He went on to say that there are two different types of analysis his company does. The first one is from the "technical" point, which covers water (liquid) chemical composition. The next one which he is specialized in is the "Life Sciences" of water analysis. He deals with the biological compound of the water, from bacteria to viruses.
We then came to a discussion on drinking too much water, he mentioned that dirking too much water especially distilled water will kill you. Okay, don't get panic. We all know that water is good for our body.
But how much is too much you might ask.
In 1998, the Army released fluid replacement guidelines, which recommend a certain intake of water but limit it to 1 to 1-1/2 quarts per hour and 12 quarts per day.
Which make that roughly 12 liters of water, which is 8 bottles of the standard 1.5 liter water. Now that is alot of water!
It is important to understand why though drinking excessive water typically distilled water can kill you. The short answer is that distilled water, because it is pure water with no mineral, it will extract the essential mineral from your own. Therefore it is encouraged to drink sport drinks to cure thirst/dehydration (now I finally understand why there are market for those isotonic drinks and those salt packs given to you when you are purging). Suddenly, those crazy European drinking sparkling mineralized water does not seems that crazy after all.
Here are several other quotes I bumped into when I googled for "too much distilled water can kill you".
"Is it possible to drink too much water? Several comedians found it necessary to comment: Sure, you could drown! But the fact is, in extreme circumstances too much water can kill you, even if all you do is drink it. Kelly Barrett, a 43-year-old pediatric dentist from Littleton, Colorado, died of a condition known as hyponatremia after drinking too much water during the 1998 Chicago marathon. Hyponatremia, AKA water intoxication, occurs when the body's salt and water levels get dangerously out of balance, leading to swelling of the brain and leakage of fluid into the lungs. It can occur when athletes, hikers, etc., sweat heavily, losing both salt and water, but replace only water. Diagnostic signs: dizziness, disorientation, headaches, extreme fatigue, death. Prevention: salty snacks and sports drinks. So pass the taco chips and Gatorade, bubba, and let's get healthy."
--Cecil Adams
Drinking too much water is dangerous because the body cannot excrete that much fluid. Excess water then goes to the bowel, which pulls salt into it from the body, diluting the concentration of salt in the tissues.
Changing the concentration of salt, in turn, causes a shifting of fluids within the body, which can then induce a swelling in the brain. The swollen organ will then press against the bones of the skull, and become damaged.
"Distillation is the process in which water is boiled, evaporated and the vapour condensed. Distilled water is free of dissolved minerals and, because of this, has the special property of being able to actively absorb toxic substances from the body and eliminate them. Studies validate the benefits of drinking distilled water when one is seeking to cleanse or detoxify the system for short periods of time (a few weeks at a time). Fasting using distilled water can be dangerous because of the rapid loss of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride) and trace minerals like magnesium, deficiencies of which can cause heart beat irregularities and high blood pressure. Cooking foods in distilled water pulls the minerals out of them and lowers their nutrient value."
--Dr. Zoltan Rona
"Another point involves alkalinity and acidity. Natural health writers generally agree that the body maintains best health when it maintains a ph leaning to the alkaline side rather than the acidic side, and yet distilled water quickly turns highly acidic, about 5.8 in an open air container.
Does it still make sense to you to drink eight glasses a day of distilled water that can potentially help to over-acidify the body?"
--Chet Day
kuancheen|munich|20050804.1700
... all this babbling makes me thirsty. Pass me that fresh glass of water please.
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