Water is a tasteless, odorless substance in its pure form that is essential to all known forms of life.

How Much Water Should One Drink a Day?
Depending on one's diet, climate and body size, it seems appropriate to drink on average 4 to 10 glasses of water or similar fluids such as tea a day. Drink at least a glass of water as soon as you wake up to stimulate bowel function and relieve constipation. Those who have an enlarged prostate may wish to reduce the amount of water or fluid they drink before going to bed.

How much water to drink every day
There are claims that people should drink 8 glasses of water a day but there are no studies that indicate that the human body requires this much water daily unless a person lives in a hot and dry climate and does a lot of outdoor physical activity. Some people claim that drinking lots of water improves skin hydration, clears toxins, and helps suppress appetite.
   Some individuals drink lots of water before or during meals to suppress appetite, but water is quickly absorbed from the intestinal tract and would not stay around like fiber-rich foods to cause satiation. Drinking a reasonable amount of water, such as 4 glasses a day rather than 8 is enough to flush out toxins. As to skin, drinking lots of water does not necessarily increase the water content of the skin. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, online April 2, 2008.

Chlorinated water and cancer risk
Drinking, bathing or swimming in chlorinated water may increase the risk of bladder cancer.  Dr. Cristina M. Villanueva of the Municipal Institute of Medical Research in Barcelona says chlorine can be harmful when inhaled or absorbed through the skin, as well as when ingested. Chemicals, most commonly chlorine, used to disinfect water can produce by-products that have been tied to increased cancer risk. The most prevalent chlorination by-products, chemicals called trihalomethanes (THM), can be absorbed into the body through the skin or by inhalation. To investigate lifetime THM exposure and bladder cancer risk, the researchers matched 1,219 men and women with bladder cancer to 1,271 control individuals who did not have the disease, surveying them about their exposure to chlorinated water via drinking water, swimming pools, showering and bathing. The researchers also analyzed the average water trihalomethanes levels in the 123 municipalities included in the study. People living in households with an average household water trihalomethanes level of more than 49 micrograms per liter had double the bladder cancer risk of those living in households where water THM concentration was below 8 micrograms per liter, the researchers found. THM levels of about 50 micrograms per liter are common in industrialized societies. Study participants who drank chlorinated water were at 35% greater risk of bladder cancer than those who didn't, while use of swimming pools boosted bladder cancer risk by 57%. And those who took longer showers or baths and lived in municipalities with higher trihalomethanes levels were also at increased cancer risk. When trihalomethanes are absorbed through the skin or lungs, it may have a more powerful carcinogenic effect because it does not undergo detoxification via the liver. American Journal of Epidemiology, January 2007.

Tap Water Contaminated with Trichloroethylene

The most widespread industrial contaminant in drinking water — a solvent used in adhesives, paint and spot removers — can cause cancer in people. The National Academy of Sciences says that a lot more is known about the cancer risks and other health hazards from exposure to trichloroethylene than there was five years ago when the Environmental Protection Agency took steps to regulate it more strictly. Trichloroethylene, which is also widely used to remove grease from metal parts in airplanes and to clean fuel lines at missile sites, is known to cause cancer in some laboratory animals. EPA was blocked from elevating its assessment of the chemical's risks in people by the Defense Department, Energy Department and NASA, all of which have sites polluted with it. Trichloroethylene is a colorless liquid that evaporates at room temperatures and has a somewhat sweet odor and taste. It is one of the most common pollutants found in the air, soil and water at U.S. military bases. Until the mid-1970s, it also was used as a surgical anesthetic. Trichloroethylene also has been found at about 60 percent of the nation's worst contaminated sites in the Superfund cleanup program, the academy said. That's a step that could lead to stricter regulations. EPA currently requires limiting trichloroethylene to no more than 5 parts per billion parts of drinking water. A stricter regulation could, in turn, force the government to require more thorough cleanups at military and other sites. In 2001, EPA issued a draft document saying the risks of trichloroethylene causing cancer in humans were higher than previously thought. But that pronouncement was dropped after other federal agencies accused EPA of inflating the risks.
 

