Water: The liquid of life
As children growing in British Guiana we had few choices for drinking water. Our vats supplied us with an adequate amount and health officials ensured that the water in the vat was safe. The water for drinking was kept in a goblet on the window sill and remained cool all day being cool and refreshing especially after a hard work-out at games.
The Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute in its Nyam News of August 2001 speaks of ‘Water – Liquid of Life.’ The article begins by giving us the Oxford Dictionary definition of water. It is defined as “liquid without colour, smell or taste, is in lakes, rivers and seas, and is used for drinking, washing etc.” Water freezes at 0°C and boils at 100°C. It is composed of two molecules of hydrogen in combination with one molecule of oxygen and has the chemical formula H2O.
In addition to its many uses outside of the body, water is important for human survival and, in fact, it is regarded as a nutrient. It serves several functions in the body:
● Water is used in the body for the transport of soluble substances. It carries some of the other nutrients and solutes in the blood to where they are needed in the body and it also transports waste material out of the body as a component of urine, faeces and sweat.
● It is necessary for biochemical reactions in the body either by acting as a medium for some reactions to take place in, or by taking place in the reaction.
● It is a structural component of the body’s cells providing form or shape.
● It acts as a cushion for the body’s tissues and organs, preventing damage due to shock. It also acts as a lubricant for joints.
● Saliva, which is mostly water, moistens the food, making it easier to travel through the digestive system and making it easier for the salivary enzymes to begin the process of digestion.
● Water keeps all our body tissues moist so that gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide can pass in and out.
● Water changes temperature slowly and its presence in the body helps in the regulation of body temperature. Evaporation of sweat from the surface of the body also helps to lower body temperature, thereby having a cooling effect.”
So it goes without question that water is necessary to human life. In order to replenish what is lost on a daily basis an average person needs to have six to eight glasses of fluid in some form each day.
“In addition to tap water, we see on the market bottled water of various types including mineral water, purified water, spring and sparkling water. There are also various types of water filtration systems available for use at home. What do all these terms mean? Are they really better for the body’s health and well-being? Is it really necessary to pay more for these products?”
CFNI goes on to say that most people are aware that they should consume only potable water, meaning water that is safe for drinking. The purity of water from the tap will depend on its source, how clean it was before treatment, and the treatment it received before reaching the consumer. Depending on your location water from the tap may either be pure enough to drink or may need some further treatment such as boiling or filtration before drinking. Contaminants that just may be lurking in your water supply may include:
Bacteria – these are usually killed by the chlorination process carried out at the water supply source, or by boiling.
Sediment, rust, dissolved minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, sulphur and chlorine – these might give the water a bad taste, colour, but are usually not in the drinking water supply in quantities large enough to harm you.
Organic chemicals – these might be leached into the underground water supply due to the use of herbicides or pesticides.
The health and local government authorities in most of our countries are the ones usually responsible for implementing safeguards to ensure that the water provided to at least the majority of the citizenry is as free as possible from these contaminants.
(To be continued)
