced inspections by an independent, internationally recognized third-party organization. The inspection ensures that IBWA members meet all federal, state, and IBWA requirements for the production and sale of bottled water. For more information about IBWA members, view the group’s website, www.bottledwater.org.

Copyright 2001 – Health Plan of the Redwoods
Reprinted With Permission