Water Is Water. . . Or Is It?

By Sharon Truelove

All of us know that we HAVE to have water to live. Three days without it can lead to death. Our bodies are approximately 70% water. We lose about 10 cups of water a day through breathing, perspiration, and other body functions. To stay properly hydrated and replace the water we lose, it is recommended that you drink ½ your weight in ounces. For example: if someone weighed 150 pounds, they should drink 75 ounces of water a day.

You see people carrying around with them various brands of bottled water. There have been many articles written about bottled water ranging from purified water to tap water. It can become very confusing trying to figure out which is the best water to drink to maintain a healthy body.  The FDA regulates all kinds of bottled water and has established guidelines to help identify the various types of bottled water.

Tapwater

If you live in Tulsa, OK the following link is very informative concerning our tap water, which in July of 2012 started adding chloramine as a secondary water disinfectant in Tulsa’s water supply. www.cityoftulsa.org/city-services/water.aspx

Another link that is helpful: http://water.epa.gov

You should go to your local government’s websites and find any links available concerning your tap water.

Where and how water is processed can be very different. If you don’t drink water from the tap, other types of water you could drink are:  spring, purified, mineral, distilled, filtered… Wow! That’s a lot of information to take in. What are the differences?

Bottled Water

You can buy bottled water, but that won’t guarantee its’ purity. Commercially bottled water may use filtration and disinfection to kill harmful microorganisms to make is it safe to drink. Some ways to disinfect are: using chemicals such as chlorine, chloramine or using radiation. If trace minerals are still left, it is called mineral or spring water.

Distilled

Water is heated and the condensed vapor is collected. The process may remove almost all the minerals and ions. The body’s minerals are said to bond to the distilled water’s molecules. Distilled water may be used to remove inflammation and other toxins from the body, but is not recommended for long term use.

 

Reverse Osmosis

This is another means to purify water to some extent. It is a process that can be used to desalinate salt water. Unlike deionization, it removes all molecules and ions larger than water molecules. Thus, resulting in a purer form of water, much like distilled water.  Purified water has been refined using distillation, deionization, or reverse osmosis. All of these processes remove bacteria and other dissolved solids.

Spring Water

To be classified as spring water the water must be taken from a natural underground source that flows to earth’s surface. It must be collected at that spring’s source only. A borehole may be used to retrieve it, but the physical properties of the water must remain the same.

Alkaline

In Alkaline water, ingredients are added to the water to change the pH to be more alkaline. It’s said to be healthier than spring water because it contains trace elements that our body needs. An alkaline environment is also supposed to help support a healing environment because it contains antioxidants. This type of water may not be good for long term use. Ideally, water should have a pH somewhere between 7.4 and 7.6.

Filtered Water

Filtered water is defined as any device used to reduce impurities from a water supply. The ancient Egyptians used filtration by using a piece of fabric to remove contaminants.  Today the best filter is considered to be carbon. Water filters remove more dangerous elements from water than any other purification technique and are made to work with municipal water. Filtered water is believed to be the healthiest and most economical. Using a water  filtered can remove cryptosporidium, a chlorine-resistant protozoan, from drinking water; not even municipal water or bottled water can do so.

Challenge:  We’d love to hear from you!

1. What type water do you drink?

2. What other types of water have you drank?

3. What type do you most prefer?