Water for Health and Longevity

© January 2010, The Center for Development

Water is not only the most essential substance next to oxygen for human life.  It is also fantastically complex, often containing hundreds of dissolved minerals and chemicals.  It is a marvelous substance whose extreme value is often unrecognized.

Most people do not drink enough pure water.  Adults need about 3 quarts daily, and more if one does physical labor or vigorous exercise, and perhaps more if one lives in a dry or desert climate.

MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS

The type and amount of water one drinks is an essential aspect of all nutritional balancing programs. Improper drinking water ruins many excellent nutritional balancing programs.

The dehydration diet.  Here are the problems with drinking water that we encounter on a daily basis:

1. Not drinking enough water.  

All adults must drink at least 3 quarts of water daily, with no exceptions.  It you are over about 250 pounds, you may need more.

2. Drinking the wrong kind of water.  

These are explained below.

3. Ingesting substances that dehydrate the body.  

These are caffeine in any form, sugars of all types, and alcohol in any form.

Sugars includes fruits, juices, fructose, rice syrup, honey, agave nectar, sweeteners, coconut water or coconut crème and all other sweet foods and beverages of any type.  The only juice allowed on a nutritional balancing program is 10-12 ounces of fresh or store-bought carrot and green juice or 1-2 ounces of wheat grass juice daily.

Please pay attention to this factor very carefully.

We find that the best type of long-term drinking water is a good spring water.  It is fine to buy this is plastic bottles from the supermarket.  The plastic does not cause problems with the water or with your body.

In most cities, you may also have spring water delivered to your home in recycled plastic bottles or maybe in glass bottles, perhaps.  Look in your phone book for companies that deliver bottled water. It is not usually any more costly than buying it yourself at the supermarket.

Another option is to get spring water directly from a local spring.   A list of springs is available at WWW.FINDASPRING.COM.

Carbon-filtered tap water appears to be the second best type of long-term drinking water.  A carbon block filter is better than a simple carbon filter such as that found in a Brita filter, for example, although any carbon is better than none.  Be sure to change the filter often.

However, do NOT drink water that is filtered by a deionization resin, or filtered by reverse osmosis. Also, do not use a spinning machine to "vitalize" your water.  These methods seem to damage the water, in our opinion.

Steam-distilled water is excellent for a short time to remove some toxic substances from the body.  It acts like a chelator, however, so one must exercise care.  We use it only for a few months at the beginning of a nutrition program, and perhaps for a few days to up to one month during a healing reaction.  If used for longer, however, it tends to leach vital minerals from the body.

Reverse osmosis water is mineral free, but rarely hydrates the body adequately. Avoid reverse osmosis water for drinking and even for cooking.  This means to also avoid popular types of water that are called "drinking water", "purified water" and some bottled waters such as Dasani, Aqua Fina and many others that are prepared by reverse osmosis.

Also, avoid all alkaline waters.  Short-term use is okay for a few months.  More than this tends to make the body more yin, an undesirable effect of alkaline water intake of any kind.  Also the platinum used in the plates in the machine may leach a little platinum, a very toxic metal.

Cautions with drinking water.  Be sure to read the label on drinking water in the supermarket carefully.  Sometimes the fine print will show that drinking water that is labeled as "distilled" is really made by reverse osmosis.  This is not acceptable water to drink on a regular basis, as it will not hydrate the body adequately and is harmful in other ways as well.

Home distillers.  Another caution is to avoid the use of most home water distillers.  I am not sure why, but these do not work as well as the distilled water that can be purchased at supermarkets and elsewhere.  It may be because the commercially distilled water has pre- and post-filters that remove more volatile organic chemicals.  In contrast, home distillers often simply boil the organic chemicals and then cause them to recondense in the purified water, and this is not healthful.

Also, avoid all designer or special kinds of water.  Most are either tap water that is treated with reverse osmosis and then minerals added back, or some is even worse, with very unbalanced forms of minerals added. Few are healthful and none that I have seen is worth the cost.

