Water is often ignored as a valuable health resource. With the steady degradation of water quality from natural sources, obtaining good drinking water is becoming more of a challenge.

A good natural water source is a pure mountain stream, due to natural filtration and water passing through rock formations, emerging water would be highly oxygenated and enhanced with necessary minerals in a form easily assimilated by the human body. Unfortunately these sources are rapidly becoming depleted. Due to air borne toxins, polluted water tables and disinfectant additives, municipal water supplies often contain a cocktail of heavy metals, hydrocarbons and hormones.

The human body (which is composed of more than 70% water) requires six to eight glasses of water a day to sustain normal functions. Water is the main component of blood (around 90%) and facilitates the distribution of nutrients throughout the body and the collection of waste products. Due to the obvious importance it is worth while evaluating the properties of the water you drink.

All water, even pure water is ionized to some extent. From the atomic perspective the water molecule splits into two ions, H+ and OH- and it is the ratio of these ions which determines whether water is acidic or alkaline. If acid elements such as sulfur or chlorine is dissolved in water it becomes acidic, having a preponderance of H+ ions. Conversely, dissolving alkaline elements such as calcium in water produce an excess of OH- and the solution is said to be alkaline. The importance of this is that alkaline water is oxygen rich, not in the form of O2 molecule but, as the OH- hydroxyl ion.

From the above criteria, a good water source would be one that removes toxic waste, provides high oxygen levels and minerals in a form easily adapted by the body.

Bottled water is usually better tan tap water though often not as good as publicized. The quality of water depends on the source. Bottled water can in fact be filtered water. There is the added inconvenience of buying and maintaining a stock as well as manhandling the bottles.

Carbon filters are relatively cheap and it is possible to buy domestic a drinking water unit and install very economically. The principle is simple enough, remove as much toxic material as possible leaving beneficial minerals. Depending on the original quality of the water, treatment usually provides an improved taste. Exactly what is removed and what remains depends on the filter which is usually a replaceable cartridge. Manufacturers tend to be vague as to precisely which elements are removed.

Reverse osmosis filters have been around for a while and are excellent at delivering pure water. That is, water totally stripped of its valuable minerals. Pure water is in fact an excellent solvent but its overall value to the body is questionable. Pure water can encourage leaching out of valuable minerals from body tissues which cannot easily be replaced even with supplements.

Water ionization units, relatively unknown in the West but, have been used for years in the East. So this is not new technology or a fad but, a well tested water processing method. The ionization unit functions by first passing the ordinary supply water through a series of filters to remove toxins. Some filters incorporate other elements such as tourmaline said to energize the water. The cleansed water is then subjected to electrolysis which separates the components into acid and alkaline solutions. Both types are available from the same unit and have distinct uses, alkaline water for drinking and acid water for bathing.

Alkaline water is said to reverse or slow the aging process by flushing accumulated toxic acid waste from the body over time. Manufacturers insist that alkaline drinking water helps or even alleviates conditions such as osteoporosis and prevents the morning after hangover. The drinking water provided is oxygen and mineral rich and is clustered in smaller molecular groups ready assimilated by body cells.

Interesting Facts

The inside of the human body is slightly alkaline with blood ranging from a pH value of 7.3 to 7.45.The most alkaline part of the body being the pancreas fluids in the order of pH 8.5.

It takes 32 glasses of 'alkaline' water to neutralize one glass of cola which is highly acidic.

Human skin prefers slightly acidic conditions and normal bathing with common soaps strips the protective mantle of the skin.