Hydrating effects of different types of drinking water?

[tracydr]

Deionized water is very expensive and so is distilled, and neither is either necessary or desirable for oral intake.

If you are replacing free water loss -- urine and insensible losses through skin -- for the most part, anything that is more dilute than blood will work (meaning anything other than salt water). The exception is people who are experiencing major exertion in hot, humid environments with enormous sweat losses, who absolutely need SOME salt.

If you want to expand volume, you need some salt with your water. Ideal would be 140 meq sodium per liter of water intake. Potassium is largely irrelevant to insensible losses, and only looms large when you are having vomiting or diarrhea. Other ions (Ca, Mg, PO4, etc.) are irrelevant to people in normal states of health.

In most cases, you do not want volume expansion per se, because the major sources of loss are not isosmotic with plasma. In other words, what you are losing through sweat, urine, and respiratory sources is more dilute than serum, so you actually need more free water. That's why water -- of any sort -- with a couple of pretzels is a reasonable recipe for hydration and volume repletion on the average dive boat. If you are afraid of the calories, salt your fruit or tomatoes or other fresh vegetable or fruit.

I often just salt the fruit or veggies, since I really don't like chips.

Here's some info on coconut water from Web MD. I know potassium is not supposed to be that important, but honestly, after having had heat exhaustion a few times, and dealing with the muscle cramps that comes with it, I've found it seems to help.

Expert Column
Low in calories, naturally fat- and cholesterol free, more potassium than four bananas, and super hydrating - these are just a few of the many benefits ascribed to America’s latest health craze: coconut water.


Dubbed "Mother Nature’s sports drink" by marketers, the demand is skyrocketing, propelled by celebrity and athlete endorsements and promises to hydrate the body and help with a whole host of conditions, from hangovers to cancer and kidney stones.


But is coconut water capable of delivering on all the promises or is it hype?


What Is Coconut Water?


Naturally refreshing, coconut water has a sweet, nutty taste. It contains easily digested carbohydrate in the form of sugar and electrolytes. Not to be confused with high-fat coconut milk or oil, coconut water is a clear liquid in the fruit’s center that is tapped from young, green coconuts.


It has fewer calories, less sodium, and more potassium than a sports drink. Ounce per ounce, most unflavored coconut water contains 5.45 calories, 1.3 grams sugar, 61 milligrams (mg) of potassium, and 5.45 mg of sodium compared to Gatorade, which has 6.25 calories, 1.75 grams of sugar, 3.75 mg of potassium, and 13.75 mg of sodium.




Better Than Some Sugary Drinks


Coconut water has less sugar than many sports drinks and much less sugar than sodas and some fruit juices. Plain coconut water could be a better choice for adults and kids looking for a beverage that is less sweet. But don’t overdo it, says Lillian Cheung, DSc, RD, of Harvard School of Public Health. “One 11-ounce container has 60 calories and if you drink several in one day, the calories can add up quickly," Cheung says.


Cheung, co-author of Savor Mindful Eating, Mindful Life, suggests being mindful about beverage choices and reading labels to choose plain coconut water and avoid those with added sugar or juices, which are no different from other sugary beverages.


I also enjoy Kombucha. I have no idea how helpful the probiotics are but the tart, slightly effervescent beverage is very thirst quenching and it is quite low in calories. 30 calories per serving if I remember right.

 

[chrpai]

I was simply replying to your "...never have I seen it as distilled water." I watch for it to avoid it, as I have picked it up by mistake.

Personally I've never seen it in 16.9oz 20/24 packs. I've only ever seen it in 1 gallon jugs. A quick search using Google Shopping only shows the same.

I really hate the 16.9oz bottles but my family seems to be hopelessly addicted to them.

 

[DandyDon]

That's not what I meant when I said nonsense. There's actually people/places selling "ionized" water, along with "alkalinized" water. There's also "water ionizers" that you can buy, which have nothing to do with splitting the H2O into H2 and O. It's the concept behind all that which my "nonsense" comment referred to.

:laughing: Like Oxygen Water? So many scams...!!

Personally I've never seen it in 16.9oz 20/24 packs. I've only ever seen it in 1 gallon jugs. A quick search using Google Shopping only shows the same.

I really hate the 16.9oz bottles but my family seems to be hopelessly addicted to them.

So now you've seen it...!

No, Distilled only comes in gallon jugs generally. That's the only way I will buy water. 16oz bottles of water are absurd, even tho I have kids and a farming brother who buy them. We're going camping this weekend, I'm bringing 6 gallons of RO but they will have some personal bottles.

 

[AggieDiver]

Don, I get that you think of electrolyte replacement drinks as a scam no different than "oxygen water" or something of the sort. But when you go on a 60-80 bike mile ride in summer heat in Texas, you lose ALOT of water, salt, and other electrolytes. You can drink something like gatorade to replace them, but then you are stuck buying large quantities of gatorade and drinking whatever quantity of sugar gatorade wants to put in their products. Or you can drink water and eat something salty, but then you are stuck with however your stomach handles salty foods trying to digest while exercising hard. So electrolyte replacement tablets such as the Elixir tablets or NUUN give you an option to separate your carbohydrate intake from your electrolyte replacement. You can drink enough to stay hydrated and keep your electrolytes balanced and then eat enough to keep from bonking.

