Hydration, electrolytes & water filtration
I guarantee, if I were to ask 1000 people, no 10,000 people, what being hydrated meant to them, their response
would be, to drink enough water! Probably even, to drink MORE water!
However, is that all there is to it? Is that all we need to focus on? Drinking MORE water for good hydration?
The most common myth I hear is this one:
The body is 60% water!! But is this actually true?
The body contains very little water at all, its all fluid full of electrolytes.
The fluid in your body is blood, lymph, urine, and they are all electrolytes.
Water is H20 which means it comprises of Hydrogen and Oxygen.
If you want electrolysed water, you have to add the electrolytes!
So what are electrolytes?
These are electrically charged minerals with vital roles to play in the body:
- Conduct nerve impulses
- Contract & relax muscles
- Help maintain a healthy PH level
- Help push fluids through the body
- Pushes vitamins, proteins and minerals through cell walls
- Transportation of oxygen around the body
- Prevents muscles from cramping
- Stops constipation
- Gives us energy
- Prevents gout (uric acid)
- Prevents high blood pressure
So what are they called and what do they do?
Sodium (Sodium Chloride: 40% Sodium/60% Chloride):
- Positively charged (it carries electricity)
- It hydrates because water is attracted to it
- Works best with Potassium (both have the opposite effects in the body)
- Your kidneys remove the excess
- Contracts and relaxes muscles
- Helps maintain a healthy PH level
- Conducts nerve impulses
Food sources:
- Almost ALL unprocessed foods are very low in Sodium
- Most of the salt in our diets comes from commercially prepared foods
- When adding salt, remember: not all salts are the same
- Table salt is highly processed and contains Calcium Silicate (anti caking agent)
- Sea salt is produced by evaporating ocean or sea water and is less processed
- Sea salt can contain impurities left in the ocean like lead or mercury
- Himalayan pink salt is harvested from mines in Pakistan
- This is less processed and contains iron, potassium, calcium and magnesium
- Its pink hue comes from small amounts of iron oxide
- It wont contain sea salt impurities
Deficiency:
- This is called Hyponatremia
- A deficiency of sodium is rare because it is so commonly added to a wide variety of foods
- Excess vomiting, diarrhoea, and sweating can cause hyponatremia (loss of salts in fluids)
- Drinking too much water can lead to this, but this is very rare
- Symptoms: nausea, vomiting, headaches, altered mental state/confusion, lethargy, seizures, coma.
Toxicity:
- This is called hypernatremia
- The more salt you eat, the more calcium you lose via urination
- If calcium is in short supply in the blood, it can leach out of bones resulting in Osteoporosis
- A higher intake of salt, sodium, or salty foods is linked to an increase in stomach cancer
- High salt intake is also strongly linked to Cardiovascular disease & Chronic kidney disease
Magnesium:
- Controls the absorption of both Sodium & Potassium
- Most people are chronically deficient in this mineral
- Important for the relaxation of muscles and prevents cramps
- Maintains the structure of the DNA
- Regulates blood sugar, blood pressure, and nerve functions
- More than half of the magnesium in our body is stored in bones
Food sources:
- Pumpkin seeds
- Almonds
- Leafy greens
- Dark chocolate
- Avocados
Deficiency:
- Leads to a loss of bone density (Osteoporosis)
- Linked strongly with migraines
- Magnesium assists with neurological pathways: if deficient can lead to depression and anxiety
- High blood pressure (Magnesium is a blood pressure regulator)
- Type 2 diabetes: Magnesium assists enzymes that regulate blood sugar and insulin activity
Toxicity:
- This is rare because the kidneys are really good at removing excess Magnesium in the urine
- Signs might include vomiting, diarrhoea, depression and muscle weakness
Potassium:
- Possibly the most important electrolyte in the body
- We need much more of this than we do Magnesium, Sodium & Calcium
- 10 times more than Magnesium, twice more than Sodium & 4 times more than Calcium
- Prevents gout (uric acid build up)
- Prevents high blood pressure
- Protects the kidneys
- Gives us energy
Food sources:
- Bananas
- Leafy greens
- Avocados
- Potatoes
- Dried fruits
Deficiency:
- It is called Hypokalaemia, but again, it is very rare
- Vomiting, diarrhoea, and certain medications like diuretics can lead to a deficiency
