Recent findings tell us there is much more to proper hydration than popularly thought. First, water is the only fluid to offer proper hydration. Consider the words of Dr. Batmanghelidj from his book Your Body’s Many Cries For Water:
“In advanced societies, thinking that tea, coffee, alcohol, and manufactured beverages are desirable substitutes for the purely natural water needs of the daily “stressed” body is an elementary but catastrophic mistake.”
For optimal hydration, water needs to penetrate your body cells (intracellular hydration) rather than passing through the body without actually being absorbed (extracellular hydration). The science behind intracellular hydration explains how people can be drinking water and not getting hydrated. It is the water that goes into your cells that matters and it is the cavitites inside your cells where approximately ⅔ of your water is held.
Our knowledge of how the science of hydration works is in its infancy. It took a leap forward in 2003 when an American Physician Professor and Molecular Biologist from Johns Hopkins University named Peter Agre discovered the “Aquaporin” or water channel.
While this is an incredible discovery about the possibility of more efficient hydration, it is not being used in this way at that time. We have noticed two predominant themes with this research. One is that Dr. Agre’s name has been associated with drug research and two that many different water filtration companies use the research to claim that their water is the perfect answer for your cells.
As this science is so new and so submicroscopic, we prefer to let it unfold before offering much of an opinion. The one thing we are able to conclude confidently is that there are different types of hydration and some allow more water into the cells than others.
With confusion in the scientific ranks, we encourage you to be your own scientist. If you are able to quiet the noise, you can ask your body what it needs to be hydrated. Notice when you feel more vitality, energy, and clarity and see if that is connected to drinking water. As part of this experience, you may want to try cooking with a high quality sea salt (our favorite is Celtic Sea Salt) and even adding some to your water. Think of sea salt as minerals rather than salt. We like it so much that we even suggest eating it directly. When it tastes good, the body needs it is our experience.