Also, avoid adding minerals to drinking water.  In my experience, this often worsens the product.  The problem is that minerals in water are complex, and just adding a solution usually does not produce a balanced and healthy product.

Plastic water bottles.  Some object to the plastic bottles in which spring and distilled water is sold.  While it is unfortunate to use these materials, the plastic does not seem to interfere with nutritional balancing programs at all.  It is far worse is to drink tap water laden with chemicals, or reverse osmosis water that does not properly hydrate the body.

A few ideas to avoid buying water in new plastic bottles.  In many cities, the problem can be overcome by having spring water or distilled water delivered to your home.  The cost is about the same and the bottles used are older and recycled.  Another solution in a few areas is to find an excellent spring and fill up your bottles – plastic or glass – directly from the spring. A list of these springs is available at WWW.FINDASPRING.COM.

DETAILS ABOUT WATER, AND THE QUALITIES OF WATER

Large textbooks are written about water.  Water has so many properties that I can only touch upon some of the most important ones and other practical considerations.

Water has a spin, moment, particle size, specific gravity, acidity, hardness, total dissolved solids, boiling point, bond angle, overall quality and microorganisms.   Let us discuss each of these in more detail.

Spin.

Water molecules spin in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. This influences the water's effect on the human body. The spin should be clockwise. When it is reversed, the water pulls minerals from the body and disrupts normal mineral metabolism.  From what I have read, the problem with reverse osmosis water is that the spin of the water is disrupted by the plastic membrane, and this cannot be corrected by adding minerals, boiling the water or other simple means.

Moment. 

Water has a weight or molecular structure that depends on its moment.  Moment is the manner in which a substance behaves in the presence of other substances.  Water is, of course, in contact with many substances which influence it and which it, in turn, influences.  Moment has to do with the way water interacts with these substances.

Particle Size. 

Water contains dissolved particles.  These are ions, electrical and protonic particles.  The size of these particles also imparts qualities to water that are easily measured with electrical conductivity testers.

Specific Gravity. 

Water has a specific gravity index that also influences its effect on the body.  The higher the specific gravity, the more it adheres to cell walls and other structures.  This is the viscosity of the water. Ideally, water should have a very low specific gravity.  This means the water is 'wetter' and will penetrate the cells better, bringing more nutrients to the cells and carrying away more toxins.

Weight.  

One may think that all water weighs the same.  However, this is not true.  Some water is heavier due to the isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen that make up the water.  Lighter water is best for the human body. For example, some spring waters contain less deuterium, a heavier isotope of hydrogen that contributes to a heavier water.

PH or Acidity. 

Water, like all substances, has a degree of acidity or alkalinity that also influences its effects on the body.  The higher the pH, the more alkaline the water.  Water that is too alkaline or too acid is not healthful.

Some people are using machines that alkalinize the water by adding or removing minerals from it.  This I consider very risky as it changes the properties of the water, often in unnatural ways.  I do not ever recommend these machines for extended use, as they seem to make the person much more yin, a negative consequence that will eventually offset any positive benefits of drinking alkaline water.

Hardness.

All naturally-occurring water contains minerals to some degree.  Hardness refers mainly to the amount of calcium in the water.  I recommend a water that is hard, but not too hard.

Total Dissolved Solids. 

This refers to the total of the minerals contained in the water.  This can vary tremendously from various water sources.  A good total dissolved solid level (tds) is about 300-400.

Boiling Point. 

Water is said to boil at 212º F.  However, the boiling point varies with the altitude.  It also varies with the nature of the water.  Salt water, for example, boils at a higher temperature.  It also freezes at a lower temperature.  This is why salt is applied to sidewalks and roads, as it causes ice to melt.

The boiling point of water is more important than one might imagine. This has to do with vaporization of the water in the body and its excretion through the lungs and skin.  Water that boils at a lower temperature will volatilize or vaporize faster.  This is beneficial for removing toxic substances from the body.   I recommend a water with a lower boiling point.

The boiling point depends on the minerals in the water.  It also depends on the structure of the water and on subtle factors related to the spin, moment, weight and other factors.

