Did you know that water is important? Of course, you did. But did you know that sometimes water can be bad?

Our bodies are made up of about 60% water. You might have heard the recommendation that we need to consume about eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. I am sure you already knew all that, though. So let us discuss some of the things you may not have known.

It is estimated that a person cannot survive for more than 3-4 days without some kind of water. Most people need to consume about two quarts of water daily, and some can get by with less. While some get water straight from the tap, some get water from tea, pop, or even their food. However, did you know that you may need more water to keep your body running in peak condition?

It is extremely important to remain hydrated. Water is a carrier for our bodies. It distributes essential nutrients to our cells, such as minerals, vitamins, and glucose. Water also removes waste from our bodies, including the toxins that our cells reject. It pulls and removes these toxins through our urine and feces.

Let me stress this: many diseases have multifactorial origins, but there is increasing evidence that even mild dehydration plays a role in many acute and chronic diseases. Studies have found that this includes things such as cardiovascular disorders, pronounced chronic renal failure, cystic fibrosis, and even simple renal toxicity.

Studies also suggest that maintaining a decent hydration status will positively affect urolithiasis and may be beneficial in treating urinary tract infections, constipation, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallstone disease, mitral valve prolapse, and even glaucoma. Remember, this is just what has been studied so far. Occam’s Razor suggests that the same would be true for the rest of the body and for many other conditions.

As I mentioned, ideally, our bodies should be well-hydrated. Let’s talk about your brain for a moment. Some experts suggest that our brain is composed of almost 75% water. Being dehydrated by as little as 2 percent can impair your ability to think properly. And yes, the kind of water you put in your body makes a big difference.

Essentially, you are what you drink just as much as you are what you eat. However, water provides even more benefits. Water can keep the skin healthy, help you feel full so you eat less, keep your muscles from cramping, and clean your vital organs such as the kidneys and bladder (which also reduces the opportunity for urinary tract infections). And as I mentioned, it also helps with brain function and helps the body fight off a myriad of different sicknesses and diseases.

Water is a huge part of our existence. So what do you think would happen if your water was contaminated? What if it had bugs, amoebas, parasites, bacteria, or viruses? What if it had horrible chemicals in it that had an adverse effect on your body?

Quality water is important. Cleaner water means a healthier body. The quality of our water is directly linked to the quality of our lives, and city-provided water is not always the best choice. Sometimes it has dangerous levels of halogens or is simply contaminated with bacteria or parasites for several reasons. This can lead to diarrhea, hepatitis A, meningitis, ulcers, heart inflammation, and many other diseases.

Let me stress that city water again may not be a good choice many times. Some experts are suggesting you choose the alternative. In fact, the former director of the World Water Council and researcher at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Mona Harrison, advocates drinking “bioavailable water,” or simply… natural spring water. This is because our bodies can better utilize and benefit from this kind of water. In other words, clean, natural spring water is arguably the best. It is said that live spring water is essential for mineral absorption and can gain easier access to our cells.

If this does not make sense to you, try to remember that our bodies are designed to stop foreign invaders, right? Springwater is usually free from harmful chemicals such as the halogens that modern water treatment facilities use to kill off harmful pathogens found in sitting water, the same halogens that hinder adrenal, thyroid, brain, and even gastrointestinal function. If you consume these, you are hindering your body’s ability to do its job.

Municipal water sources (tap water) have been tested all over the world and found to contain contaminants such as copper and other metals leaching from the pipes, not to mention the bacteria that have set up shop in the same pipes. What about “hard water”? Consider the bad calcium in the form of limescale. Our bodies simply would not prefer this kind of water.

Let us dig a bit deeper into water treatment for a moment. Never mind what conspiracy theorists have been saying for what seems to be forever; let us focus on facts. Many municipal water sources use things like Chlorine and Fluoride to treat their water. Have you ever given this any REAL thought?

Many listen to their dentist regarding things like Fluoride, for instance. Dentists usually promise amazing benefits from its use, though often unsubstantiated and in blatant disregard for known side effects, they say it might be great for teeth. Many dentists took a very public “pro-Fluoride” position without really considering what would happen if we drank large quantities of it, watered our gardens with it, or even took hot showers in it.

