Why Do We Need Clean Water?

It is a simple question, “Why do we need clean water?” The answers may or may not be as simple, but they are compelling. First of all, biologists have told us for years that the human body is 90% water. We need clean water to maintain that 90%. As with any topic, do a quick search on the Internet and you will see articles and websites exclaiming why we need clean water and what to do about it. There are so many ways to look at this but one of the most compelling is what our body does with water and how water helps us stay healthy. If we get enough clean water, medical experts tell us we can lower our risk for a number of problems. Issues such as blood clots, heart disease, kidney stones, cancer, mental fuzziness, crankiness, and fatigue, and excess weight can be affected by not having enough clean water. All you have to do is visit a site like water.org to learn that access to clean water worldwide is not as common as it is in the US. One bit of information on the site is that, “more people in the world have cell phones than access to a toilet.” If a person is properly hydrated, it is less likely that they will develop blood clots. This gives them some protection from strokes. In a like manner, if you drink five glasses of water a day, research has shown it can cut in half the risk of a fatal heart disease in men. Since our kidneys process the water in our body, keeping our body fluid can help prevent kidney stones and keep the urinary tract from infections. The fact that your body is working well and that waste is flushed out properly can make it less likely you will have bladder cancer. Water is also an effective way to help with a diet plan. The Science Daily website reported in February 2003 that “drinking water can help in your efforts to lose weight.” The advantage of using water this way is it does not add calories (as soda does) or caffeine and helps you to feel full. It is very common in drought situations and in extreme heat that the body loses water and becomes dehydrated. This dehydration puts stress on the body and any stress can become life threatening if it is prolonged. This stress from dehydration can even affect the way you think, change your emotions, and make you feel tired. Medical science has documented problems like this for decades. It seems that in every heat wave there is at least one death from dehydration. This is especially true for our older population and children. Clean drinkable water is very important to our health. If you don’t have a water filter pitcher, faucet water filters, countertop water filters, or under counter water filter, be sure to take the time to get one of these. They are relatively inexpensive and over time will pay you back in better health, fewer trips to a doctor, and less need for medication. For people who want or need to filter larger amounts of water you can buy under counter water filters or even a reverse osmosis water filter.