Bond angle. 

This is a very interesting quality of water.  The bond angle is the angle between the two oxygen atoms in the H2O molecule.  The more open the bond angle, the wetter or lower the surface tension of the water.  A more open bond angle also affects many other properties of the water.  This very interesting topic  is discussed in more detail in another article on this website entitled Open Water, What it is.

Overall Quality. 

This refers to the amounts and ratios of the various minerals and other substances in the water.  This is a complex area as there can be over 100 minerals in a particular water, plus thousands of toxic chemicals, pesticide residues, pharmaceuticals, solvents and added chemicals in any particular water.

Unfortunately, today most water is very contaminated with heavy metals and toxic chemicals.  Therefore, most tap and well water is not of very good quality and will not hydrate the body as well as a quality spring water.

Micro-organisms. 

All water, except perhaps triple distilled laboratory water, contains microorganisms. These include bacteria, fungi, parasitic organisms, viruses and mycoplasma.  Water may also contain insect larvae, parasite ova, plant matter, animal feces and many other biological compounds.  I recommend water than has been filtered by passing through the earth to produce well and spring water.   Carbon filtration also helps remove many micro-organisms, but it does not remove others, and does not remove toxic metals, for the most part.

Deep well and spring water is generally cleaner in this regard, as it comes from deeper within the earth.  Surface water from rivers and lakes, for example, is often far more contaminated with insect, fish and algae residues.

VARIETIES OF DRINKING WATER

Water used for drinking can be surface water, well water or rain water.  Well water is usually the most mineralized water.  Research indicates that 'hard' water helps reduce heart attacks, probably due to its higher calcium and magnesium content.

Surface water found in lakes and streams is usually less mineralized, as it has not passed through large amounts of rock and soil.  It can be excellent water if it is not contaminated with human or animal waste, or industrial chemicals.

Rainwater often contains even fewer minerals.  It begins as distilled water in the clouds, but may pick up some minerals as it falls from the sky.  Once it hits the ground, it quickly picks up minerals from anything it touches.  If collected in metal cisterns, for example, it will pick up some metal from the pipes and collecting tanks. It can also pick up toxic chemicals and many other substances.  It is generally a 'soft' water, higher in sodium. Because it is low in minerals, it also tends to leach some toxic metals like copper, iron, lead and cadmium out of water pipes much more than hard water.  Thus, one must be careful about drinking rain water unless it is collected in a very clean manner.

WATER PROCESSING

Humanity has always had a problem with the safety and cleanliness of drinking water supplies.  This is still a serious concern in most every nation.  In some nations, water-borne epidemics sweep through communities including cholera, typhoid fever, amoebic dysentery and many others.  "Montezuma's Revenge" is a popular name for usually water-borne illnesses that can be fatal for children in many undeveloped nations.

Many micro-organisms, as well as toxic metals, toxic chemicals, sewage and today even residues of pharmaceutical drugs, often contaminate water supplies.

Mankind has developed many methods to treat water to make it potable or drinkable. These include filtration, distillation, reverse osmosis, magnetic treatments, electrical discharge such as deionization, ozonation, spinning the water to form vortices, allowing particles to settle out, adding chemicals such as aluminum, copper and chlorine, and others.  Let us discuss some of these water treatment methods

CHLORINATION AND OZONATION

To remove bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms, almost all city water companies add chlorine to the drinking water in America.  However, artificial chlorination is highly toxic to human beings and animals.

Some researchers assert that a major reason for the drastic rise in heart disease in the early 20th century in Europe and America was the addition of chlorine to the drinking water.  Chlorination of drinking water probably also contributes to cancer and other illnesses, as chlorine is so toxic.

Ozone as an alternative. A few American cities including Los Angeles, and some parts of Europe, use ozone to purify their water supply.  Ozone is O3, an unstable form of oxygen that is known to kill almost all pathogenic organisms.  Its only drawback is it does not stay in the water as long as chlorine does.

