70% of the earth’s surface is made up of water. 60% of the human body is water.
H2O is a solvent and a participant in the life of every cell. It has hydrophobic properties that assist in many chemical processes within our cells, including chemical and information transfer, acting as a proton donor and acceptor, as a mediator for electrostatic interactions and fluctuations which support our biological functions. 1
Pure water has a pH of 7 – close to our own bodies tightly regulated pH of 7.35 – 7.45 Public water supplies pH range between 6.5 – 8.5 by EPA regulation. It is filled with minerals which vary depending upon the source.
Water plays key role in brain health and muscular activity during exercise. Even as much as 1% of loss of fluid from body weight can result in impaired physiological functioning such as dysregulation of internal body temperature. Body fluid supports the metabolism and transport of proteins and carbohydrates, elimination of waste in urine, saliva production, and shock absorption for the brain and spinal cord.
Hydrating by drinking clean filtered water is one of the easiest things you can do to support your health. Isn’t that swell!
Drinking water can help with weight maintenance by increasing your metabolism. A small study done in Germany found that drinking 500 ml of water increases metabolic rate by 30%. The increase in metabolic rate was observed within 10 min and reached a maximum 30–40 min after water drinking and was sustained for more than an hour. 2
Dehydration can be the cause of headaches, constipation and kidney issues including kidney stones and high blood pressure which can lead to chronic hypertension. Causes for dehydration are exposure to high temperatures, sweating, diarrhea, vomiting, certain medications, as well as diuretics like alcohol and coffee.
The amount of water each person needs depends on weight, where they live and activity level, but according to the Mayo Clinic men need about 3.7 liters and women need 2.7 liters per day.3 Some of the water that we ingest comes from other fluids such as juices and the food that we eat, such as cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce, celery and fruit like strawberries, watermelon and oranges.
One way to calculate is to take your weight in lbs and multiply by .67 (or 2/3) and this would be the amount in ounces. So, if you weigh 140 lbs you would multiply by .67 which = 93.8 ounces which is about 11.5 cups. You should drink more water if exercise intensely, sweat or live in a hot climate.
So, how much water do you take in daily? Could you improve your daily hydration?
