Why water wins hands down every time

 

 

Regardless of how active – or not (!) – you are, your body still needs water. Not only are we over 75% water but it’s needed by a huge range of body process. 

 

The same applies whatever your age (!). 

 

It’s not just physical work / exercise that needs water. Any kind of “brain work” or stress burns up huge amounts of water, with the Brain being the biggest energy consumer in the body. 

 

And, while we’re on this topic, the same comments apply whatever the time of year. Our bodies run on water all year round, not just the Summer (!). 

 

While it’s not usually thought of in these terms, smoking – including e cigarettes (!) – is very dehydrating. If you’re in any doubt, just look at the skin of smokers… 

 

Many medications – not just diuretics – also come into this category because they affect the water balance in the body and / or require more water to be processed. 

 

Which brings us on to tea, coffee and alcohol (!). Yes, they do contain water BUT are no substitute for water. Full stop. End of story. The reason we love tea and coffee so much is because of the caffeine they contain, which acts as a stimulant. This, in turn, increases the body’s metabolic rate and, in the process, the amount of water needed by the body. 

 

Where the confusion really seems to start is when the subject of suitable alternatives to water come up. While it may sound over simplistic, the easy answer is there is nothing like pure water (!) so, really, there is no choice to be made. However, from many conversations with Clients, we know that more of an explanation is needed, so here it is. 

 

If we ignore all the various labels on drinks marketed as acceptable alternatives to water – low sugar, no sugar, no added sugar, high hydration, healthy, natural, carbonated or not – they’re really just soft drinks. Sadly, soft drinks are well known for being very acidic – from the sugar, sweetener or carbon dioxide for fizz they contain. Added to this, they’re also imbalanced from a mineral point of view, particularly in the amounts of Phosphoric Acid many of them contain. 

 

While there are many different aspects of these drinks we could talk about, today we’re going to focus on the one we’ve just mentioned. Phosphoric Acid. It’s a colourless liquid used to give soft drinks their tangy – thirst quenching – flavour. Added to this it also acts as a preservative, helping prevent the growth of moulds and bacteria, which can easily multiply in sweet drinks. 

 

While Phosphorous is an essential mineral for a healthy body, in larger amounts it makes the body acidic, as well as affecting its ability to use other minerals such as Iron, Zinc and Magnesium. To clear the resulting acidity from the body, Calcium and Magnesium have to be released from the Bones. This then has to be removed from the body via the urine, which is where problems begin. Not only does this result in extra work for the Kidneys – so putting them under unnecessary strain – but, where these drinks are regularly consumed, Calcium simply can’t be removed from the Kidneys quickly enough and can start to build up, leading to Kidney Stones. 

 

The bad news is that even the smallest Kidney Stones – the size of a grain of sand – can cause excruciating pain as they move down the narrow tube linking the Kidney and Bladder. And this is in addition to any damage they may have already caused to the fine tubules in the Kidneys. 

 

The good – or less bad – news is that the majority of Kidney Stones pass on their own, either without medical treatment or before the person can get to hospital. However, it’s estimated that the probability of a repeat increases to around 50% of cases, with many people experiencing a series of Kidney Stones during their lives. 

 

Traditionally, Kidney Stones tended to be seen in adults, usually between the ages of 30 and 60. However, in recent years, they have started to be seen in children and younger adults particularly those who are overweight – or obese – as well as Diabetics. 

 

While it may not be immediately obvious, soft drinks may be the common denominator, both in terms of their sugar content and acidity. Artificial Sweeteners are no better being both acidic AND interfering with the feeling of satiety – the feeling of fullness after eating – which can then lead to over eating. 

 

So, what’s the answer? 

 

Well, as usual, it’s very simple. There really is nothing to compare with water, after all it’s what our bodies are designed to run on. Making the first drink of the day a mug of warm water with a twist of fresh lemon or grapefruit juice – both of which have a high content of citric acid – is a natural Kidney cleanse and helps prevent the formation of Kidney Stones. It’s also a great start to the day and helps replace the water burnt up doing all that vital housekeeping / detoxing while we were sleep. Diluted cloudy apple juice – which is high in malic acid – also has a similar effect. Then having herb teas or green tea both of which are great alternatives to the more traditional tea or coffee. We wrote about them a few weeks ago and the post can be found here. 

 

Removing acidic foods from the diet will also help, in other words processed and refined foods, added salt and sugar, along with too much red meat and dairy. Basing meals around fresh vegetables, salad and fruit will help to alkalinise the body, so making Kidney Stones less likely. 

 

Water really does win hands down every time! 

 

As always, the choice is yours.