Ozonation is much safer, cheaper and more healthful than chlorination.  It will come into wider use as scientists realize the damage chlorine does to humans, animals and plant life.

ADDING ALUMINUM AND COPPER

Aluminum. 

Towns often add aluminum compounds to water to make solid matter clump and fall to the bottom of holding tanks used at most water treatment plants.  While it removes solid matter, aluminum finds it way into the drinking water.  Excessive aluminum is found in most people's tissue mineral tests.  High levels are associated with memory impairment and dementia.

Copper.  

City water companies may also add other chemicals to water, particularly copper compounds, to reduce the amount of algae and fungus.  While copper is a nutrient mineral, many people already have too much of it.  Vegetarian diets are high in copper.  Weak adrenal glands cause copper accumulation.  Birth control pills raise copper and copper intra-uterine devices can drastically raise one's copper level.

Copper toxicity is extremely common, thanks in part to contamination from water sources.  It can cause depression, anxiety, mood swings, panic attacks, fatigue, headaches, skin rashes and even cancer.  These are among the most common symptoms in our population.  Over half the mineral analyses I see reveal elevated levels of tissue copper.

Ideally, copper should not be added to drinking water, but the practice is quite common in some areas to reduce the growth of algae in reservoirs, for example.

THE FLUORIDATION ABOMINATION

Although the Clean Water Act of 1974 prohibits adding any substance to drinking water except to make it safe, many communities have been convinced by ignorant or corrupt health authorities to add sodium fluoride or calcium fluoride to their drinking water.  These chemicals are not safe, and do little good to prevent cavities, in fact.  Any health authority who reviews the data in an unbiased way would never recommend adding fluorides to drinking water.

Large-scale studies fail to show any reduction in tooth decay from water fluoridation.  Some studies showed more decay in fluoridated areas.  All nations except the United States and some parts of Great Britain and Australia have given up the practice based on the research and on the principle of people's right to choose whether or not to have their water medicated .  Adding fluoride has nothing to do with the safety of the water, and in fact makes it much more toxic.

Fluorides are very toxic chemicals, considered as toxic as mercury or lead.  Also, the compound often used, hydrofluosilicic acid, is not pure fluoride but rather a smokestack waste product from fertilizer factories that is about 30% fluoride.  It contains heavy metals, kerosene, benzene, radioactive substances and other toxins.

To be putting smokestack waste into drinking water is, in the author's opinion, criminally insane.  Anyone who drinks it is foolish.  The facts are available to anyone who cares to learn about them.  Naturally occurring fluorides are almost as bad and should be avoided at all cost.  For much more on water fluoridation, read Water Fluoridation on this website.

WHICH FILTERING METHOD IS BEST?

I do not recommend drinking city tap water, as most of it is quite contaminated with toxic metals and chemicals, some of which are added to it.  Nor do I find that reverse osmosis water is good.  It simply does not hydrate the body as well.

Thus the only options are: 1) filtered water or 2) bottled spring or distilled water.  Of these, we find that the latter is best.

Based on a lot of clinical experience, I favor at this time drinking only quality steam distilled water for a short time, or spring water from a reliable source as a longer-term drinking water.  Having to drink from plastic bottles appears to be much less of a problem than using the other types of water.  Many companies deliver spring and distilled water in older, recycled, hard plastic that is fairly inert.  The cost of bottled water is a problem for some people, but it is often worthwhile for optimum health and healing.

Use carbon-filtered tap water if buying spring water is too costly.  This is the next best option for most people.

Beware, however, of bottled or store-bought "drinking water".  This is usually just tap water that has been treated with reverse osmosis and then minerals added back.  This is not as good as steam distilled or actual spring water.

FILTERED WATERS

Let us discuss the various types of filtered water.

Carbon Filtration.  

Carbon is an excellent filtering material.   It comes in two ways in water filters. Either it is a powdered carbon, which is not as good.  The better way of using carbon is in a compressed block form.  This type of filter is called a carbon block filter.  The compressed carbon removes more impurities.