What if we actually tried to pay attention to science? This article will not be about the published studies showing that Fluoride is associated with increased cardiovascular risk due to the hardening of your arteries or the calcification of soft tissues throughout the body, including the pineal gland. Instead, I want to take a moment to discuss the effects on the brain specifically.

It has taken too many years, but the Lancet, the world’s oldest medical journal, recently published a report classifying Fluoride as a dangerous neurotoxin (Grandjean & Landrigan, 2014). What this means is that Fluoride is toxic to your brain. The report puts Fluoride in the same category as Arsenic, Lead, and Mercury. So, just like eating lead-based paint chips is probably not a good thing, so too is the idea of drinking fluoridated water – especially in large doses.

This should not be a shock. Aside from the rather basic concept of cause and effect, of course, one should look no further than the labels the stuff arrives in. The Fluoride manufacturers tell you not to take it internally and that if you do, you should contact a poison control center. I was once told that you should not consume things labeled “Danger – Do Not Ingest.” In fact, the barrels that Fluoride comes in are often labeled “poison.” This may sound weird, but this should have been our very first clue. The second clue should have come in the idea that it is one of the few substances that can actually kill a roach.

The Fluoride packaging suggests avoiding contact with eyes, skin, mouth, and even clothing. You would think it would be obvious, but does this sound like something you should stir up into your drinking water and then consume? Of course, some say that in moderation, it is okay and that it will strengthen your teeth. Putting aside the idea of fluorosis for a moment, if you want to have “moderate” exposure to a neurotoxin so that you do not have to brush your teeth as often, then perhaps you are simply reading the wrong article.

And what about Chlorine? Chlorine is often added as an inexpensive alternative to Fluoride as a water disinfectant. The problem is that it is also known to poison the body. In fact, according to the U.S. Council of Environmental Quality, “The cancer risk to people who drink chlorinated water is 93 percent higher than those who don’t.”

According to BreastCancerFund.org, “One common factor among women with breast cancer is that they all have 50 to 60 percent higher levels of these chlorination by-products (THMs) in their fat tissue than women without breast cancer . . .”

And according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, “Long-term drinking of chlorinated water appears to increase a person’s risk of developing bladder cancer as much as 80 percent.”

How can this be? Did it ever occur to you that Chlorine was used as a weapon during the First World War? And if you really want to think logically about it, consider what it is used for in our drinking water. It is used to kill bacteria because it is very proficient at killing bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli and knocks out many viruses.

So what do you think happens when you drink it? Understanding, of course, that you need your own bacteria, do you think it ceases to destroy bacteria when it passes your mouth? Of course not. So basically, it keeps its bacteria-killing capability in your body. What is that doing to your gut?

Understand that Chlorine has been linked to quite a few bad things, such as heart attacks, lowered sperm count, risk of a miscarriage, gastrointestinal difficulties, arthritis, liver problems, stillbirths, kidney problems, and an overall weakened immune system (Mercola, 2016). Also, remember that you are told to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of this stuff a day. How do you think that will turn out in the long run?

The point is that the water you choose is extremely important. The water the manufacturers choose to put in your food is equally important. Whether it is Chlorine or Fluoride is really six of one or half a dozen of the other because the health impacts are clearly not beneficial either way. This is especially true if you are trying to drink enough water to keep your body hydrated.

Drinking the “RDA” of either halogen would simply be flooding your body with the bad stuff and potentially worsening any ailment you already have. The key is to drink the cleanest and most natural water you can. This does not mean filtered water, distilled water, or any other contortion of water they may come up with. If possible, consume the cleanest water nature provides – natural spring water. It really is that simple.

Want More? A study by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group found that U.S. drinking water could be the cause of more than 100,000 cases of cancer. FIND THE STUDY HERE

Did you enjoy this article? Then you might also like my article titled Fluoride the Neurotoxin.

RESOURCES – CLICK HERE

Dr. Robertson is a health researcher and educator, not a physician. The information provided here is not medical advice, a professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment, or service to you or any other individual. The information provided is for educational and anecdotal purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or professional care. You should not use the information in place of a visit, call consultation, or the advice of your physician or other healthcare providers. Dr. Robertson is not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis, or additional information, services, or product you obtain or utilize. IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CALL 911 OR YOUR PHYSICIAN.