Water is essential for health, yet its quality and optimal intake are often overlooked.
In this post, we will cover water quality, how much to drink each day, and which water filter you should use.
Let’s dive in!
Top Picks
Best Overall Water Filter: Royal Berkey
Best Entry Water Filter: Clearly Filtered Pitcher
Electrolytes: Sports Research Hydrate
Hydrogen Water Tablets: Dr. Mercola Molecular Hydrogen
Drinking Water Insights
Water is a vital part of our biology and health, and there isn’t another molecule in the universe that plays as important a role in our existence.
In our bodies, water plays a crucial role. The temperature and pH of water are important determinants of how our cells utilize it.
Ensure your water pH is optimal is by supplementing with hydrogen water.
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We have biological mechanisms devoted to getting water into our cells in specific ways and at specific rates.
Depending on how you define it, our bodies are anywhere from 70% to 90% water.
This includes water present in cells in its liquid form and water used in the process of creating proteins and other components of our cells.
Water Quality
First of all, there are almost always contaminants in tap water.
Unfortunately, contaminants exist in tap water across all regions of the world.
This issue can be primarily addressed through the use of a water filter.
Next, the pipes in your building or apartment can contribute to the quality of your water.
The quality of water that comes out of your tap is not just dictated by the source, but also by your pipes.
Lastly, the filter or mesh that sits at the faucet head is also very important.
A lot of debris and contaminants can be derived from this filter if it’s not cleaned often enough.
Water Temperature
Very cold water, when consumed, can be felt as it moves into the gut. It is generally absorbed more slowly compared to slightly warmer water.
This results in a sensation of the water lingering in the stomach for a longer period.
Many people experience a change in the sensation of their stomach lining when drinking ice-cold water, which they perceive as affecting digestion.
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This makes sense, considering the temperature sensitivity of the cells lining the gut.
But this sensitivity serves a purpose, including the prevention of damage to the gut from consuming excessively hot or cold substances.
Related: Sauna Cold Plunge Routine
Daily Consumption
A good starting point for daily water consumption, as discussed with Dr. Andy Galpin, is half an ounce per pound of body weight.
| Body Weight (lbs) | Water Intake per 15 min (oz) | Total Daily Water Intake (oz) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 3 | 107 |
| 125 | 4 | 133 |
| 150 | 5 | 160 |
| 175 | 6 | 187 |
| 200 | 7 | 213 |
| 225 | 8 | 240 |
| 250 | 8 | 267 |
| 275 | 9 | 293 |
| 300 | 10 | 320 |
However, this doesn’t account for exercise-induced water loss or other factors like working in a hot or humid environment.
Across the literature the average suggestion of how much water to drink each day (independent of intake during exercise) is 8oz per waking hour for the first 10hrs of the day. Then 5oz/hr thereafter. Not necessarily on the hour but on average. In heat, obviously drink more.
— Andrew D. Huberman, Ph.D. (@hubermanlab) March 7, 2023
If you’re exercising or sweating for any reason, you generally want to drink about 125% of the fluid you’ve lost back.
A typical person exercising in an air-conditioned gym or running in moderate temperatures might lose about a pound of fluid, so you’d want to drink back about a pound and a half of water.
Tap Water
Tap water is a complex topic with a lot of contradictory information out there.
There are two main camps of thought.
One side believes tap water is generally safe, perhaps needing a bit of filtering, while the other doesn’t trust tap water and relies on more complex filtration or alteration methods.
Researching tap water, we found that much, if not all, tap water contains compounds that can negatively impact our cellular biology.
This includes endocrine disruptors, which can affect reproductive health.
Flouride
One particular concern is the concentration of fluoride in drinking water.
Studies show that fluoride can negatively impact the thyroid hormone system, which is involved in many biological processes, from metabolism to mood regulation.
Even standard concentrations of 0.5 milligrams per liter can disrupt thyroid function.
Therefore, it’s essential to know the fluoride levels in your tap water.
However, simple and inexpensive steps can be taken to make tap water safe to drink.
Drinking Water Filter
Water filters play a crucial role in ensuring the quality of our drinking water.
They work through two main mechanisms: mechanical and chemical filtration.
Mechanically, they constrain which molecules can pass through by creating pores of certain sizes.
Chemically, they contain substances that neutralize certain other chemicals.
Water Filter Recommendation
Pitcher Filters
These are the most cost-effective options and can be used repeatedly.
Specifically, the Clearly Filtered brand can remove fluoride, lead, BPAs, glyphosates, hormones, and other harmful substances from tap water.
Intermediate systems
These cost between $200 and $500 and can filter higher volumes of water.
For those willing to spend more money on a water filter solution, the Berkey filter system as a popular example of this type.
Whole house water filters
These are more expensive, around $2,000 or more, but they filter all the water in your house, making it safe to drink from any sink.
A whole house filter is generally installed in a garage or laundry room area and filters the entire home or building’s water supply from a single point.
