A poet, W.H. Auden, to be specific, wrote that “thousands have lived without love, but none without water. We know that water is essential to life – about 60% of our bodies are made of water. But do we know that drinking clean water is essential for a healthy life?
Drinking water assists our bodies every day to perform key functions. As it flows through our very organs and cells, polluted or contaminated water will make us feel ill. Diarrhoea is a common side effect, and dysentery can be fatal.
Our drinking water is as an important source of our health as the food we eat. Let’s take a look at the difference between clean and polluted water, and the plethora of health benefits clean drinking water has to offer.
What Is Clean Water?
So we know that clean water is important, but how can we actually tell if water is safe to drink? At first glance, water can appear crystal clear and odourless, but it may still harbour invisible bad bacteria that will wreak havoc on your gut.
As per the USGS, clean water is considered as “water that will not harm you if you come in contact with it.” That right – clean water is not limited to drinking water (though clean drinking water is essential to your wellbeing) but also extends to water for:
- Preparing food
- Personal hygiene
- Washing clothes and dishes
- Swimming
- Watering crops
Water safe for human consumption must go through a thorough cleaning process. Clean water is safe water – like we provide at Lovebee.
Difference Between Clean Water and Polluted Water
We’ve illustrated what clean water should be, so inversely, polluted water carries harmful substances like metals, human and animal excrement, chemicals, and microorganisms. All these elements degrade the quality of water, rendering it toxic and almost useless for consumption.
Water is a universal solvent – it can dissolve more substances than any other liquid and is therefore particularly vulnerable to pollution. Water readily absorbs pollutants from the environment, especially around densely populated areas, farms, and factories. The most common categories of pollution include.
Groundwater Pollution
Rain seeps into the earth to become groundwater, filling all the little cracks and crevices. This water source is the least visible, but most important, as about 40% of Americans rely on groundwater for drinking. This water source gets polluted when contaminants like pesticides and fertilizers seep into the ground. Groundwater pollution can also spread far and wide, making its way to our oceans and lakes.
Surface water
As the name implies, this water covers about 70% of our planet – it is the water that fills our oceans, rivers, and lakes. Freshwater surface water makes up about 60% of the water that goes to most American homes. Unfortunately, a significant pool of this water is in danger of contamination. According to the latest USEPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) survey, almost half our rivers and a third of our lakes are already contaminated.
Health Benefits of Drinking Clean Water
Increase energy levels and brain function significantly
Water is not just a refreshing thirst-quencher. There is a reason why you feel slow and tired after a night of heavy drinking. A hangover leaves you dehydrated, and when your fluid balance is out of whack, the rest of your body suffers. Dehydrating leads to mental lethargy and muscle fatigue. Hydrating regularly will provide more energy to your muscles and leave you feeling more aware and awake.
Increase the metabolism and improve digestion
Water is key to the digestion process, and your digestion is directly linked to your metabolism and regular bowel movements. Drinking water as part of your meal transports the food through the intestines much more efficiently.
If you are dehydrated, your body will extract water from somewhere, usually from the colon, which will naturally increase the chances of constipation.
Maintaining kidney function:
Our kidneys are always at work, filtering and removing toxins through urine excretion. Kidneys need water to function properly without too much strain on your body. In more severe cases of dehydration, people can develop kidney stones – an excruciating condition that may even need medical intervention.
Water transports nutrients and waste products
On the topic of expelling waste, our bodies need water to effectively transport all the nutrients to the right places and carry waste where it needs to go. Blood carries oxygen to the cells, and blood is effectively about 83% water. You also need blood and urine to expel waste and toxins from your body.
Can aid weight loss
We often confuse hunger pangs with the first signs of dehydration. By drinking more water, you may feel more sated, and less prone to nibble, which in turn, of course, leads to weight loss.
Nourishing your skin
We know by now that water is crucial for our organs, and the skin is the largest organ, and of course the most visible. Its appearance will tell a lot about your lifestyle and hydration levels. If your skin is dry and flaky, you may very well be dehydrated. Drink plenty of clean water throughout the day to restore a youthful glow to your skin and improve the texture.
Maintains a normal body temperature
Our internal temperature control mechanics are very sensitive. When it gets too hot, we perspire, and when it gets too cold, our blood vessels contract to keep us warm. Water plays a very important role in this thermoregulation process as well.
How Lovebee Helps to Keep Water Clean
At Lovebee, we use 100% natural products that reduce plastic use and micro-plastic pollution we so often see in our rivers and oceans. With our Lovebee guarantee, you know that all our 100% organic products come from vetted and trusted suppliers, so we do not contribute to the leaking of pesticides and harmful chemicals into our precious natural resources. Additionally, all our containers, including our water bottles, are fully recyclable and do not contain any BPA’s!
Live a Healthy Life with Lovebee!
We have shown you just some of the benefits of clean drinking water, and how pollution affects not our bodies, but the environment we live in. By supporting Lovebee, you are making a conscious choice to invest in your health, while saving the environment!