The reason I like them for diving is because the boats at Little Cayman where we have done most of our diving lately only have water on board to drink, and they provide tiny little cups to drink it from, and frankly island water just doesn't taste that good. At the same tme, they put bags of salty chips in the cooler as well. I love the taste of the chips...but on the 2nd dive, they generally want to come back out in the form of belches that can bring other stuff with them if you are not careful. Given the limited options of buying something locally (and expensively) to take on the boat such as gatorade that will taste better, or bringing something along that won't put me over the airline baggage limits, the elixir tablets are a convenient choice that accomplishes alot of things (better tasting water, electrolyte replacement, easy to carry and use, etc.) in a small bottle that I can drop in a carryon bag.

 

[DandyDon]

Don, I get that you think of electrolyte replacement drinks as a scam no different than "oxygen water" or something of the sort. But when you go on a 60-80 bike mile ride in summer heat in Texas, you lose ALOT of water, salt, and other electrolytes. You can drink something like gatorade to replace them, but then you are stuck buying large quantities of gatorade and drinking whatever quantity of sugar gatorade wants to put in their products. Or you can drink water and eat something salty, but then you are stuck with however your stomach handles salty foods trying to digest while exercising hard. So electrolyte replacement tablets such as the Elixir tablets or NUUN give you an option to separate your carbohydrate intake from your electrolyte replacement. You can drink enough to stay hydrated and keep your electrolytes balanced and then eat enough to keep from bonking.

Nope, I know that replacing salt in extreme conditions can help. I do believe the doctor know what she's talking about when she said "Potassium is largely irrelevant to insensible losses, and only looms large when you are having vomiting or diarrhea.Other ions (Ca, Mg, PO4, etc.) are irrelevant to people in normal states of health," and the benefit you get from your pricey tabs is the salt/sodium chloride. If you don't like salty foods, maybe just take a dash of salt, or a salt pill, or - keep doing the tablets you like.

The reason I like them for diving is because the boats at Little Cayman where we have done most of our diving lately only have water on board to drink, and they provide tiny little cups to drink it from, and frankly island water just doesn't taste that good. At the same tme, they put bags of salty chips in the cooler as well. I love the taste of the chips...but on the 2nd dive, they generally want to come back out in the form of belches that can bring other stuff with them if you are not careful. Given the limited options of buying something locally (and expensively) to take on the boat such as gatorade that will taste better, or bringing something along that won't put me over the airline baggage limits, the elixir tablets are a convenient choice that accomplishes alot of things (better tasting water, electrolyte replacement, easy to carry and use, etc.) in a small bottle that I can drop in a carryon bag.

You like the taste & bubbles. Salt pills & Fizzies are cheaper and readily available. I salt my food more in hot temperatures. The other doctor likes coconut water - ok.

 

[Napoleon_wrasse]

So does anyone know if RO water is as pure/empty as Distilled/Deionized, or is there a standard...?

There are many standards/definitions for water of different purities, depending on the end-user (medical, pharmaceutical, semi-conductor, lab, drinking, etc). These take into account bacteria, endotoxin/pyrogens, organic impurities, ions, particulates.

There are no standards for how you set up and maintain any particular water purification system, which affects the purity of the water output.
eg the RO setup may be single-pass, double-pass, and the membrane used may be of different pore sizes.

Generally, RO produces water that is less pure than distillation. RO is often used as pretreatment to produce feedwater for distillation.

Most countries have tapwater that exceeds W.H.O. standards for drinking water. There is no need to further RO or distill tapwater. In fact, if you dont maintain the RO system, it can collect bacteria and dirt.

 

[lowviz]

...//...There are no standards for how you set up and maintain any particular water purification system, which affects the purity of the water output....//...

Deionized Water Applications

I could go on and on...

 

[Quero]

I think maybe you mean Deionized? That's a process that can produce Distilled quality water, but with ion exchanges instead of heat. Purified water - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Or maybe the meanings vary in some countries?

The label says 'ionized'. In English. I don't know the actual process they use. The water brand is Singha, if you want to dig around and find out what it is they do. It's not worth my time, since for me it's really more a question of "does it have to be mineral water?"

 

[lowviz]

The label says 'ionized'. In English. I don't know the actual process they use. ...//...

New one for me. Here it is: Ionized and alkalinized water: Ridiculous health fad debunked. - Slate Magazine

...//... for me it's really more a question of "does it have to be mineral water?"

Nope. Unless you need minerals, then spring for a mineral drink or take some salt. Funny, when I really need it, salt lacks any taste. Just me? who knows....

 

[lowviz]

Keep it simple...