Everything You Need to Know About WATER QUALITY
THE MOST IMPORTANT NUTRIENT
Plastic & aluminum bottles can leach chemicals & metals into the water, so a glass bottle is a great non-toxic option.
Water is the most important nutrient in the body and proper hydration is critical for optimal health and vitality.
It is essential for transporting nutrients and waste, protecting tissues, and facilitating cellular metabolism and communication.
“But I already drink plenty of water.”
You may be drinking a large QUANTITY, but hydration also depends on water QUALITY.
1. PURITY
Water can be contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms, heavy metals, pesticides, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Finding a pure drinking water source or effective filtration system is important for reducing exposure to these contaminants.
2. MINERAL CONTENT
Beyond the contaminants you DO NOT want in your drinking water, there are nutrients that you DO want: major minerals (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium) and several trace minerals.
Not only do these minerals make the water you drink more hydrating (think of an electrolyte-boosted sports drink) they are essential for proper muscle contraction, nerve signaling, digestion, liver function, and much more.
Look for a water source that preserves these natural minerals OR adds them back into purified water.
TYPES OF WATER
TAP
variable purity | high minerals
DISTILLED
high purity | no minerals
SPRING AND MINERAL
variable purity | variable minerals
REVERSE OSMOSIS
high purity | no minerals
CARBON FILTRATION
variable purity | variable minerals
ALKALINE (high pH)
high purity | high minerals
IONIZED (variable pH)
high purity | high minerals
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References
Popkin, B. M., D'Anci, K. E., & Rosenberg, I. H. (2010). Water, hydration, and health. Nutrition reviews, 68(8), 439–458. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00304.x Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/
Environmental Working Group. EWG Tap Water Quality Database. Retrieved from https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/.
Jones, D. S., Bland, J. S., & Quinn, S. (2010). Textbook of Functional Medicine. Institute for Functional Medicine.