Carbon in either form has many uses in industry and other applications, and is good for filtering many chemicals from water.  While this is a good option for some people, here are the problems to beware of with carbon filters:

1. Carbon will not filter out fluoride or most toxic metals.  

It will also not filter out certain small organic and other chemical contaminants.

2. All carbon filters clog up and stop working, in time.  

There is no reliable way to tell when to change the filter. A dirty carbon filter is worse than no filter at all.

3. Carbon readily supports bacterial and fungal growth, which can occur within days of placing the filter in use.  

Some fungi are extremely toxic, though they are tasteless and odorless. One cannot tell without expensive testing whether one's carbon filter is contaminated and when to change it.  Manufacturer's recommendations are not necessarily useful.  It depends on the water source and other conditions.

Some manufacturers state that the filter must be used with chlorinated water in order to help reduce bacterial and fungal growth.  If yours says this, be sure to observe this caution.

4. Some carbon filters contain silver or other metals to inhibit bacterial and fungal growth.  

However, the metal leaches into the water to some degree.  This is not desirable.

5. In order for carbon to work well, water must pass slowly over the carbon.  

If it passes quickly, toxins will not be absorbed nearly as well by the carbon.  In most carbon filtering systems, the water passes through the carbon much too rapidly to be really effective.

Carbon block filters.  

A related type of filter is called a carbon block. It consists of activated charcoal that has been compressed at high pressure.  It is much more dense than simple carbon.

The advantages of the carbon block are the water is exposed to more carbon.  Also, the tightly compressed carbon can trap larger particles, including some heavy metals.  As a filtering material, it is far superior to simple carbon.

Problems with the carbon block, however, are similar to those of regular carbon filters. It can become easily contaminated with fungi and bacteria.  There is no simple test to tell if your filter has become contaminated or how efficiently it is filtering the water. For these reasons, I consider carbon filters definitely second best, although they are much better than nothing if changed frequently.

Reverse Osmosis.

This method involves passing water at high pressure through a plastic membrane with tiny holes in it. Most substances are too large to pass through the membrane and remain behind.  The design includes a way of back flushing the membrane to prevent excessive buildup of solid matter on the membrane.

Reverse osmosis units also usually contain carbon pre- and post-filters. The pre-filter extends the life of the membrane by removing larger particles and certain chemicals. The post-filter further purifies the water, removing chlorine and other gases that may pass through the filter.  These must be changed every six months or so or the water quality will deteriorate rapidly.

Reverse osmosis and deionization are used in most commercial "drinking water" facilities, water stores, supermarket machines and bottling plants for soda pop, juices, beer and many other drinks. It is much cheaper than distillation.  Membrane technology continues to advance, enhancing the amount of water that can be produced per hour and lengthening the life of the membrane.  However, we rarely recommend reverse osmosis water for the following reasons:

PROBLEMS WITH REVERSE OSMOSIS OR RO WATER

1. The water is extremely yin in Chinese medical terms.   

This occurs because it lacks minerals and because it is contaminated with plastic from the RO membrane.  The yin quality is extremely harmful and must be avoided.

2. RO water, in general, does not hydrate the body well.  

This is unfortunate, but we see it over and over again.  The plastic membrane must damage the water in some way.  I speculate that it changes the spin and moment of the water.  Another possibility is that deuterium particles (heavy water) passes through the membrane easily.  Lighter water that is bound to contaminants is stopped.  The effect may be to increase the weight of the water, an undesirable change.

3. Plastic residue from the membrane seems to find its way into the water and then into the body. 

So it adds a new toxin to the body, even though the water is quite pure in other ways.

4. There is evidence from a few clients that RO water damages the third chakra, which is also very dangerous.

5. There is no simple way to test the quality of the water.  

As the membrane and filters age, they can clog up or the holes in the membrane can become a little too large.  A simple TDS meter that measures total dissolved solids is not that accurate for purity, although it gives some information.  For example, it may not reflect the presence of some toxins.

