Integrative Health Blog

Mark McClure DDS

Water cleans, purifies, enlivens, refreshes and quenches thirst. It splashes, rains, runs and makes everything grow…Water is this unique substance that seems to contain the essence of life itself.

Water is as much a nutrient as food. The human body is composed of 25% solid matter and 74% water. The brain is 85% water. You can survive for weeks without food; however, you can’t survive for more than a few days without water.

Water is the most important detoxification agent and is the solvent that makes all bodily functions possible. The quantity and quality of the water you drink has a direct effect on your short and long-term health.

Natural drinking water is the most critical factor to health. The quantity and quality of the water you drink has a direct effect on short and long term health.

Quantity- How much Water Should You Drink?

The quantity of water is important! Try to consume 1-2 quarts (or 4-8 eight ounces) of water a day.

The easy answer is drink whenever you are thirsty; however, if you have chronic dehydration your thirst mechanism does not work well and you may not feel thirst. Whether you are recovering or maintaining your health the suggestions are the same, drink a minimum of 6-8 eight ounce glasses of water per day and more if you are exercising or in hot weather. Alcohol, tea, coffee and caffeine-containing beverages and sugar/sports drinks do not count because these liquids cause dehydration. The best time to drink water is away from food. If you drink over half a glass of water at meals you may dilute your digestive juices. Your thirst should be satisfied at all times.

Hydration Takes Time

It takes time for hydration therapy (drinking water) to take effect. Like a sponge, the tissue membranes will take on water slowly. The kidneys must be watched for adequate functioning when increasing your water consumption. Measuring your intake of fluids and urine output may be helpful if there’s a question about your kidney function. In addition, electrolytes (salt) and minerals in the water are very important, for we are not just replacing water but the salts and minerals in the water also.

Hydration Therapy

We suggest hydration therapy for many of our patients as an initial step to balance their body chemistries. All biochemical indicators in the bodily fluids are always improved with hydration therapy. To adequately hydrate the body, it is best if you drink a little water at a time over one, two or three days. Tissues and membranes can only take on water slowly. Hydration therapy may take one to three days, depending on your weight.

1. Drink 4 ounces of water each half hour

2. The amount of hours is determined by your weight divided by 8, which equals the number of hours you need to drink 4 oz. of water. For example, if you weigh 100 lb. 100 divided by 8 = 12 hours of drinking 4 oz. of water. This could be done in 1 day. If you weigh 200 lb. this = 25 hours of drinking 4 oz. of water every half hour so hydration will take 2 days. So the average person may take about a day and a half to get properly hydrated.

3. Note: if you have hydration problems – are not able to hold water, try to eat more protein, especially at breakfast.

Quality - The Best Water

The best water is fresh naturally filtered spring water, low in calcium, not too acidic or alkaline, high in minerals and electrons, pulled naturally from the earth, or water flowing from a glacier. This water will act as an anti-oxidant (adding electrons), pulling inflammation out of the body. Unfortunately, natural water coming from springs is contaminated with acid rain and other contaminant – healthy natural water is hard to find!

The public is becoming more and more aware of the problems with tap water. Our water sources are increasingly becoming contaminated with toxic metals and chemicals, and it may gets worse as our water infrastructure ages. Chlorine and other chemicals are used in increasingly larger quantities to minimize the bacterial contamination. In addition, fluoride is added to the water for the purpose of preventing tooth decay. But the safety of fluoride has never been proven, and many scientists are becoming more and more concerned about its use. Unfortunately, well and spring water is also contaminated with acidity for acid rain, heavy metals (mercury and lead) which are in the air and soils, chemicals from agriculture and industry.

What are your practical options for the best source of water for your family? You want to remove the bad stuff in the water and add in the good stuff. Removing all harmful toxins includes fluoride, chlorine, biological contaminants, acids and toxic chemicals from water. You must consider what is cost effective and easy for family to use.

How to Develop the Best Water at Home - Start with the Basics

1. Well water contains minerals and is naturally filtered, but is increasingly becoming contaminated as pollutants seep in the ground water. Must continually be checked.

2. Water filter systems create pure water from tap water but cannot remove fluoride unless they have special filters for fluoride and other contaminants including acidity. These units can be adapted to the whole house or just the main point of use for drinking and cooking water. Different filters will remove the different contaminant types; therefore the most pure, safe water requires a series of replaceable filters. This system is the most economical, easiest to use and can be the easiest modified for quality. Reverse osmosis is a type of filtering system that removes minerals but not fluoride.

3. Distilled water produces pure but “dead” water and the fluoride (and acidity) is not removed, therefore needs to be enhanced with special filters. Equipment required.

4. Alkaline water – the Japanese have developed technology in which water is electrolyzed and then separated into alkaline water and acid water. Alkaline water contains the mineral ions and is used for drinking. However the chemicals in the water remain and are ionized, which can be detrimental to health. There are many alkaline water systems sold throughout the world. Drinking excessive \pH water over time can be an additional problem. We have not evolved drinking water with an 8 and above pH.

5. Bottled water requires no equipment but the purity may be questionable and is costly over time. Never buy or store in plastic, always store water in glass. 

Develop Super Natural Drinking Water: Finishing Your Water

Adding Electrolytes, salts and minerals is critical to detoxification and health- healthy water is mineral rich but low in the bad calcium and high in magnesium.

• Enhance your water with electrolytes, trace minerals, bio-absorbable silica and whatever minerals your functional medicine testing indicates that you are low.
• If your water is acidic (pH under 6.5), finish your water with magnesium bicarbonate only, don’t add calcium

                                                                   
Water Action Steps:

1. Drinking water when the stomach is empty is the best; drinking with food dilutes the digestive juices and leads to poor absorption of nutrients and constipation.

2. Normal water consumption: drink whenever thirsty, don’t over or under do it.

3. The best time to drink is in the morning and day-time, at least ½ liter (16 fluid ounces) or more at time. At night will ensure more nocturnal bathroom trips.

4. If you eat raw and fruits/ vegetables (75% + is water), you are also getting water but you need more.

5. Taking your total weight and divide by 4 is the ideal number of daily fluid ounces of water to drink. E.g. 200lb. =50 fluid oz.; 150lb. = 37 fl. oz

6. Use Hydration therapy to balance body chemistry if you are dehydrated. 

7. If fluid retention is a problem you may be eating too many carbohydrates. If your weight fluctuates over 2 lbs. from the morning to the evening – one of the rules has been broken. If you have followed the first 4 rules – then you have eaten too many carbs.

8. To constantly satisfy your water needs it is advisable to carry your water with you. The type of container used is important. Glass, ceramic, or stainless steel are best. Hard plastic containers with a #7 stamped on the bottom have the least amount of phthalates and are a reasonable second choice. Soft plastic containers with a number lower that #7 or no number have many phthalates and are the least desirable. It is most economical and healthiest to make your water at home and carry it with you!

Dehydration, common in our 21^st century, fast-paced life, can be a major contributor to your health problems. Therefore, the water is not only basic preventive medicine, but also an important ingredient for healing. Water is not only by far the cheapest form of medicine; it is also one of the most important.

 

Mark McClure, DDD, FAGD, is a biological dentist at National Integrated Health Associates, a leading integrative medical and dental center serving Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Dr. McClure has a national reputation as a leader in holistic and biological dentistry, which views the mouth as an integral part of the entire body and uses safe, effective, non-toxic, biocompatible dental treatments and materials. He has been practicing mercury free dentistry for 25 years.