WATER THE FORGOTTEN NUTRIENT. Nutrients are substances that are essential for life.

The six basic nutrients are: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water. While we do consume the first five through food we often `forget' to consume the sixth in adequate amounts. We can survive without food for 30 days but life would end without water in three to five days. More than two-thirds of the human body is composed of water as is more than two thirds of the earth's surface. Water is responsible for---Every bodily process and is the primary transporter of nutrients. It helps maintain body temperature and is essential to carry waste material out of the body. Therefore replacing the water that is continually lost through sweating is very important. Unfortunately most people only consume enough water to quench a parched throat - not enough to cover all the water lost.

Our modern lifestyle makes us overdose on salt as we eat fast foods, restaurant foods, junk food all of which is generally loaded with salt. Excess of salt increases the demand for water. Stimulants like tea, coffee, alcohol, aerated soft drinks, dehydrate us and further increase the body's demand for water. In addition to this, as we grow older we have a lesser percentage of reserve body water. So we get progressively dehydrated. That is why one must drink water even when one is not thirsty. Healing Power of water. Water is beneficial for virtually all disorders known to mankind. Mild cases of constipation can get corrected just by drinking one liter of lukewarm water on waking up and two liters divided through the rest of the day. Bladder problems as well as headaches can be reduced by drinking water. Inadequate water intake causes building of toxins in the body which can cause headache. Water acts as a cleansing agent and flushes out the toxins reducing frequency of headaches. Consuming 10-12 glasses (250 ml each) of water can improve conditions like muscle aches, body pain, heartburn, joint pains, kidney stones, constipation, acne, lack luster , skin allergies, indigestion to a large extent. However, make sure you drink quality water which has been boiled and filtered.

Unfiltered tap water may contain harmful containments chemicals and heavy metals, some of these include iron, lead, copper, fluoride and other heavy metals. Other contaminants like pesticides, industrial chemicals, bacteria, viruses and parasites have been linked to cancer. The quality of tap water can be improved by filtering and boiling it for five minutes. This will kill bacteria and other parasites. Filtration is a method by which contaminants in water are removed. Water that has been purified by steam distillation, or filtered by a reverse osmosis filter, is safe for drinking. Water Facts 1. Drink at least 10-12 glasses (250 ml each) of water everyday. (Those with kidney problems need to check with their doctor regarding their water intake). Don't drink only when thirsty. Keep a bottle of water within your reach and drink through the day. Tea, coffee and sweetened drinks cannot be taken in lieu of water. On the contrary they increase your need for water as they have a diuretic effect. contrary to popular belief, increasing water intake does not add to water retention. If you are physically active, you need to increase your water intake to keep your body's water level in balance.

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Without adequate water, we would poison ourselves with our own wastes. You can squeeze fresh lime juice in your drinking water to boost its cleansing action.

Diseases spread by drinking contaminated Water

Cholera, Shigellosis, Gastro enteritis, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Ameobiasis, Giardiasis.

Symptoms of Infection Gas formation. Pain in and Bloating of abdomen. Loss of appetite. Nausea or / and vomiting. Acidity. Watery motions or/and passing of mucus and blood. Generalized weakness. Headaches with or without fever.

Disease spread by stagnant water--Malaria, Dengue. Water purification----Water treatment describes those processes used to make water more acceptable for a desired end-use. The goal of all water treatment process is to remove existing contaminants in the water, or to reduce the concentration of such contaminants so the water becomes fit for its desired end-use. The processes involved in treating water for drinking purpose may be solids separation using physical such as settling and filtration, Chemical such as disinfection. Biological processes are also employed in the treatment of waste water and these processes may include, for example, aerated lagoons, slow sand filtration.

Recently, the WHO identified 5 leading risk factors -- childhood underweight, unsafe sex, alcohol use, high blood pressure, unsafe water and sanitation -- as together responsible for one quarter of all deaths in the world and one fifth of all disability-adjusted life years. The WHO calculated that reducing exposure to these risk factors would increase global life expectancy by nearly 5 years. It would be possible to achieve a one-third reduction in diarrheal disease frequency with any of the following interventions: hygiene, sanitation, water supply, and water quality. Simple hand washing with a soap solution after coming into contact with infected material cuts diarrhea frequency by one third. Improving water quality by water purification such as boiling or chlorination will reduce disease by one third as well. One must know that WATER GIVES LIFE BUT WATER CAN TAKE LIFE ALSO.