Drinking water is one of the most important things you can do to maintain your health, even though chronic dehydration is shockingly overlooked as a cause of illness by mainstream doctors. Some conditions thought to be related to a water shortage in the body include acid reflux, arthritis, headaches, diabetes and asthma.
Significance of water
Around 75 percent of the human body is made of water, and hydration must be maintained for good health. According to F. Batmanghelidj in "Your Body's Many Cries For Water," it is unhealthy to substitute drinks such as soda, fruit juice, coffee and tea for water as this further depletes the body.
Types of water
As tap water is more heavily regulated than bottled water, there is little difference in health benefits from drinking one or the other. Filtered water contains fewer chemicals, and distilled or reverse-osmosis water is bad for your body in the long term. Alkaline water might have health benefits, but drinking any type of water will have health benefits.
How much water per day?
The old adage about drinking eight glasses of water per day holds true for a 128 pound person; generally, you should drink one-half of your body weight in ounces of water per day. If you are ill, doing a cleanse or are physically active, the amount might increase to your body weight in ounces of water daily.
Benefits
Drinking water can help stave off the effects of aging and can help with many chronic conditions.
Warnings
Drinking distilled or reverse-osmosis water for long periods can be harmful. Because they lack minerals, your body will leach the needed materials from your bones. Drinking alkaline water can lead to a mild detox headache the first few times you do it.
Tags: health benefits, your body, body weight, body weight ounces, distilled reverse-osmosis, distilled reverse-osmosis water, Drinking water