‘Is Water just Water’ by Roddy McDonald
Most people including the majority of healthcare workers think that all water is the same and has the same effect on the body. In fact many people believe that you can hydrate the body with any fluid and it will all have the same effect as water, a concept that Dr Batmanglelidj, author of several books on water described as being the mistake that is background to all health problems in our society at present.
Water is a much more complex substance than superficially we think it is, and the quality and the characteristics of the water we drink can have a significant bearing on the quality of our health. Our bodies are composed of approximately 70% water so it is vitally important that we give it the quality of water it needs to function optimally.
Is purity of water all we need be concerned about?
Most people accept that the purity of water is important and that is why many people choose to drink bottled water believing it to have less contaminants in it than tap water. Recent concerns, particularly in the US, as to trace levels of drug residues and hormones in the water has only served to heighten this concern.
However ‘purity’ of water is only one area of concern, other aspects of water quality need consideration. For the last 50 years the Japanese have been researching and benefiting from alkaline antioxidant water. This type of water is gaining wide acceptance in North America and its benefits are slowly being appreciated in Europe. Alkaline antioxidant water – often referred to as alkaline ionized water – has 3 particular attributes that make it quite different from ordinary tap water or bottled water. Firstly it is more alkaline which helps to neutralise the adverse effects of excess acidity in the body and helps increase oxygenation of the tissues. Secondly it has antioxidant properties, which means it has the capability to neutralise harmful free radicals. Thirdly it has a smaller number of water molecules in a cluster than ordinary water meaning that it is able to hydrate the body much more effectively.
