A Few Things You Should Know About Water

Water is the single most important substance we consume yet few of us drink enough of it, and fewer still drink the right kind. Tap, bottled, filtered, distilled, ionized, reverse osmosis...there are many varieties to choose from and confusion abounds about which is best. Lewis Montague and Sarah Best investigate the options and reveal which kind comes out head and shoulders above the rest in scientific research.

Thanks to poor eating habits, stress and not drinking the right fluids, most people go through life chronically dehydrated. Proper hydration is one of the most important factors in keeping the mind and body healthy. The human body is between 50% and70% water and the variation is mainly dependent on age: in general the older someone is, the less water they have in their body. But is this inevitable? No - like most of what is referred to as 'aging' it is caused by lifestyle choices.

The human body can survive without food for a few weeks, but organs in the body start to fail within days without water. The brain has priority for water and if it's dehydrated people will feel tired, irritable, nauseous and even delirious. In fact, without adequate hydration the brain will take water from cells throughout the body, resulting in chronic cellular dehydration - also known as aging and ill health. Drinking the correct amount of water will help to curb appetite and can increase the strength of the metabolism. It can also prevent internal infections and lower high blood pressure, which intern can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Water is even important to the mouth as it stops decay and infections. So, one can view water as the ultimate barrier from illness and the liquid that sustains good health.

One common excuse for not drinking enough water does not like the taste. This is especially understandable with tap water and bottled water is just so inconvenient, expensive and not necessarily much freer from contaminants.

Many people choose to drink tea, coffee, carbonated drinks or alcohol, all of which have a diuretic effect - meaning they pull water from the body, increasing the state of dehydration. These drinks are not only not good hydration - they are negative hydration. Many natural health practitioners state that for every glass of these you drink in a day, you need an extra glass of water. Research suggests these drinks have played a role in the diabetes epidemic thanks to their high levels of acidity and sugar. Visits to the doctor's surgery or time off work could be reduced just by properly hydrating the body every day and not drinking substances that undo the good work.