Oxygenated Water
There is no scientific evidence to support that drinking "super oxygenated" water enhances athletic performance. So-called super oxygenated water -- water in which the oxygen content is increased significantly -- are marketed by various companies as a way to improve athletic performance by feeding extra oxygen to the muscles through the blood stream. Researchers from the Medical University of Vienna compared the performance effects of the maximum oxygenated water they could find (180 mg of oxygen per liter) with that of non-treated water from the same source. Twenty young men were submitted to intense bicycling exercises after having drank either 1.5 liters a day of oxygenated water or the same amount of untreated water, during two weeks. Consumption of super oxygenated water had no significant influence on maximum physical performance and maximum oxygen consumption. International Journal of Sports Medicine, March 2006.

Fluoridated Water
Health Claim Notification for Fluoridated Water and Reduced Risk of Dental Caries
Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, a manufacturer may submit to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a notification of a health claim based on an authoritative statement from an appropriate scientific body of the United States Government or the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) or any of its subdivisions. On June 16, 2006, the FDA received a notification (the June 16 notification) from the law firm of Covington and Burling regarding a health claim for the relationship between fluoridated water and a reduced risk of dental caries. The 120-day period from the date of submission of the June 16 notification was October 14, 2006. Therefore, after October 14, 2006, manufacturers may use the claim specified in the notification, as modified by the notifier in a letter to FDA dated October 13, on the label and in labeling of any food product that meets the eligibility criteria described below, unless or until FDA or a court acts to prohibit the claim. The following three statements are considered authoritative for purposes of this notification.

Recommendation for Using Fluoride to Prevent and Control Dental Caries in the U.S. (Centers for Disease Control, 2001):
"Widespread use of fluoride has been a major factor in the decline in the prevalence and severity of dental caries (i.e., tooth decay) in the United States and other economically developed countries. When used appropriately, fluoride is both safe and effective in preventing and controlling dental caries. All U.S. residents are likely exposed to some degree of fluoride, which is available from multiple sources." (Summary section, page 1)
"Continue and extend fluoridation of community drinking water: Community water fluoridation is a safe, effective, and inexpensive way to prevent dental caries. This modality benefits persons in all age groups and of all SES, ...." (Recommendation section, page 24)
Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General (2000):

"Community water fluoridation is safe and effective in preventing dental caries in both children and adults. Water fluoridation benefits all residents served by community water supplies regardless of their social or economic status. Professional and individual measures, including the use of fluoride mouth rinses, gels, dentifrices, and dietary supplements and the application of dental sealants, are additional means of preventing dental caries." (Executive summary)
Review of Fluoride: Benefits and Risks (Public Health Service, 1991):

"Extensive studies over the past 50 years have established that individuals whose drinking water is fluoridated show a reduction in dental caries. Although the comparative degree of measurable benefit has been reduced recently as other fluoride sources have become available in non-fluoride areas, the benefits of water fluoridation are still clearly evident." (Conclusions section, page 87)

According to the June 16 notification and the letter to FDA dated October 13, the food eligible to bear the claim is bottled water meeting the standards of identity and quality set forth in 21 CFR 165.110, containing greater than 0.6 and up to 1.0 mg/L total fluoride, and meeting all general requirements for health claims (21 CFR 101.14) with the exception of minimum nutrient contribution (21 CFR 101.14 (e)(6)). The claim language is: "Drinking fluoridated water may reduce the risk of [dental caries or tooth decay]." In addition, the health claim is not intended for use on bottled water products specifically marketed for use by infants.

Tap Water

Trace amounts of metals such as copper and lead can be present in tap water and, depending on their levels, could be harmful. The risks of lead are well-documented - if you live in a house built before 1930, you should check that any old lead plumbing has been replaced with copper. Could copper itself cause problems. Trace copper ions present in drinking water can stop amyloid beta protein from being cleared from the brain (Alzheimer's disease is characterized by a built-up of this protein).

Water Purifier

It is worthwhile to use a water purifier at home, this way you can save a lot of money by avoiding buying expensive bottled water.

