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Straight water is the best

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  • Originally published June 29, 2009 at midnight, updated June 30, 2009 at 5:05 p.m.

Q: I am hoping that you can settle a few facts about water that my wife and I are having numerous discussions about. I drink a lot of tea in the summer, and some flavored waters, but my wife says I need just plain water, rather than so much tea or any water substitutes. Isn't tea made from water? I know you had something in your column a while back about water, but I need more clarification. Why is water better than any other liquid, and is there some guideline on how much water one should consume daily? Also, can you recommend a book that discusses nothing but water?

A: The average adult consumes approximately 191.3 gallons of liquids annually, unfortunately only about 38 percent is a liquid that the body prefers and can utilize - water.

Water appears to getting more complicated each year. What used to be just water is now flavored, colored, oxygenated, caffeinated, softened, filtered, carbonated, fluoridated, ginsenged and vitamin and mineral enriched to name a few.

What is important to remember is that the role of water in the bodies of all living species, humans included, has not changed since the earliest creation of life in water. Thinking that tea, coffee and manufactured drinks can substitute for the pure natural water needs of the body is an elementary mistake, particularly in a body that may be stressed by daily problems. It is true that these beverages contain water, but most of then contain dehydrating substances such as caffeine. These substances rid the body of the water they are dissolved in, plus additional water from the body's reserves leading to dehydration. As we age, dehydration becomes a serious health problem, due to the fact that our body's thirst mechanism is not working as well, and does not tell us when our body requires more water. An interesting fact to remember is that the number one cause of daytime fatigue is dehydration. I recommend one half of your body weight in ounces of water daily. (i.e. if you weight 120 pounds, you should drink 60 ounces of water daily). One of the best books I have ever read that discusses nothing but water is titled, "You're Not Sick, You're Thirsty," by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.

Phylis B. Canion is a doctor of naturopathic medicine and is a certified nutritional consultant, e-mail her at doc.phyl@yahoo.com. This column is for nutritional information only and is not intended to treat, diagnose or cure.


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