Water benefits us in many ways. It washes toxins from the body, keeps blood at the right viscosity, maintains body temperature, lubricates and cushions organs, transports nutrients, metabolizes body fat, and does many other things for the body. Water makes up 70%-80% of our body weight.

Sixty-four ounces is the minimum amount of water needed per day by each of us. If you exercise regularly or do physical work, you will need even more. When you don't take in enough water, you become dehydrated and the body begins to search for water from other sources, like the blood.

When the body gets dehydrated, it closes down some of the capillaries. The blood becomes thicker, more likely to clot, and it is harder for the heart to pump it through the systems. This results in high blood pressure, heart disease and high cholesterol. Dehydration has also been linked to heartburn, headaches, and arthritis.

Dehydration is a common problem among Americans, up to 75% of us! The body may seem to be signaling hunger when its real need is water. In fact, even when the stomach is hungry, it can be temporarily satisfied with a drink of water. This helps maintain proper body weight.

Some feel that the coffee, tea, or soft drinks they ingest suffices for the needed water. Actually, they can cause a greater need for water! This is because some contain caffeine which is a diuretic. In other words, they force the water and nutrients out of the cells.

Dehydration is more than just a little minor problem. It is dangerous! The mind is affected with only a 2% loss of body weight due to a lack of water. Physical performance drops 20%-30% with as little as 5% weight drop because of insufficient water. A 10% drop can make someone sick, and a 20% drop will probably mean death. Of course, since water is this important, you will want to drink water that is pure.

Though a number of sicknesses are directly related to a lack of water, the cure is often simply to take in more water. High blood pressure, cholesterol problems, ulcers, kidney problems, stress, and headaches can sometimes be cured by drinking pure water. Drinking 64 ounces of water a day decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, of breast cancer by 79%, and of bladder cancer by 50%!

It is obviously not as option that we take in sufficient quantities of water each day. We must also make sure that water is pure and clean. Surprisingly, tap water and even bottled water may not be. Water you purify yourself through a charcoal filter is best. You can be confident 64 ounces of that will eliminate dehydration related illnesses.