06/13/2020
It's June 13 and we certainly have seen our share of rain this summer. With all of that water coming down, it gave me the idea to talk about water.
H2O is critical for life. I do not think I need to go into all of the details about what water does for us. Simply, humans can go without solid food for weeks or months and still survive. Without water for more than a few days...well... the result is not good.
There are many theories and myths on what type of water to drink and which type is best for your health. That too is another topic. Today, I will discuss the basic water options most people have to choose from.
1. Tap water....yep, the municipal stuff coming out of your tap, into your sinks, toilets, washers, irrigation etc. Cheap, generally safe, regulated, but not completely devoid of harmful agents like pesticide residues, heavy metals, plastic nano-particles etc.
2. Distilled water....can be produced by boiling and re-condensing water but is usually bought in stores. Clean, good if needing non-contaminated water for drinking or industrial use but is de-mineralized and not meant to be drunk for long periods of time.
3. Mineral water....pulled or pumped from different natural rock laden or mineral springs, so the mineral content varies from geographic region. Many people like the taste, can be sulfur, calcium, magnesium etc. rich, but way more costlier. Remember, water is not a good source of nutrients, the food you eat is.
4. Spring or Glacial water....taken from glaciers or surface/underground springs, often near the source. Thought to be clean, more toxin free, may have mineral content too, but some may be unfiltered and are more expensive. Do we really want to be pumping our declining glaciers?
5. Sparkling water....also called carbonated or soda water as carbon dioxide or bicarbonate salts are added to the water for the fizz. Often bought, but there are now home carbonation units. Can be flavoured and feels different in the mouth than flat water, but again, are an increased cost.
6. Purified water.... usually tap or ground water filtered and treated to remove microbes and other obvious harmful substances. Not exactly distilled water, but clean to drink. Home purification systems can be expensive and expensive to maintain eg. carbon or reverse osmosis.
7. Flavoured or infused water....can be tap or any water that is sweetened or flavoured with natural or artificial flavourings. Can be nice tasting but not necessarily very healthy for you.
8. Well water....a water filled hole in the ground. Not common today in municipalities, but still found in rural areas. Convenient but needs to be tested regularly and sometimes filtered for healthy consumption.
9. Alkaline water....water with a higher pH than regular water, due to the natural or added mineral salts. Thought to be safe and healthy, counteracts the acid load of modern life which some believe leads to disease. The scientific jury is out on this one and really is a medical food, not meant to drunk indefinitely and only.
In good health,
Garrett