6. Carbon filters in RO systems can become contaminated, as discussed above.

Manufacturers suggest replacing the carbon filters at specified intervals or after a certain number of gallons have been produced.  However, these are just averages.   Other than the taste, it is most difficult to assess the cleanliness of the carbon filters.

5. Reverse osmosis water also produces a water with very low mineral content and a more acid pH.  

As with distilled water, it is a hungry water that leaches minerals from the body and does not supply needed nutrient minerals.  The acid pH is less of a problem in my view, but some people believe it is not helpful.

7. A less important problem with reverse osmosis is the longevity of the plastics used in the membrane. 

The polycarbonate plastics degrade slowly in the landfills.  Filled with toxic substances, they represent as source of long-term pollution. Extremely high-temperature incineration, which is gaining in popularity, is a good form of disposal of the membranes.

8. Preferably, DO NOT ADD MINERALS TO REVERSE OSMOSIS WATER (OR TO ANY DRINKING WATER).  

The reasons for this are:

• Most people do not know which minerals they need to add.  Commercial preparations such as electrolyte solutions often do not contain optimal mineral levels for each person.
• Adding salt or sea salt to water may detoxify the body a little, but is a dangerous practice, long term, because the high sodium content can unbalance the minerals in the body by competing with other mineral absorption.
• Most mineral preparations are not pure enough and many, such as coral calcium, can contain some toxic minerals as well.
• Reverse osmosis  water, in particular, is extremely "hungry" and adding minerals to it will cause them to be absorbed into the water easily, and then cause them to be absorbed into the body cells quickly and thoroughly. This is good if the minerals are pure, but most are not pure enough, no matter what they say on the bottle.  As a result, the person is slowly but surely poisoned by the toxic minerals.

I find it best to obtain minerals primarily from cooked vegetables.  This is usually the best source.  Other mineral supplements that are excellent are kelp, 10-12 ounces of carrot juice or a fresh green juice mixed with it, a quality sea salt in your food, but not in your water, and dried vegetable capsules like Juice Plus and Veg-Easy. However, we do not like many green powders and super-foods that contain spirulina, blue-green algae and chlorella, as these appear to be somewhat toxic.  Barley grass and wheat grass, although not as good dried as fresh, also seem to be excellent sources of minerals.  Another good one are raw dairy products (but only raw dairy or Horizon organic dairy, which is not as good, but better than the other pasteurized dairy products).

Raw vegetables do not allow the body to absorb enough minerals from them, so I find it is much better to eat mainly cooked vegetables.

Steam Distillation.

Steam Distillation consists of boiling the water and then allowing the steam to condense.  This is a fairly natural process, as it is what occurs during evaporation.  All solid matter is left behind, except chemicals that volatilize at a lower temperature than the water.

Some distillers have methods to capture these substances to prevent them from remaining in the water. This is the best type and they are far more costly, usually, for this reason.  This may be why home distillers are not as good, in my experience, as distilled water that is produced commercially and sold in the supermarket or can be delivered to your home.  I do not recommend buying a home distiller for this reason.

Distillation is probably the best treatment of water to remove pathogens, metals, chemicals and heavy water molecules.  Evaporating the water does not significantly damage the spin, moment, weight and other subtle qualities of the water.

Problems with distilled water in general.

1. Distillation produces a more acid water.  

Some people do not like this fact.  In nutritional balancing science, we do not care.  We find that distilled water removes so many toxic substances from the body that the overall effect is alkalinizing, even though the water itself may be slightly acidic in its pH.  This is an important consideration, as the goal is to alkalinize the body, and so it does not matter what the pH of the water is as long as it benefits the pH of the body.

2. Distilling creates a "hungry" water.  

Devoid of minerals, the water tends to pick up whatever minerals it touches.  In nutritional balancing science, this property is used to advantage for just a few months at first, to leach or pick up many toxic substances as it passes through our bodies.  However,  one must eat plenty of vegetables, and preferably some kelp and sea salt to replenish vital minerals.

After a few months, however, drinking distilled water is usually not the best as it will begin to remove more physiological minerals from the body.