- Symptoms might include: fatigue, muscle cramps, constipation, irregular heart rate
- Medications that cause the body to excrete too much potassium can cause deficiencies
Toxicity:
- Called Hyperkalaemia
- Again this is very rare
- Advanced kidney disease or taking medications that hold onto potassium could cause this
- Symptoms could include weakness, nausea, shortness of breath and chest pains
Calcium:
- Needed for muscle contraction
- When deficient we get cramps and lack stamina
- Important for blood coagulation
- Vital for hormone secretion
- Amount needed as we get older increases
- Ensures healthy bones (99% is found in the bones and teeth)
- Menopause lowers the amount of oestrogen which then affects calcium absorption
Food sources:
- Milk
- Cheese
- Eggs
- Sardines/Mackerel
- Beans
- Lentils
- Almonds
Deficiency:
- Bones will release calcium into the blood if the diet does not provide enough
- If serious its called hypocalcemia, resulting from diseases such as kidney failure
- Symptoms would include numbness or tingling in fingers, abnormal heart rate
- Chronic deficiency would result in osteoporosis
Toxicity:
- Too much calcium in the blood is called hypercalcemia
- Calcium toxicity has been linked to kidney stones, prostate cancer, and constipation
- Is also a large mineral that can block the absorption of other minerals like iron and zinc.
So now we know what electrolytes are and their relationship with water and hydration, what next?
When we hydrate, we have to do so effectively and efficiently, oh and for the right reasons.
So, before we move on, lets recap:
- Coffee, coke and alcohol are all diuretics: they dehydrate you
- Glucose locks up fluid making it unavailable (diabetics are thirsty people)
- Sodium, Magnesium, Potassium & Calcium are needed for hydration
- Too much water rids the body of electrolytes (hyponatremia)
- Kidneys maintain your electrolyte balance
We know we need both water and electrolytes to maintain hydration and healthy fluid balance
We now also know that foods are our best electrolyte sources (including salt of course)
CLEAN, HEALTHY WATER
Depending on where you are in the world, dictates how clean your domestic water supply will be.
Although I reside in the UK, my research has found many similarities in water quality across
developed, civilised countries.
Here is a delightful list of nasties found in domestic water supplies across the western world:
Oestrogen:
This is the main sex hormone in a woman's body
Enters the system via birth control pills.
After swallowing, it doesn't take long for the hormones to enter the local water systems.
Sometimes, people even choose to flush unused pills, sending a full dose down the toilet.
They soon end up in nearby waterways such as rivers and lakes, then into our drinking water.
It is estimated that over 2 million women are taking these pills every day in the UK alone.
In the USA, this number is over 20 million.
When swallowed, only a small percentage of the pill is absorbed (approx. 10%)
The remaining 90% is excreted and ends up in the water system.
Its a synthetic form of Oestrogen known as EE2, which is an endocrine disruptor.
In other words, it interferes with reproductive hormones and development.
Birth control pills are not the sole source of Oestrogen in our drinking water though.
These synthetic nasties also come from farm animal excretions too.
You would be amazed how much crap we inject into our farm animals every day.
All this, at some point, will end up in our drinking water systems.
Fluoride:
I could and possibly will write a separate blog on Fluoride in the near future.
There are many forms of Fluoride, however only one NATURAL form: CALCIUM FLUORIDE.
Guess what: it is NOT Calcium Fluoride which is added to our drinking water.
What is added to our drinking water is far more sinister and detrimental to our health.
It is called SODIUM FLUORIDE.
This is a by product from aluminium production and the phosphate fertiliser industry.
These industries actually sell it to water companies who then add it to drinking water.
It is therefore synthetic and not natural at all and is a protoplasmic poison.
It is also contains lead, arsenic and mercury.
It is very much like mercury in that it is cumulative and builds up in the body.
It interferes with DNA replication at ALL levels of exposure.
There have been over 180 studies carried out on the subject since 2006.
All found neurotoxic harm, lowering of IQ levels and damage to the thyroid.
