Health and Water

Preventing dehydration is one of the most important health benefits of drinking water.  Even if water does not burn calories, it has other benefits, such as regulating body temperature, lubricating and cushioning joints (which may help with joint pain), digestion of food, filtering toxins in the kidneys, and elimination of toxins waste.

Health and Water
By Pierre Mouchette | Bits-n-Pieces

Proper hydration is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle.  The adult human body is composed of up to 60% water.  It should be noted that water, although lacking in calories, contains trace amounts of minerals like calcium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, and copper.  In some countries, fluoride is added to reduce tooth decay, but it generally lacks nutrients unless you are drinking mineral water.  Water is vital for life.  It transports nutrients and provides structure to cells and tissues.

Drinking mineral water can help curb hunger and even improve digestive health.  

Does the Type of Water Matter?
All types of water can support hydration, but certain types are more beneficial than others.

• Tap Water - tap (plain) water is the stuff that comes right out of the faucet.  It is an affordable and accessible solution to support your intake. 
• Filtered Water - if you do not enjoy the taste of tap water, you can easily filter the water at home with a faucet filtration system or pitcher.  It will remove common additives like chlorine that can give the water a different taste, although it is perfectly safe to drink. 
• Bottled Mineral Water - is pre-packaged water that does not go through a municipal water treatment plant.  It can be sourced from surface water or underground aquifers.  To be classified as mineral water, it must contain a certain amount of mineral levels from the water source environment.
• Cold vs. Room Temperature Water - research suggests that the temperature of the water you drink may promote a small amount of caloric burn.  However, the science gives mixed results, and the potential swing in metabolism is minor and not strong enough to outweigh the need for calorie control.
• Alkaline Water is water with a higher pH level of around 8 or 9, compared to tap water with a pH closer to 7.  Alkaline salts or metals are commonly added to the water to increase the pH, or the water is derived from natural sources.  There are claims surrounding alkaline water and its potential health benefits, but the research is just unclear. 

 
How much water should you drink?
There is no formal recommendation regarding how much water you should drink daily.  The individual needs depend on where you live, how active you are, what you eat, body size, and age.  Still, the National Academy of Medicine established the following general recommendation for daily water intake:

• Women: 91 ounces (2.7 liters) of total water per day
• Men: 125 ounces (3.7 liters) of total water per day

Keep in mind that these recommendations include water from all beverages and foods.  About 80% of people's total water intake comes from water and other drinks, with the remaining 20% coming from food.
 
Just like cars run on fuel, our body runs on energy counted in calories.  Because water does not contain calories, it does not mean that it does not help provide energy to the body.  Water helps transport the energy broken down from food to the cells in the body.  So even though water does not have any calories, it helps carry the acquired calories to all body organs and helps break down and burn them.  That is why it is recommended to drink plenty of water to reduce weight.
 
Drinking water to lose weight?
When trying to lose weight, your goal is to burn more calories than you consume.  It is known as a negative energy balance.  Since water is void of carbohydrates, proteins, or fats, it has no calories.