Water Filter
Pitchers with activated-carbon filters are the most effective way to reduce potentially harmful chemicals in tap water. A team at Universite Laval in Quebec City researched ways to cut down on the two main byproduct chemicals produced when chlorine used to disinfect tap water reacts with organic matter normally present in it. Research team member Manuel Rodriguez said the byproducts were suspected of increasing the risk of liver, bladder and kidney cancer. Rodriguez and his four teammates collected samples from private homes in the Quebec area and tested for byproducts known as trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) and subjected them to three common forms of household treatment. Storing water in a refrigerator for 48 hours reduced THMs by 30 percent, while boiling water before storage cut them by 87 percent. Using an activated carbon filtering pitcher prior to storage cut the byproducts by 92 percent. Direct storage and boiling had no effect on HAAs, although filtering was found to reduce them by 66 percent.

MicroStructured Electrolysis Water System (PJ-A3AH) by Proton Labs. Serial No. 972 001 970.

Contact: Proton Labs 1150 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 103, Alameda, CA 94501  Phone: 510-865-6412

Water for bladder problem in men
Drinking extra water is unlikely to relieve older men's bothersome bladder symptoms. Lower urinary tract symptoms, such as bladder pain and difficulty urinating, are a common problem among older men. In some cases, underlying medical conditions like enlargement of the prostate gland are to blame, but problems in the urinary tract can also cause the symptoms. With age, for instance, the muscles that surround the bladder can start to weaken and hinder the organ's normal functioning. Dutch researchers studied 141 men between the ages of 55 and 75 who were suffering lower urinary tract symptoms. They randomly assigned the men to either drink an extra 1.5 quarts of water each day or take a daily dose of an inactive "placebo" syrup. After six months, there were some changes in the water group's bladder functioning. However, the men had no clear improvement in their symptoms compared with the placebo group. Though study participants in the water group were instructed to add 1.5 quarts to their daily water intake, in practice they managed to drink only about 12 ounces more per day than the placebo group. That raised their urine production by about 10 percent over the comparison group. Urology, November 2006.

Leading Brands, Inc. Announces the Launch of INFINITY Health Water - Press Release by Leading Brands, Inc
2006-09-20 - Leading Brands, Inc.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 20, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Leading Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:LBIX - News), North America's only fully integrated premium beverage company, is pleased to announce the launch of INFINITY Health Water in select North American markets. INFINITY Health Water combines a unique and healthful blend of Vitamins C and E, B Vitamins, Calcium and Soy extracts in four great-tasting flavors: Blueberry Pomegranate, Strawberry Acai, Orange Cranberry and Lemon Green Tea. With 50 calories per 8 oz serving, INFINITY Health Water will be available in attractive 20 oz. PET bottles. Leading Brands' Chairman and CEO Ralph McRae said: ``There has been a significant boom in the past year in the enhanced water category with sales now exceeding a billion dollars annually. Propel and Glaceau Vitamin Water are two notable examples. We have carefully analyzed this market over the past three years and invested considerable research into our formulations which include our sophisticated tasteless soy isoflavone process. INFINITY Health Water is the culmination of that intensive research and development by the Leading Brands' R&D team. The brand contains an ideal balance of nutritional benefits for active and health-conscious people.'' Infinity Health Water will initially be released this winter in several select North American markets in advance of a broader roll-out next spring.
   About Leading Brands, Inc. - Leading Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:LBIX - News) is North America's only fully integrated premium beverage company. The Company's unique Integrated Distribution System (IDS)(tm) offers turnkey, one-stop shopping to food and beverage brand owners, including manufacturing, distribution, sales/marketing and licensing. In addition, Leading Brands produces their own line of beverages such as TrueBlue, LiteBlue, TREK Natural Sports Drinks, NITRO Energy Drinks, INFINITY Health Water, Country Harvest Juices, Caesar's Cocktails and Cool Canadian Mountain Spring Water.

Bottled water brands
PepsiCo Inc. sells Aquafina bottled water which is made with tap water. PepsiCo, starting in July 2007, will include the words "Public Water Source" on Aquafina labels. Pepsi's Aquafina and Coca-Cola Co's Dasani are both made from purified water sourced from public reservoirs, as opposed to Danone's Evian or Nestle's Poland Spring, so-called "spring waters," shipped from specific locations the companies say have notably clean water.
   Bottled water is being promoted all over the world by a number of companies such as PepsiCo, The Coca-Cola Co., Nestle, Cadbury Schweppes, Evian and S. Pellegrino. The environmental damage from the transport of this water all over the country and the world is enormous.

