subject: Water for Health [print this page] Water for Health Water for Health
Water is incredibly ubiquitous; found everywhere on the planet and inside of every living organism on Earth. Everyone has heard the 'drink 8 glasses a day' advice and is aware of how deadly the effects of dehydration are but I'd like to discuss some lesser known facts about water today.
Clean Sources
Water in this day and age varies in purity and potability in many and complicated ways. It can be bacterially polluted, taste funny, contain harmful chemicals, or even be contaminated with with pharmaceuticals left behind from treated wastewater. Finding a good, clean source from which to drink can be a challenge. Bottled water isn't even necessarily the purest as it can contain bacteria and even chemicals leached from plastic. Water sourced from a high-altitude artesian well or run through a reverse osmosis system is going to be your best bet in most cases.
Perspiration
Perspiration, or sweating, is a major cause of dehydration. It's important to stay well hydrated during periods of heavy sweating. Sweating has benefits as well. It aids the body in ridding itself of toxins, excess sodium, urea, and many other trace minerals. It's worth noting that in hot and dry climates you may not notice that you're sweating although you are; it's actually keeping you much cooler than if you were not sweating.
Health Benefits
I just read that drinking water regularly decreases your risk of colon cancer by up to 45%. Dehydration itself may cause many health issues such as headaches, poor complexion, kidney stones, joint pain, asthma, and heart pain.
