Health Benefits of Drinking Pure Plain Water

Water, Water Everywhere. Nor any drop to drink.
Why don't we just drink tap water?

Why does it have to be carbonated beverages, tea, wine, coffee, sports drinks and bottled water. Water and beverages have become a major health focus for all the wrong reasons. New York is considering banning large sodas to tackle the obesity epidemic.

Drinking too much water can actually kill you, but it rare except during marathon events. Contaminated water is of cause dangerous and can kill you or make you very sick. There is even raging debate about the mantra whether the advice to 'drink 8 glasses of water a day is wise or a myth' .

Water is essential for life here on Planet Water and its importance is reflected in the many quotes on water. This article examines the question of how much water should we drink a day and why plain tap water is better for you.

How Much Water is Enough?

Most people don’t realise that there is a lot of water in the food we eat. One quart (one litre) of water is contained in solid foods that most people consume every day. Yet you see people sitting in their offices with one or two litre bottles of chilled water or sports drinks on their desks. They fill them regularly. There's a huge market for sodas, energy drinks and bottled water, and as a result the current generation is becoming 'waterlogged'.

Drinking adequate amount of water is a good idea, but overdoing it can have harmful consequences and is unnecessary.

The typical recommended amount of water required is generally stated as eight glasses a day (about 2 litres) but this is largely a rule of thumb. Men should perhaps drink 10 glasses of water a day. But surprisingly there is little definitive research available and it varies greatly between individuals depending on body shape and activity level. What has been concluded is that THIRST is a remarkably good indicator of when you need to drink. How much water you need is also determined by your diet. Those people who eat large quantities of fruit and vegetables will need to consume less water than those who eat large amounts of mainly processed foods, especially salty foods.

High performance athletes can to lose up to 5 pounds or 3 kilograms in weight (mostly water) during very intense and prolonged activity, such as running marathons. People who undertake strenuous activity can weigh themselves before and after to estimate their weight loss. Generally people should drink the equivalent of 70% of the weight lost. One kilogram of water is equivalent to one litre of volume and so it is easy to calculate. However, thirst is an excellent guide, provided you drink fluids in batches and don’t drink too much at the start. It takes time for the thirst response to catch-up.

Recommended Water Consumption Rates

For Women - up to 2 litres (eight cups) a day
For Men up to 2.5 litres (10 cups) a day.
About a litre of water is contained in solid foods for a good average well-balanced diet that includes vegetables, milk, drinks and fruit.
Liquids such as coffee, alcohol and sugary soda drinks can have a diuretic effect and may required drinking extra water to compensate.
Intense, or long duration exercise, especially in hot weather will require extra fluid intake, but don’t overdo it as it can be lethal!
Thirst is a fabulous general guide that works very well.
Your urine should be pale yellow and not too dark or concentrated.
Plain water is best, except for use after vigorous exercise.

What’s Wrong with all the Non-Water Drink Substitutes?

Many fad drinks such as coconut water and sports drinks are laden with extra calories, sugar and salt and may be diuretic. For example, Coconut water contains about 220 kilojoules (55 calories) per 250-ml glass, while water (sky-juice) has none

Despite all the hype, the real miracle drink is just plain tap water – it has no salt, sugar or calories and is the best fluid for hydrating the body, when you are thirsty.

Is Replacing Sugary Sodas with Water Effective for Losing Weight?

A study, conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina, found that replacing calorie laden beverages such as sodas and sports drinks with plain water, doubled the probability that people would lose 5 per cent of their body weight in 6 months. So it does work!