Water is one of the most important factors in your health. The world’s first civilizations were built near rivers. These people knew the importance of water for themselves, their animals, and their crops.

Our body is 70% water. Every cell inside of us is constantly being bathed in water. The body uses water in countless ways. Water:

• removes toxins
• nourishes and bathes cells
• balances electrolytes
• in the blood brings nutrition and oxygen to our tissues
• carries off wastes
• central regulator of energy and osmotic balance in the body
• main solvent for all foods, vitamins, and minerals
• is used in the breakdown of food into smaller particles and their eventual metabolism and assimilation
• required to produce stomach acid
• needed to maintain the health of the mucous in the stomach lining
• moves in both directions across the gastric mucosa. It brings some of the water soluble substances with it and delivers those substances to the bloodstream. Without ample mucous lining, stomach comes in direct contact with stomach tissue resulting in stomach ulcers.
• prevents constipation. Without enough stomach acid, the small intestinal bacteria don’t completely digest the food which is then delivered to the large intestine. In order to conserve water (because we didn’t drink enough) the body will extract water from the partially digested food leaving half-digested dry stool of the wrong pH in the large intestine…….no fun!
• Is necessary if injury occurs, coagulants come out of the fluid and stop the bleeding, while white blood cells emerge from the blood stream and begin attacking poisonous substances.

Without enough water these process are all hindered.

Our brain is 85% water. Adequate intake of water is absolutely essential. We were designed to consume adequate amounts of pure water. In the past 100 years water has been replaced with soda, coffee, tea, juice, energy drinks, and other caffeinated liquids. These liquids cause dehydration. Dehydration has been linked to heartburn, angina, arthritis, back pain, cancer, kidney stones, colitis, and constipation. The body can show deep dehydration without a dry mouth. A dry mouth is one of the very last indicators of dehydration, and by that time, many other functions of the body have already been shut down. If our brain doesn’t get the volume of water it needs, the body will take water from joints, spinal discs and even organs in order to supply the brain.

Water in human cells, however, is not just water (H20). It is much more as discovered by Dr. Gerald Pollack. He discovered a fourth phase of water called EZ, or exclusion zone. He called it this because he discovered that small molecules are excluded from the water inside most of our cells. He found the molecular structure to be H302. It is more viscous, ordered, and more alkaline than regular water. Its optical properties are even different and have a negative charge, which could explain why human cells are negatively charged. The key ingredient to create EZ water is light;visible, ultraviolet, and infrared. Different kinds of light therapy build EZ. EZ being critical for cells, light therapy, including cold laser has a distinct chemical basis. The flow of blood occurring through your capillaries is enhanced by exposure to light. Benefits of laser therapy are related to recharging your damaged c ells’ EZ water, as well as promoting increased capillary blood flow.

EZ water also has more oxygen than H20. When you increase oxygen, you get more EZ water. This is also why hyperbaric treatment is so effective because it buildsEZ water in the body.

EZ water is alkaline and carries a negative charge. Maintaining this state of alkalinity and negative charge is important for optimal health. You can do this by creating a vortex in your water container by spinning it around. Spring water is a natural source of EZ water as well.

How much water should a person consume?

There are many opinions on this topic. One of these is to take one’s weight and divide by two equals about how many ounces of water a person should consume daily. Dr. Mercola recommendscalculating one quart of water for every 50 pounds of body weight. I recommend your weight divided by two especially during a cleanse, detoxing, or heavily exercising. Of course, in hotter weather and vigorous exercise more may be required. Another perspective suggested sipping it all day long and consuming about one to two cups of water per hour. If you consume one quart at a setting three times a day, your body will not use most of the water. It is important to maintain water balance because if not, blood can thicken and flow with greater difficulty, and can cause stress to a heart that has to pump this sludged blood. Drink water before and after meals, and at room temperature to ensure proper enzyme function. Too hot or too cold interferes with digestion.

Water Everywhere and not a Drop to Drink

More than two-thirds of the earth’s surface is covered with water and yet we are at a point in our history when pure water is almost impossible to find. Current drought levels in California are causing water to be even more of a scarcity in some counties. US government studies show that approximately 1 person in 5 in the US drinks contaminated water sources. This means that there are alarming levels of DDT and other pesticides, heavy metals and other environmental toxins such as, PCBs or dioxins in water; even bottled water. It is becoming more evident that the source of water is everything.

What about fluoridated water?