Necessity of water
Water is needed by the body for body temperature regulation, to carry nutrients to cells and tissues throughout the body, help with digestion, and Remove wastes and toxins from the body.

Water contamination
Arsenic - People in a part of northern Chile suffered elevated lung and bladder cancer death rates decades after being exposed to high levels of arsenic in their drinking water. Millions of people in developing and developed countries continue to drink water contaminated with arsenic, a naturally occurring element found in soil and minerals.

Water Questions

Q. Hello. I was going to suggest vitaminwater to your subscribers for a great tasting & healthy beverage, but then I took a closer look at the ingredients and how it's sweetend. Apparently it is sweetened with crystalline fructose. So I looked it up online and found out that crystalline fructose, is derived from methanol, which raised a red flag immediately. I just purchased some for my first time yesterday. I am drinking it as I type. Actually, I decided to stop drinking it after I found out it contains crystalline fructose. And actually, I now have a funny taste on my tongue. H'mmm!
   A. We don't see any reason to drink water where fructose or crystalline fructose is added although small amounts are probably not harmful.

Q. I wish to seek your expert opinion on the issue of Alkaline Water . We live in Singapore and the water from the tap here is safe for drinking even without boiling. However, we learnt from some friends about the benefits of drinking ionized water, i.e. alkaline water. There are conflicting opinions on the websites on this issue and we are rather confused. We have been drinking alkaline water for the past five years but somehow do not seem to enjoy the benefits that we were told (by the supplier) that others enjoy from it – e.g. healing them of some health ailments like high blood pressure, etc. In fact, my hubby discovered that he has mild hypertension about mid last year. His reading averages from 130 to 155 (systolic), and 87 to 97 (diastolic). He’s aged 50 and not on any medication currently as we are trying some herbal remedies like Hawthorn, Kyolic and Tablets (combination of Potassium, Magnesium and Calcium). What is your opinion with Alkaline water? There seems to be some scientific explanation ( by Dr Weil ) on the website that this is not of any benefit to the body. We hope to hear from you because we can trust in your opinion.
   A. I am not aware of any research that says alkaline water is preferable to drink than any other kind of water. My preference is to drink regular, clean water, no matter what it's source. Those who do not trust their local water supply from the kitchen faucet could get a good water purifier.

Q. I saw an ad for mineral water with calcium and they claimed that high calcium mineral water is a good source of calcium. Does the calcium in this mineral water get absorbed well?
   A. High-calcium mineral water can provide useful quantities of bioavailable calcium.

Q. I would like to know if drinking distilled water is good or bad for health.
   A. Drinking distilled water is fine, but occasionally drinking regular or spring water would also be a good idea.

Q/ I was wondering if the use of water alkalinizing drops (suck as AlkaLife which is made of distilled water, potassium hydroxide & sodium hydroxide) can have any undesirable secondary effects on the body or health. Are there any risks for toxicity?
   A. We have not seen research regarding the use of AlkaLife so we don't know, it most likely appears to be safe unless high amounts are used. If you are concerned about any possible risks with AlkaLife, perhaps you can use very small amounts.

Q. I'm a BIG fan of your website and receive your newsletter. Your site has lots of helpful info about many different health concerns and supplements. I was wondering if you have anything on water safety and bottles? The reason I ask is because I'm employed at a health food store. We sell polycarbonate bottles for people to use. They are glass-like, non porous with no leaching of materials, etc. But, recently, there have been news reports about how, suddenly, polycarbonate bottles may be detrimental to one's health where they could affect hormones, etc. Does your site have any info about this and does Dr. Sahelian have an objective opinion about water safety and bottles? It's frustrating because it seems things are found out that is bad about everything! Any feedback would be appreciated-love your site.
   A. If one reads about all the possible chemicals we are exposed to, there seems to be a risk from almost everything. However, we have to put things in perspective and not to worry too much about risks that are very minor. The worry itself could be more harmful. As to these polycarbonate water bottles, I have not kept us with it to any great detail, but it is possible that tiny amounts of unhealthy chemicals may be leached, but I have not studied this in any great detail. But, on the scale of potential other harms and exposures we are bombarded with on a daily basis, I would consider this to be on the low end of worrying items. If a person is very concerned, they could use glass bottles, but then again there is a small risk of the bottle dropping and breaking with a possible laceration. Nothing is totally risk free.