Chlorine:
This nasty is added to water as a disinfectant: to kill germs and bacteria.
Although it evaporates quickly, it smells strongly of TCP.
It is the biggest contributor to your tap water tasting badly.
Remember: Pure water should have no smell and no taste.
Has been linked strongly to lung problems, bladder cancer and Alzheimer's disease.
Decreases your immune system functionality.
Absorbs 6 times faster through the skin (showers, baths and swimming pools).
An added bonus:
Some companies add chlorine to ammonia and make CHLOROMINE.
This beauty stays in the water longer and is more toxic.
Apart from all that, there shouldn't really be a problem!!
OTHER NASTIES:
TOTAL TRIHALOMETHANES (TTHMs)
These are a group of volatile and potentially toxic chemicals formed during water treatment
with disinfectants, such as chlorine.
BROMODICHLOROMETHANE
This is found in chlorinated drinking-water as a consequence of the reaction between chlorine,
added during water treatment, and natural organic substances in the presence of bromide.
When tested on animals, this had a toxic effect to the liver and kidneys.
HALOACETIC ACIDS (HAAs)
By product of chlorinating drinking water.
Chronic exposure, over many years, significantly increases your risk of rectal, colon and
bladder cancer.
At this point, we should know more about water, hydration, electrolytes
and tap water contaminants.
So now we know what to feed our bodies, what do we do about the water?
FILTRATION:
Disclaimer coming up!
I have no affiliation with the two companies I am about to recommend to you.
They just happen to be the two I would suggest for the best water quality set against cost.
Before I recommend them, here's how I carried out my research.
Feel free to park my suggestions and carry out your own due diligence: you might find better!
Questions prior to starting my research:
- What am I looking to have removed from my domestic drinking water supply?
- How much will the initial outlay cost be?
- The ongoing cost to run the system i.e. cost of filters?
- How often do I change my filters or clean them?
- Other maintenance required?
- Effectiveness of the filters?
I should add, I do not filter my water as it comes into my house, hence my shower water is
completely unfiltered.
I am solely looking at filtering tap water, however, not just for drinking.
My tap water is also used for cooking, dog drinking water, tea/coffee etc
At the time I was looking into this, we had a household of 4 adults and two dogs.
The system therefore had to be able to keep pace.
These are the nasties I wanted removed from my water:
- Fluoride
- Pesticides/Herbicides - Glyphosates/DDT's etc
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's) - Benzene/Styrene etc
- Pathogenic Bacteria - Listeria/Salmonella etc
- Heavy Metals - Mercury/Lead/Arsenic etc
- Micro Plastics
- Chlorine
At first site, this might look a big ask, but with a little research, the right filters are available.
Both companies do not profess to remove 100% of these chemicals, however,
they aren't that far away, with an average of 99.5 % removed for all substances.
I thought this was pretty good, especially when you consider some mainstream
filters (I wont mention the company names) don't even remove Fluoride at all.
So, without further adieu, the two filters are made by:
- Epic water filters
- Doulton Berkefeld gravity fed water filters
Both these filters did the job and I was well impressed with their performance.
They both removed everything I wanted them to and the water no longer tasted
like it was something from Shrek's water pond and there was no longer a smell
after pouring.
In the end, I did opt for Berkefeld, but that was only due to some very small differences.
The Berkefeld filters were ceramic and lasted slightly longer, which was a bonus.
The capacity was also larger, which comes in very handy when your cooking larger meals
and boiling from bigger cooking pots.
I would however, strongly recommend either filter as they both did exactly what I
wanted them to do.
One last word on these systems:
The initial costs, although not extortionate, can deter people from purchasing them.
Always look at this as a significant health investment.
When you know what is in our drinking water, I personally, would struggle to put a price
on the peace of mind these filters give you.
Once set up and running, your no longer feeding yourself a toxic soup from your drinking
water tap and your mind and body will repay you for many years to come.
Its a no brainer, so get your hand in your pockets, fork out the cash and start
reaping the many benefits clean, wholesome water will give you.
Please find links below to Amazon for water filter system and replacement filters:
https://amzn.to/47KVIT5
https://amzn.to/3SceP2u
