I checked into getting a machine that filters, oxygenates and alkalizes the water but my main objection to those are the cost of the machine and the expense of replacing the filters or the electrical grids that can erode away if the machine isn't built correctly; and some of these machines have chemicals you have to add to them. And a real concern to me is whether the filter is really doing what I need it to do and if it is how long will it do it for?
As for me I like distilled water. Why? Because it's as clean as nature knows how to make it. There won't be any harmful pathogens, no toxic metals and chemicals or toxic organic compounds; just plain water. There aren't any expensive filters to replace or costly electrical components to burn out or leach away into the water you will be drinking I don't have to worry about plastics leaching into my distilled water because I store it glass containers. And if I drink it fresh from the distiller then it will often have a kind of "sweet" quality to it.
There are critics who speak out against the possible side effects of drinking distilled water all of the time and their major complaint seems to center around the idea that distilled water can leach the minerals out of your body.. I suppose that this issue may have some validity to it but, the answer seems simple: add some sea salt to the water before you drink it. Real sea salt has a mineral content almost in the same proportions as the mineral content of our blood. How much sea salt? From what I gather you won't need to add more that a quarter teaspoon full to every gallon of water. This sea salt also has one other benefit: it tends to neutralize the slightly acidic quality of distilled water.
Sea salt: No discussion of water could possibly be complete without a discussion of salt. I've done some checking on the subject of the health benefits of sea salt and what I found mostly debunks my theories on it. Basically my theory is that sea salt is healthier for you. The Mayo Clinic says there's very little difference between table salt and sea salt other than the slight elemental differences; sea salt contains them and table salt doesn't.. Many other sites on the internet say the same thing. But is this really the truth?
Table salt is basically sea salt with the minerals removed and that has been dried out using high heat and then has had anti-caking agents(aluminum compounds) added along with a chemical form of iodine added for the thyroid gland. The problem with table salt is just that: it's stripped down chemically altered, due to heat, sea salt that the body may not be able to properly process without the other elements that are found in sea salt.
Sea salt is evaporated salt water that still contains the minerals found there and usually, but not always, lacks iodine. There are many forms of sea salt and they have a wide variety of crystalline structures and often various mineral combinations that make them differ slightly from one another. These differences come from the differences found in the various places where they are harvested from. We need to choose a brand that we know has been harvested from unpolluted sources. Celtic Sea Salt is supposed to be one such brand. But, why is salt so vital to our body?
This is a quote from Wikipedia:
Normal saline (NS) is the commonly-used phrase for a solution of 0.90% w/v of NaCl, about 300 mOsm/L or 9.0 g per liter.a Less commonly, this solution is referred to as physiological saline or isotonic saline, neither of which is technically accurate. NS is used frequently in intravenous drips (IVs) for patients who cannot take fluids orally and have developed or are in danger of developing dehydration or hypovolemia. NS is typically the first fluid used when hypovolemia is severe enough to threaten the adequacy of blood circulation, and has long been believed to be the safest fluid to give quickly in large volumes. However, it is now known that rapid infusion of NS can cause metabolic acidosis.[1]
End Quote
Basically, salt regulates the water content of the cells, from the cells in the blood to the cells in our skeleton. Higher than normal levels of salt in the blood will "dry up" the red blood cells which if severe enough will interfere in their ability to transport nutrients to the cells in the form of oxygen. Too little salt in the blood will cause the red blood cells to absorb water which under extreme conditions can lead to them bursting which could pose a life threatening situation. I've actually seen, under a microscope, what both extremes of salinity has on the blood when I was in college. The red blood cells looked smooth and kind of kidney shaped in normal saline conditions, the red blood cells resembled spiked balls under high saline conditions and the red blood cell burst when plain water was introduced to them.
So the body works to maintain the proper salinity of the cells. But, minor temporary changes in salinity of the blood could be beneficial to the cells as this change may help transport nutrients and wastes into and out of the cells through the movement of water in and out of the cells. I would speculate that we wouldn't have to worry about any problems either way as long as we're getting enough of both clean water and good salt. The body will tell us as long as we learn to listen to it.
Here's a quote from www.health-benefit-of-water.com/
Sea Salt and high blood pressure
- Salt is not
bad for you. It does not raise the blood pressure
- It is the insufficiency of other minerals that normally hold on to and keep water inside the cells that causes a rise in blood pressure.
- Contrary to the misconception that it causes high blood pressure (in conjunction with water and the other essential minerals).- One or two glasses of water with a little salt will quickly and efficiently quiet the racing and "thumping" heart and, in the long run, will reduce the blood pressure.