Also, do not add random minerals to distilled water, as is popular in some circles.  One does not know which are needed.  Food is a better source, in general.

3. Even stainless steel distillers can give up some chromium, nickel, molybdenum, arsenic, cadmium and other metals to the water.  

This is not a lot, however, as most is bound in the steel.  An all-glass distiller would be superior, if such a machine is even available.

4.Distilled water lacks nutrient minerals.  

Everyone today is deficient in trace elements.  Drinking only distilled water for more than a few months, especially if one does not supplement the diet with a mineral supplement, will tend to cause even more mineral deficiencies.

For this reason, I do not recommend drinking distilled water for more than a few months.  It is almost excellent, however, to assist toxic metal removal during a detoxification reaction, for example, for a few days to up to one month.

WATERS TO AVOID

Please avoid:

• Trinity Water, as it is much too high in fluoride.
• All "drinking water" and "purified water" including Aqua Fina and Dasani.  Do not be fooled by fancy sounding names or fancy bottling.  These are just filtered tap water or water produced by reverse osmosis.
• Alkaline water
• Distilled water, after 3-36 months.  Too much distilled water will demineralize the body.
• Water from water machines found at supermarkets, for example.
• Water from water stores.  This is always made with reverse osmosis, in my experience.
• Well water.  Sadly, many wells are contaminated.  Be very careful with your well water, even if the state authorities or others tell you it is pure and clean.  I find they are not required to tell you about certain contaminants such as manganese in some areas, and they may not test for many minerals, toxic chemicals and medical drug residues as these are newer contaminants.
• Tap water, unless filtered with carbon, at least.  Tap water is not ideal, but it often will hydrate the body.  If it is all you can afford, preferably at least use a Britta or other simple carbon filter and change the filter about once a month.
• Always read labels carefully to see if bottled water is actually spring water or just filtered tap water.
• I do not believe most people need to pay extra for water that has been altered by adding ozone, special minerals, prayers or by other processes.  Many of these are available today.  Some are obviously better than others and there are too many to comment upon.  Most begin with tap water and use reverse osmosis to filter the water.  This is not good.

WHAT ABOUT ALKALINE WATER, DESIGNER WATERS IN THE STORES AND OTHERS

Alkaline water.  

I know of two types of alkaline water systems.  Both have similar problems, as explained below, for which reason both are best avoided.

Free-standing home units.  

The first type of alkaline water machines are most popular.  They are free-standing kitchen units.  These include the Jupiter, I-Water, Kagen, and others.  These devices begin filtration with tap water.  The water passes through a carbon filter.

Then the water passes over electrified platinum-covered titanium plates to alkalinize it.  Then some machines may add a calcium solution or powder to the water to further enhance its alkalinity.  Problems with these machines, that are heavily and falsely advertised in my opinion, include:

Yin. 

All alkaline water drinking makes the body more yin and may upset the body in other ways.  This is the worst problem with these machines.  Yin means expanded in Chinese medical terms.  It is not good in almost all cases, even if you feel better with it for a while.

Cleanliness. 

Tap water is not a very good base water.  It is quite variable, and most tap water in America and elsewhere is not of excellent quality.  It contains some chlorine compounds, fluorides, medical drug residues, hundreds of toxic chemicals, toxic metals and more.

Carbon filters.

Carbon filters cannot remove most toxic metals and many toxic chemicals, no matter what the manufacturers claim.  When water passes quickly over carbon, not that much is removed.  Also, as the carbon filter becomes dirty, it stops working well.

Platinum.

Platinum is too toxic for any human exposure.  While the amount of exposure is small, we have noted that after using the machine for 6 months or so, some who use it begin to develop a little platinum toxicity.  While this may be okay for most people, some with delicate kidneys or liver problems may be affected.  The amount of platinum absorbed will depend upon one's tap water and one's body chemistry.  The more poorly nourished one is, the more platinum one is likely to absorb.  Other factors such as one's age, vitality, etc. also have an effect.

White powders added to the water.  

