by V R Rutledge

Created on: June 26, 2008   Last Updated: September 07, 2010

Drinking mineral water is no different than drinking any other water, unless you're drinking distilled water. All water contains minerals, that is if it isn't recently processed by distillation. The illusion that drinking a large amount of water every day is somehow extra healthy, is just that, an illusion. You need water to live, but most of us get too much, because the food we eat and other things that we drink contain water. Drinking large quantities of water simply depletes your electrolytes and leaves you ill. You can actually drink enough water to kill you, if you try. Studies indicate that each of us will use water in accordance with our particular physiology, and less as we age. Since our bodies are less adept at handling water as we grow older, the reduction in water use is probably a good thing. The Institute of Medicine has a Food and Nutrition Board which has recently reported that, while 80% of our water intake comes from drinking, most of us already drink too much. We get about 20% of our water from food, and need from eight to twelve glasses more per day, depending on age and sex.

Results show that American women already average 9 cups of water a day from all beverages combined, and American men, 13 cups. That's a bit more than you absolutely have to have, but not too bad, actually. Water contains no calories, and may contain no micro-nutrients, but is an indispensable aid to digestion, nutrient absorption and waste-elimination. Water also helps regulate circulation, body temperature and a host of other physiological processes. It is water that lubricates joints and maintains healthy skin. While we can exist without food for months, we can only survive without water for a few days. Still, if the food is high in water content, we can increase the percentage of water we get by eating, which will allow us to survive on what we eat, at least for a while. It would appear that we need to replace, on a daily basis, the water we lose, either from elimination, perspiration or other bodily functions.

There are kidney specialists who will tell you that as little as four glasses of water per day is enough, and most of us get that from our diet. Regular drinkers of caffeinated beverages seem to become accustomed to the drug, and lose little, if any of the net fluid intake. In addition, milk, juice and other drinks are equivalent to water, and often contain dietary bonuses such as vitamin C, calcium and other minerals. In short, if you are thirsty, you probably need a drink. Alcohol will not do the job, however, since it actually does cause dehydration. You need some alcohol free source of liquid, like an orange, or a peach or maybe a grape soda. You do not need a two dollar plastic container with rainwater in it.

And let's not forget the common plastic additive bisphenol A. The potential danger from BPA was discovered about 20 years ago, but two studies which were funded by the industry declared the substance to be safe. Recent data suggests otherwise, and personally I think that BPA increases the chance of autism in children. Why else is it increasing so rapidly? But that is just a side note to the subject of water, which you can always get in BPA free containers.

What type of water should we drink? For optimum health, experts recommend clean, spring water, filtered water, or tap water that is free from unhealthy contaminants. Remember that bottled water is not always clean water, and the plastic bottles may not help.

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