Liquid Gold

Water water water water! Isn’t it catchy? The message has always been there, “don’t waste water!”

It’s pure, refreshing, diverse and vital for human survival, yet costs next to nothing to have readily available to us at the twist of wrist. And as the “8 glasses a day” debate continues (my views on the topic will be expressed at a later date), I want to look at another aspect of the topic, what sorts of water should we be drinking?

Consumer demand has seen the development of bottled water in copious chemical states. Spring water, purified water, mineral water, sparkling water, artesian water, well water and tap water, just to name a few. But what do they mean? What’s best for us?

Spring water : Originates from underground formations from which the water flows naturally to the surface. Bottled at the origin of the spring or through a borehole within the formation feeding the spring.

Purified water : Water where all bacteria and dissolved solids have been removed, leaving it in a “pure” state. Usually named by the process through which it was purified. i.e. reverse osmosis or distillation. Most bottled waters are purified waters.

Mineral water: Water that is 250 parts per million total dissolved solids. Solids that are often sodium or sulfur compounds.

Sparkling water: water that is carbonated, and contains the same amount of carbon dioxide as when it emerged from its source.

Artesian water: Originates from a well thats taps a confined aquifer (an underground layer of soft rock) which contains ground water which will raise to the surface without needing to be pumped.

Well water: Water accessible via a well due to the process of drilling.

Tap water: Water supplied to municipal houses via intricate piping systems. Usually supplied from catchments.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way you might notice one water that stands out, mineral water. the only water that mentions anything about “dissolved solids”. I’ve mentioned in previous articles that the body isn’t adapted to modern day society. The same principle applies to water.

Let’s take a tour back in time when nomadic humans were constantly on the prowl for food and water, moving from region to region, in search of both. Unfortunately for our ancestors, water wasn’t easy to find, and when they did, it wasn’t bottled. It was located in rivers, lakes, streams and springs. Watering holes where all water was constantly moving and running over the rocks, picking up vital minerals along the way. these minerals aid in the bodies ability to absorb water. This water wasn’t “purified” before consumption, yet our ancestors suffered no diseases like those that exist in modern society now.

So mineral water is the best for hydration. But, hold it there for one second. Drinking cold water also means that your body will have trouble absorbing the water. This is due to the fact that once any liquid reaches your stomach, the body must bring it to room temperature for absorption, which may take in excess of 1.5 – 2 hours. (Test it out for yourself next time you’re in the gym. Drink a bottle of cold water, and when you’re about to leave jump up and down and it will still be sitting in your stomach.)

So there you have it, an easy option to keep yourself hydrated for longer, without those fluorescent sugar drinks. mineral water, bottled at the source, at room temperature. However, this isn’t the be all and end all of water. you can also re-minieralise water with low mineral content by adding minerals, such as organic rock salt or a squeeze of lemon.

This topic is MASSIVE, yet often over looked. In future I will also look further into water and its therapeutic capabilties, however I greatly encourage YOU to look into it also and teach me some new things

references:

http://www.myspringwater.com/SpringWaterInformation/TypesOfWater.aspx