One must find out exactly what it is.  Most is not that pure.  Avoid coral calcium powder, for example, or some other contaminated product that adds more toxic metals.

If you want to use an alkaline water machine, at least do not add the powder, and turn off the alkalinizationfeature, and just use it as a water filter.  Preferably unplug the unit so there is no chance that the platinum plates are electrified and leaching a little platinum into your body.  Your water is still passing over platinum, which is perhaps harmful.  I have seen terrible problems caused by these machines when used daily for more than 6 months or so, even though the damage is very subtle at first.

I do not like the advertising for these machines with claims that most Japanese hospitals, and most Japanese people use them.  I do not believe this is true at all.

The second type of alkaline water.  

A few health food stores and water stores are selling even more dangerous alkaline water.  They begin with reverse osmosis water.  Then they add a calcium solution or powder, often coral calcium, to alkalinize it.  Problems with this methodolgy are:

Yin.  

Once again, any alkaline water seems to have a negative yin effect.  Reverse osmosis does not hydrate the body well at all and should never be used for daily drinking water by most people.

The calcium solution or powder, especially if it is made from coral calcium, may contain toxic metals.

Very toxic, possibly.  

When toxic metals are added to reverse osmosis water, the 'hungry water' seems to take up the metals easily and drive them deep into the body cells and the kidneys.

Designer waters such as I-water, Pentawater and others.  

These are often made from reverse osmosis water, which does not hydrate the body well.  Most have minerals and other things added to the water, which is also not usually helpful.  Most are also costly.  I do not know of any of these that are better than a good quality spring water at this time, though this could change.

Open water.  

This is a very interesting type of water.  One just adds a few drops of it to drinking water.  For more on this topic, read the article entitled Open Water on this website.

Minerals added to drinking water.  

This is a popular idea, but not usually helpful and, in fact, quite dangerous.  You simply do not know which minerals are best, and salts are harmful as they can leach vital minerals from the body.

Especially avoid minerals that are added to drinking water that come from the sea and those that come from land-based mineral deposits or earth mineral deposits.  In my experience, these all contain some toxic metals and the sea-based ones contain salts that can leach vital minerals from the body.

HOW MUCH AND WHEN TO DRINK?

The amount of water is as important as the quality of the water.  However, more of a poor quality water will actually do more damage.  Children need less water depending on their size, but all need to drink water, not other beverages only such as milk, juices, soups, etc.  Here are the basic rules we suggest for adults.

• The first choice is to drink a quality spring water that you have delivered, you buy in the supermarket, or you obtain directly from the spring if you prefer.
• Second choice, not quite as good, is to drink a carbon-filtered tap water.
• Most adults need about three quarts or more of drinking water per day.  More is needed in hot weather, dry weather and if one is more physically active or weighs over 200 pounds.  Drinking more water is not necessary or healthful.
• As part of one's water intake, one may have up to three cups of mild, caffeine-free teas and one cup of green or black tea.  Preferably do not add honey, sugar, agave syrup, cream, lemon, caffeine or other things to your tea. These will alter the quality of the water somewhat.  This is why many books state clearly not to use anything but pure water.
• Avoid drinking much soda pop, fruit juices, too much vegetable juice, more than about 8 ounces of any kind of milk, rice, soy, hemp, or almond milks, alcohol and caffeinated beverages.  If you have some, they should not be counted as part of your water intake.  In fact, eating or drinking anything containing sugar, caffeine and alcohol definitely tends to dehydrate the body.  For more on this important medical topic, read Hydration on this website.

How to drink.  

An excellent way to begin your day is to drink several large glasses of warm water upon arising in the morning, up to about a quart.  This will supply you for several hours and you won't have to think about how much to drink all day long.  Drinking a number of glasses of heated water will often help with constipation, as well.

Otherwise, it is best to drink about four large glasses of water between meals.  Keep the amount of water at the meals low, so as not to dilute the digestive juices.  Drinking after about 6 PM can cause men, in particular, to be up urinating during the night, which is not helpful for resting and for sleep.