Q. What is your opinion on vitamin water?
   A. I don't see the need to drink vitamin water if it is more expensive than drinking regular water and taking a vitamin supplement capsule in the morning. However, if you enjoy drinking vitamin water, then there's no problem.

Q. What bottled water do you recommend? Which do you think is the safest and the purest? I currently drink Sam's Choice. It says is uses reverse osmosis or distillation and it adds minerals, potassium bicarbonate and potassium chloride. Are these safe minerals to add and drink 4 or 5 bottles a day?
   A. I don't have any specific bottled water recommendations. I think it is cheaper and more environmentally proper to use a water filter attached to your kitchen faucet. Plus, the major brands use tap water for their water source, anyway. PepsiCo Inc. sells Aquafina bottled water which is filtered tap water. Coca-Cola sells Dasani which is also filtered water from public reservoirs.

Q. What happens with the salt in the blood when too much water is drank?
   A. The condition is called hyponatremia and can be dangerous. 

Q. I've had sleeping problems since I increased my water intake to 1 gallon per day. I am 24 years, male, currently bodybuilding, so I require a bit more than average water. The sleep problem is, ever since I upped my water intake (about a few months ago), I've started to wake up several times a night to go to the bathroom. I tried stopping (or at least slowing) water intake at about 3 hours before sleep. But, I just seem to wake up every 2-3 hours still. And I seem to be almost wide awake at those times, not groggy like I used to be when waking up in the middle of the night. It might be because my body is used to waking up at those times. Even when I don't really need to go to the bathroom, I still wake up several times. And ever since I've had this problem, I've noticed my testosterone levels are decreased dramatically, probably because of the interrupted sleep.
   A. There is no need to drink a gallon of water a day, There is no research that says drinking more than 8 glasses of water a day offers additional health benefits. Reducing water intake should reduce nighttime awakening. Also, many people take supplements that could cause sleep problems at night. It may be a good idea to stop all supplements for a few days.

Q. Thank you for your informative newsletter. I was concerned in the case of your response to the question of how much water is enough water to drink daily, in your April 2008 issue. The gentleman in question asked if 8 glasses of water per day were adequate, and you stated that 4 would be enough. In view of today's society where people drink outsized amounts of caffeinated drinks which are well known and documented to dehydrate the body... in view of the fact that many of the off-the-shelf foods contain more sodium in one serving than we could possibly need, let alone after the many servings of food eaten in a day... in view of the fact that an enormous amount of the population eat a constant array of fried takeaway, more sugar than a small country would consume and certainly much less fruit and vegetables than is healthy, let alone good fibre vital for maintaing stable bowel health... it seems to me that 4 glasses of clear, clean liquid a day, (depending on the glass size) will most certainly not be enough for something as large as a human body. After resurrecting my health with Natural Therapies post massive and long term mis-diagnosed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I am the first to say, that if I had not drunk from 1 to 2 litres a day throughout recovery, and still to this day, I would not have been able to get my health back. Overdrinking water isn't neccessary. However I believe that even such common problems as headache, constipation and so on, often dissapear by drinking the right amount of clean, clear fluids, preferably filtered water; the same effect is not created by juices, even home juiced, or soups and certainly not this modern society's addiction to the rubbish on shop shelves that people drink by the bucket load. In much of Europe, as a very small example, people often still drink a short black coffee and a large glass of water to balance it. The hydration/ dehydration balancing act. This precaution is not often approached in much of Western Society where outsized amounts of fizzy drinks, coffee and such, are drunk one after the other all day long in repetitive monotony. Obviously people's bodies are telling them they are THIRSTY, but if you were to ask most people they would actually truly believe they were addressing their bodies thirst. How much are most bodies screaming out for clean fresh water? According to my Naturopath, most people's bodies are in such deficit it's almost the first thing she has to educate before even beginning with therapy.
   A. Different people have different opinions on the topic of idea water intake. If you have a study that disproves my point that 4 to 6 glasses of water are adequate for most health, normal activity people, I would be glad to review it.