Facts about drinking water you probably didn't know

Water is such an everyday occurrence in our lives, we can take it for granted. But it's one of earth's precious resources and there's more to it than meets the eye - or the glass. For instance, did you know that scientists believe there is more fresh water unde eath the ocean than the salt water in it?

Then we have the water we drink. There are now quite a few different ways to process and consume water, it's not as simple as still or sparkling any more. But most important of all, is the absolute necessity of it. There are huge health benefits to drinking water, our cognitive function, weight loss, digestion etc. But there are also dangers of drinking too much, so as with anything in life, it's about finding the right balance. Here we look at some interesting facts about drinking water you probably didn't know.

The Australian choice

In Australia, there are six types of drinking water to choose from:

• Tap water - one of the most natural sources, this is water captured in damns from rivers, rain etc. it's then treated with chemicals and provided to Australian households. Thankfully, Australia has one of the cleanest water supplies in the world.
• Filtered water - this is normal tap water which has been filtered before ending up in your glass. The filter could be at the point of entry to your house, under your sink, or even in a jug or water bottle. The filtering process removes the chemicals, dirt, sediment, bacteria, and any bad tastes or smells.
• Sparkling tap water - gone are the days where you have to buy this in a bottle. There are now systems available which add CO2 to your tap water, so you can have a fresh carbonated glass of water whenever you want.
• Mineral water - sourced from underground deposits, most commonly wells, and with fewer filtration processes involved, it retains a higher content of naturally occurring minerals. This type of water provides a great range of health benefits.
• Alkaline water - with its incredibly high pH level, alkaline water is believed to neutralize acid in the body. Adding an alkaline filter cartridge to your water filter can bring this in to your home.

Health benefits of drinking water
Our body is made up of 60% water so it probably comes as no surprise that we need a lot of it. In fact, drinking water has all sorts of health benefits such as:

• Reducing headaches;
• Keeping our body's cushion joints lubricated;
• Aiding digestion and regularity;
• Hydrating and improving our skin's appearance;
• Helping us to absorb the goodness from food by carrying nutrients and oxygen to the cells in our body; and
• Keeping colds and flu at bay by boosting our immune system.

How much water should we drink in a day?

The general guideline is 2.1 litres for women and 2.6 litres for men. According the statistics, most Australians are falling short of this with the average amount consumed sitting at 1.29 litres per day.

If you don't drink enough water, you could start to experience symptoms of dehydration which include:

• Dizziness
• Dry skin
• Muscle cramps
• Headaches
• Body aches
• Fatigue

Water can bu

Good gardeners know not to water plants during the day. This is because the water drops on the leaves can act like a magnifying glass - focusing the sunlight and burning the leaves. This is also true for our own hair, so a hairy leg may get sunbu t faster than a shaved one.

Too much water can kill

Drinking far too much water - and we're talking a significant amount - can cause something called "water intoxication".

NASA can filter water in space

NASA have developed a water purification system in their space station which filters everything - think astronaut sweat and urine - into drinking water. This is now used in developing countries where they need to filter water from rivers, lakes, and streams.