Dr. Dean Burk-former researcher with the National Cancer Institute found that one tenth of all cancer deaths in the US could be linked to fluoridation of our water. Dr. Burk also believes that fluoride is a major carcinogen and responsible for tens of thousands of deaths per year and that stopping fluoride will reduce cancer deaths. He continues to state that as early as 1952 there was evidence that fluoride shortened life span of mice from cancer and that people in fluoridated cities might die of cancer at an early age due to exposure.

After a forty day trial in Illinois over the use of fluoride in their water, Judge Ronald A. Newman decided that there was no evidence to support the notion that fluoridation is a safe effective means to support dental health.

Fluoridation has been linked to birth defects, allergies, fatigue, headaches, urinary tract irritations, thyroid imbalance, and genetic damage to plants and animals.More recent research indicates that fluoridation may have unforeseen negative health effects. Studies published this year have suggested a link between fluoridation and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, as well as an underactive thyroid. Scores of studies, mostly done in China, have also shown that high levels of naturally occurring fluoride in water harm brain development and reduce IQ.

Fluoride was not used in water thousands of years ago. Peoples’ teeth were not suffering from lack of fluoride either. The evidence just does not support the use of fluoride for dental health.

Is chlorinated water safe?

Dr. James Price, M.D. published a book in the late 1960s on the relationship between treated water and degenerative diseases. He concluded that “nothing can negate the basic cause of arthrosclerosis, heart attack and most common forms of stroke as being the chlorine contained in our drinking water.”Chlorine also has the ability to damage the intestinal flora leading to a host of gastrointestinal disorders. It is in the halide family of chemicals and can interfere with thyroid function much like fluoride.

Through bathing, showering, and swimming we are exposed to high amounts of chlorine as well as toluene, ethyl-benzene and styrene.

Those who swim do get a larger exposure to chlorine; however, one has to weigh the benefits of the exercise as opposed to the damages of the exposure. Showering afterwards thoroughly with non-chlorinated water or using a shower filter is helpful at reducing exposure. One study by Brenda Land, SanitaryEngineer, showed that Vitamin C effectively neutralizes chlorine, so it is advisable to supplement with vitamin C if you are exposed to chlorine on a regular basis.

Randall Fitzgerald cautions that chlorine is a chemical with the ability to transform other chemicals into mimics of estrogen, the female hormone, and he warns that those who drink chlorinated water are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer.

What water is safe to drink?

Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. Proverbs 5:15(RSV)

Proverbs 5:15-18 conveyed the idea that the only water source people could trust as being clean was their own well. I think that is wisdom for us today! Pure, healthy water is “hard,” containing minerals and slightly alkaline pH. The more alkaline the body is, the less chance of disease. Disease thrives on an acidic internal environment. Increasing the intake of vegetables and fruits increases the amount of water consumed as these foods are as much as 70% water. Reverse osmosis and filtered are also excellent choices for water.

Distilled water is thought of as the best water to drink. Actually, this is not advisable as it can interfere with electrolyte balance.

The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals, not cold water. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal especially on hot days. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this ‘sludge’ reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and can lead to cancer, heart disease, and a disrupted fatty acid balance. Warm or room temperature water after a meal is advised to avoid the complications associated with cold drinks.

A significant number of people purchase bottled water to meet their water needs.But relying on bottled water to do this is not the best answer. According to Dr. Mercola, worldwide consumption of bottled water increased from nearly 60 percent to 41 billion gallons in 2004. We’ve been on track toward consuming more than 50 billion gallons since then.

People pay premium prices for exotic bottled water brands like Fiji and Evian or Vitamin water in the hopes that it is more pure. However, this puts a giant strain on both the environment and your pocketbook. Bottled water is not an assurance of purity. Much of bottled water is bottled tap water.Scientists have concluded the longer a bottle of water sits on a shelf — in a grocery store or your refrigerator — you’ll consume a greater dose of antimony, a silvery white metal of medium hardness that breaks easily. The plastics are not BPA free and leach phylates, a known hormone disruptor.

Your best choice is to filter your own water at home using a reverse osmosis filter. If you cannot do this, then I recommend a Brita filter. Drink out of a glass container and refill it rather than relying on plastic water bottles. Glass water bottles with rubber sleeves are quite accessible now to purchase.

We are in a severe drought. Conservation is critical. To conserve our water resources we can cut back on watering our lawns, collect running water out of our faucets while waiting for it to warm up and use this to water our plants. But, considering all that water does for our bodies listed above, we cannot afford to cut back on drinking water. The health of our bodies are at stake if we do.

Christine Andrew, CNC, CTT is a certified nutrition consultant and a functional medicine practitioner. She operates Center for Holistic Health and Nutrition and Breast Thermography Clinicat 348 Cernon St. Ste A in downtown Vacaville. She can be reached at www.individualizedwellness.net.