We’ve all been told we need to drink more water, right? Whether it’s trying to get in half your body weight in ounces or hitting 100 oz a day, drinking lots of water isn’t going to do much good for your body.
Unless you are also consuming the minerals needed for your body to USE the water.
You should not be going to the bathroom all the time. And your urine should not be clear. Those are both signs that the water is just going right through your body without being utilized. And our bodies need water.
So how SHOULD we be hydrating? Here are three things that factor into how much water you need to drink each day and why minerals play a key role in the equation:
1. Solubility and absorption of minerals matters.
Water soluble vitamins such as B vitamins and vitamin C rely on adequate water to dissolve and be transported within the body. Excess water soluble vitamins are not stored in the body, and are instead excreted along with all that water when you pee it out. This is why these vitamins are essential to eat every day to ensure you’re getting enough.
B vitamins are important because they stimulate metabolism. Vitamin C is necessary to support adrenal function. Both metabolism and optimal adrenal function rely on magnesium. Magnesium works together with sodium, and potassium, which is why adding minerals to our water can significantly help the absorption and use of water soluble vitamins.
2. Where your water comes from matters.
When we consume water, we also need to be mindful of where our water comes from. Areas with hard water contain high levels of calcium. High levels of calcium in our cells increases our need for magnesium, This leads to us needing even MORE minerals to counteract the effects of the hard water in order for our body to utilize necessary nutrients properly.
Calcium and magnesium have a yin-yang relationship that influences PMS and period symptoms. Calcium also binds to iodine receptors, so high levels can play a role in low thyroid function since the thyroid depends on iodine. Accumulated calcium also slows down our nervous system and leads to a slow metabolism. Many water sources also contain halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine) that compete with iodine and make it so that thyroid hormones don’t work properly.
If you have hard water, having a proper filter on your home’s water system can go a long way. If you want to check the ingredients and contaminants in your local water, you can do so here. This is a great place to start when looking into at home water filters to determine what specific type of filtration you may need.
Adding minerals to water is also not the same as purchasing “mineral” water. If you do choose to purchase water with added minerals, be mindful of where it comes from, what minerals are added, and the form of minerals used. Even water with natural minerals can have concentrations that are not conducive to health goals. If you’re not sure what you need, talk to a dietitian or start with adding minerals yourself directly to filtered water.
3. Water and minerals are important to gut health and liver detoxification.
Water soluble vitamins are also important for liver health and detoxification. To function properly, the liver needs B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, and vitamin A (among others). Digestion is also impacted because we need adequate stomach acid to properly break down B12. Both these processes rely on just right amounts of cobalt. High levels of cobalt in the cells is a sign of a stressed out liver, and is usually accompanied by high iron and high levels of heavy metals (that is very common in unfiltered water).
Both high and low levels of cobalt can indicate low stomach acid. Low cobalt can also indicate high iron intake from things like supplements. Excess iron in the liver is a major stressor and can impact liver function. To support optimal liver function, we need whole food vitamin C from citrus fruits, because vitamin C supports fat mobilization and acts as an antioxidant to support all the work the liver is carrying out. We also need to eat vitamin B rich foods to support phases 1 and 2 of liver detoxification.
Another big need for vitamin C comes from supporting ceruloplasmin. Ceruloplasmin is essential for moving copper throughout the body. And copper is essential for iron production and the iron recycling system. This system is also magnesium dependent. This means adequate fluids and minerals are important, especially for female athletes and those struggling with iron deficiency.
Just from looking at our water consumption, we can see how complex the body is and how many functions rely on a just right amount of nutrients that work synergistically with each other. Consuming mineral rich water will go a long way in helping the body function optimally, whether you’re trying to train for a marathon, build muscle, support thyroid health, or manage everyday stressors.
Each of these processes are, of course, also dependent on many other factors as well; we are just highlighting water intake and water-soluble vitamins’ role in them here.
If you want to understand how your body uses minerals and where you can adjust your intake to optimize your training and health goals, order a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis! This easy to complete at-home test assesses mineral and heavy metal intake in your cells and tissues and can give insight into overall metabolic health, thyroid levels, gut imbalances, iron deficiency, hormone issues, and more. You can learn more and order yours here.
