Masura Emoto wrote an elegant book that I picked up again from our extensive office library. His New York Times best seller is entitled The Hidden Messages In Water. The crux of the book (so visually captivating) is that when water is exposed to sounds, words or pictures; and then frozen, the subsequent crystals have unique characteristics. When exposed to lovely music, kind words like joy and gratitude (my 2019 word) and beautiful pictures, the resultant crystals, seen under a microscope, are stunning! When water is exposed to loud or hard music, harsh words and ugly pictures, the crystals are disorganized and chaotic. Fascinating, right?
Switching from my somewhat ethereal beginning discussion on water to the health and beauty aspects…
Health begins with water, for it is the most essential nutrient needed by the body. True health requires proper hydration of the body. The developing fetus in a mother’s womb is composed of 92 percent water. The average senior citizen becomes 50 to 70 percent dehydrated, which is why a great majority of elderly people can develop chronic degenerative diseases of aging, i.e., heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. Know that the average human body is 72 percent water. Here is the breakdown of the water percentages in the major organs: the brain – 85 percent, the liver – 90 percent, the blood – 83 percent and the bones – 35 percent. When we become dehydrated, the body instinctively begins to ration water to each organ. The brain being the most important organ gets the most water. The skin (largest organ) being the least important, is rationed the least amount of water. Ladies and gentlemen, this can lead to chronically dry skin, i.e., wrinkles and dandruff. Athletes listen up; researchers determined that 1 percent dehydration causes a 5 percent drop and athletic performance!
Here are reasons your body needs water every day. Without water, nothing lives:
- Water hydrates the brain, leading to ideal brain functions and reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and Lou Gehrig’s disease.
- Water helps reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes by preventing clogged arteries.
- Water increases the efficiency of the immune system, including against cancer.
- Water clears toxic waste from the body and takes it to the liver and kidneys for disposal.
- Water is the main lubricant in the joint spaces and helps prevent arthritis and back pain.
- Water lubricates the mouth, nose and eyes, and it is the best lubricating laxative to prevent constipation.
- Water is the main solvent for all foods, vitamins and minerals.
- Water is directly needed for the production of all hormones, including sex hormones.
- Water is the best way to lose weight. Drinking water separates the sensations of thirst and hunger.
- With that being said, water is involved in digestion, metabolism and assimilation.
Which water you drink is of great importance!
Before listing the waters, just a little science lecture on pH (potential of hydrogen). Our bodies require pH balancing and the pH of liquids we consume is important if we want to be healthy. The pH scale is a measure of acidity or alkalinity of water-soluble substances. It is represented by a number from 1 to 14 with 7 being neutral. Values below 7 indicate acidity and those values above 7 indicate alkalinity. Colorwise, the pH 7 is blue; very acidic pHs (<7) are red and very alkaline pHs (>7) are bluish-purple. Just remember that red will make you rust and blue will make you beautiful!
Additionally, we need to shed some light on both tap water and carbonated water. But first, the lineup…
Both distilled water and reverse osmosis water pull minerals out of the body and are linked to the rapid onset of osteoporosis and multiple sclerosis. Filtered water is contaminated water that producers try to clean up. Alkaline water is filtered water with the addition of elemental minerals used to increase the pH into the alkaline range. One would say, minerals… doesn’t the body need minerals…Correct? The elemental minerals in alkaline water are in a form that the body cannot use efficiently. So, given that our bodies are smart, the minerals in alkaline water can get deposited into soft tissues and joint spaces. Ever heard of kidney stones and arthritis? Ionized water has a charge but the pH may be variable. Alkaline ionized water is a combination of alkaline water and ionized water.
As per the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the tap water composition of most municipalities, including Shreveport, LA, contained several harmful chemicals that may contribute to various health challenges. These health issues include harming the brain/nervous system and the thyroid gland, as well as causing cancer.
As mentioned, city water can contain several harmful chemicals, one of which is chlorine. Chlorine is an iodine inhibitor and can contribute to the development of thyroid gland abnormalities.
Carbonated or sparkling water is water in which carbon dioxide (CO2) gas is dissolved either by technology or by a natural geologic source. The downside to these “fancy” waters is that they are acidic and can cause bloating, thus posing a risk to people with irritable bowel syndrome. They are also slightly erosive to teeth (oh no… I’m a dentist’s daughter).
Now let’s talk about Electrolyzed Reduced Water (ERW). This is water that is restructured electrically, and not chemically, from a large macro cluster to small micro clusters, allowing for rapid absorption into the cells. This water serves us best as it maximizes nutrition and detoxification. ERW provides pH buffers to help the pH balance of your body. The fact that it contains high levels of antioxidants, this water is by far the most superior drinking water available.
ERW has a negative charge (Negative Oxidative Reduction Potential). The majority of body functions (sleep, digestion, exercise and response to stress) create a positive charge (Positive Oxidative Reduction Potential). Thus, ERW helps to counter the detrimental effects of a positive ORP. Consuming ERW is similar to the negative ORP benefits of berries and green tea.
How much water should one drink per day is a common question that certain health-related guidelines address.
Typically, if a person is in good health, the minimum water intake should be half the body weight in ounces. Thus, an individual weighing 140 pounds is advised to drink 70 ounces of Electrolyzed Reduced Water. Those individuals with acute or chronic health issues should drink more water, to the tune of 75 percent and 100 percent of body weight in ounces, respectively. However, there is a disclaimer for those with some health conditions like congestive heart failure and kidney disease. The amount of water (ERW) is restricted to 48 to 64 ounces a day.
I began this article with a book and now let me end it with another book. The 2005 New York Times best seller by Tom Standage: A History of the World in 6 Glasses (beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola) may need to be revised and entitled A History of the World in 7 Glasses (water, beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola). Cheers!
In summary, the daily consumption of water should be Electrolyzed Reduced Water, in the minimum amount of half a person’s body weight in ounces, consumed from either a glass or a stainless steel vessel (glass and/or bottle). Plastic water bottles, even if BPA-free, can act as hormone disruptors and are significant pollutants to the beautiful waters on our Earth.