“Water, water everywhere…” All life on Earth is based on water.  It is consequently dependent on an adequate daily supply of clean water to replenish water lost in daily physiological activity in order to secure balance and good health.  While this may seem obvious it has implications that are often missed by those involved with health promotion and disease management. In our modern culture “water” is most often equated with “fluid” in relation to need and dietary intake.  This is a potentially grave error, as fluids other than plain water are not equivalent to plain water in physiological terms.  Consumption of other fluids instead of plain water can lead to chronic dehydration of body tissues.  Individuals who have not evolved the mechanisms to thrive in a chronically dehydrated state will develop biochemical and physiological consequences or ‘symptoms’ as the result of such a water deficiency. The water contained in vegetables, fruits and other foods is a valuable and important part of the water content of the human diet and can be included in the calculation of the water needs of individuals.  However, many of the fluids frequently consumed in the typical Western diet are not equivalent to plain water because they may actively reduce the physiological availability of water gained from other sources.  This is because the caffeine, alcohol, artificial additive and refined sugar content of these other fluids can have a net dehydrating effect on cells and so place a physiological “tax” on the water intake of an individual. Plain, clean water is not always available in Western cultures, as commercial and domestic water supplies are often contaminated with many potentially toxic substances and organisms as well as being “made safe” by the addition of chlorine - one of the most toxic substances known to man. Securing a clean, plain water supply is a fundamental prerequisite for health and may involve the use of water filtration systems and water purifying methods. Plain water intake is essential in order to compensate for the intake of other potentially dehydrating fluids and to ensure the availability of adequate water for appropriate physiological function.  These functions include digestion; detoxification; maintenance of blood volume; mucous production; renal/urinary function; central nervous system fluid balance; spinal disc integrity and the myriad of “hydrolysis” reactions (splitting large molecules using water molecules) taking part in our biochemistry every second of our lives. When consuming adequate plain water it is important to ensure adequate sodium intake from food and sea salt.  Other minerals that are lost through water metabolism include magnesium and potassium and should be derived from fresh vegetables and fruits or supplemented as appropriate. Back to Top Back to Introduction