The amount of water in the human body at birth may be as high as 90 percent of the body weight. At death, it can drop below 40 percent for men and women in their 70s and 80s. If water is life, then in a sense, dehydration is death. Now, I know it is more complicated than this. But, stay with me; if your body is mostly water, doesn’t it make sense that water plays an important role in how long and how well you live? It certainly does!
Metabolism
Your metabolism depends on water. Metabolism describes the way you convert food into energy. Most food contains enough water for the plant or animal to live; however, there is not enough water in most foods to metabolize them. You can help by eating foods high in water, including most fruits and vegetables.
High water content fruits and vegetables are also high in antioxidant content. To be healthy, you need to eat 5, 7 or 9 servings of fruit and vegetables daily, depending on age and gender. Low water content foods should be kept to a minimum and supplemented with pure water for proper metabolism.
Detoxification
Detoxification depends on water. This begins at the cellular level and ends when waste has been detoxified and eliminated.
Most toxins from inside your body (endotoxins) are water soluble. These substances mix readily with water and are eliminated. Three-fourths of all the toxins created in your body are eliminated in the water vapor from your lungs as you breathe. The remaining toxins are eliminated through the urine, stool, sweat and mucous. Every route for detoxification is dependent on pure water.
Most toxins from your environment (exotoxins) are not water soluble; they are fat soluble. Exotoxins must be converted into water soluble substances before they can be eliminated. This happens in a 4-step process involving enzymes. The most common of these detoxification pathways uses cytochrome enzyme (CYP or CYP 450).
Step 1This simple trip through your body illustrates the absolute importance of water to life – your life! You need water to fuel metabolism for energy. You need water to detoxify waste.
In the CYP pathway, toxins are isolated in various tissues, such as the liver, intestines and kidneys. The CYP enzyme stretches the toxin like taffy and spreads it out until every molecule is exposed. Now, the toxin looks more like a sponge and less like a brick.
Step 2
A sponge has a larger surface area than a brick. During step 2 the toxin is soaked with antioxidants. Now the toxin is exposed and the “sponge” is fully saturated with antioxidants.
Step 3
Enzymes open the chemical bonds of the toxin to accept a little water. The fat-soluble toxin is now bathed in antioxidants and surrounded by a gel-like substance that makes it water soluble.
Step 4
The final step in detoxification is elimination. This would not be possible without water, as all elimination pathways out of your body require water. The solution to pollution is dilution!
The more toxic you are and the more toxins you are exposed to, the greater the need you have to vigorously apply the second of the 10 Essentials, “Drink Pure Water”!
