Our body is comprised of about 75% water, it surrounds and permeates every cell in the body and makes up the majority of all the fluids in our body. When people consider drinking they often associate consumption of any fluid as water consumption. The water in our body becomes ‘murky’ as free radicals, toxins and stressors in the environment disturb the homeostasis of the body and impair kidney function. To alleviate this issue, today’s society thinks it’s acceptable to replace the water with coffee, soft drinks, fruit juice, alcohol and tea. Although all the liquids listed do contain water, nothing replaces the consumption of pure water, as it requires no energy for the body to filter and can be directly used to change the intracellular water quantity and quality. The consumption of pure water is also PH neutral and does not affect the overall PH of the body. This is extremely important for blood PH regulation as the body must work hard with buffers to keep the PH constant and unchanging. The liquids listed all acidify the body increasing the risk of cancer, dampening the immune response, slow healing and increasing whole body inflammation.
Symptoms of Dehydration:
- 1-2 % thirst, fatigue, vague, discomfort
- 3-4% impaired physical performance, dry mouth, reduction in urine, flushed skin, impatience, apathy, constipation
- 5-6% difficulty concentrating, headache, irritability, sleepiness, impaired temperature regulation, increased respiratory rate, severe constipation, risk of blood clots, kidney stones
- 7-10% dizziness, spastic muscles, los of balance, delirium, exhaustion, collapse
Recommendations
An adult should consume about 2 litres (size/age/activity dependent) of pure, filtered, toxin (heavy metals, fluoride, pesticide, drug residues) free water.
Spring water is still a good source. Don’t buy spring water in soft plastic bottles or the hard plastic refill bottles as they both contain BPA. It is best to fill up your water yourself and use a glass container.
If you live in an area where the water is not fluorinated there are several good activated charcoal/carbon water filters on the market that you can install in your home or even take along with you. When deciding between carbon filters, solid block carbon (made from coconut fibre) filters out more toxins than loose sand charcoal filters.
If your water is fluoridated, you need to buy a reverse osmosis filter with a mineralisation cartridge to reactivate, mineralise, and oxygenate the water. No other filter can effectively remove the fluoride. No matter what they tell you, don’t believe it. Unfortunately, reverse osmosis filters are expensive and require some effort to install into your house.
Herbal teas should be consumed in limited amount, supplementing the water consumption. Teas can have strong therapeutic effects and can (if directed by a proper health care professional) be used to stimulate and enhance therapeutic outcomes.
Consumption of water with food is also contraindicatory as the dilution of hydrochloric acid in the stomach decreases the acidity and therefore hinders the digestion of protein and fats. Therefore, large amounts of water should not be consumed half hour before or after meals.
Water or Coconut Kefir
Kefir is a fermented beverage that uses kefir grains to ferment coconut milk or water. Kefir contains high levels of vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, vitamin K2, biotin, folate, enzymes and probiotics. However caution is advised on pre-made kefir due to the high amount of sugar they can contain. Coconut kefir is prepared by using free kefir grains to ferment the milk. Water kefir requires water kefir cultures for fermentation.
Kombucha
Kombucha is a fermented tea. It can be made with green or black tea and is then combined with raw sugar to initiate the fermentation process. The vital ingredient is SCOBY, known as the colony of bacteria. SCOBY stands for symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast. Once the fermentation process has been completed kombucha becomes carbonated and is a delicious drink full of probiotics.
Coffee
Coffee has positive and protective effects on individuals with chronic liver diseases and in the prevention of liver cirrhosis. This however is referring to coffee without sugar or milk. The chlorogenic acid constituent in coffee has been found to modulate the expression of genes and beneficially induce enzymes involved in phase II metabolism. Everything in moderation however, consuming 5 or more cups a day can create negative effects on health.