If you live in an urban area, nearly every drop of water you drink has undergone some process of purification.  Even in suburban and rural areas, many households make use of purification systems in order to ensure the quality of their water.  These days, raw potable water is hard to come by, due mainly to urbanization of many land areas.  This often leads to overuse and contamination, which makes it necessary for water to undergo purification in order to make it safe for use.

What is water purification?

Water purification is simply the process of treating raw water to remove any contaminants it may contain.  Although water purification is used for a variety of applications including medical, pharmacological and industrial, its most common goal is to produce water for safe human consumption.

Depending on the process and equipment used, water purification can ensure the removal of certain contaminants, such as:

- sand and other organic materials

- bacteria, viruses and fungi

- parasites

- toxic materials such as lead, chromium and copper

- mineral particles such as silica, calcium and magnesium

What are the advantages of water purification?

Water purification is used to produce better quality water, one that is safe to use and ingest.  Many of the particulates and contaminants found in raw water are harmful to health. 

Fungi and microorganisms such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia, for example, are known to be harmful to the human body and can cause certain illnesses.  Heavy metals can also produce hazardous effects over time. 

Water purification is also the preferred method to remove unwanted taste, smell and appearance. 

Are there any disadvantages to water purification?

There are certain disadvantages to water purification.  It can, for example, strip water of its natural minerals, many of which are beneficial to the human body.  Since it is a process that is used on a regular basis, users of water purification systems also incur cost over time through purchase of equipment and accessories.

What are the most common processes used for water purification?

There are several methods used to purify water but they can be classified as physical or chemical methods. 

Physical methods

Some of the earliest methods of water purification involved boiling (to kill bacteria and other harmful microorganisms), screening (to filter debris such as leaves, small branches and other materials) and storage.  Storing water in reservoirs or containers encourages biological purification naturally.

Another process of water purification which involves physical removal of contaminants is flocculation.  This involves stirring of the water to encourage precipitation, which then collects small particles that form into bigger particles.  These are then collected to clarify the water.

A very common process of water purification is filtration.  This is the system often found in many of the water purification devices used today.  Water is usually allowed to pass vertically through filters of different sizes – from the biggest to the finest – in order to collect contaminants. 

Most household filtration systems use gravity to pull water through a filter while industrial filters use pressure.

Chemical methods

Chemical methods are employed mainly where physical methods are unavailable or ineffective.  Bigger filters, for example, may not be efficient in removing certain viruses, protozoa and bacteria.  To prevent these organisms from doing harm, chemicals are used to kill them and disinfect the water.

Some of the most common chemicals used for this type of water purification are chlorine and chlorine dioxide.  The only drawback is that there have been complaints regarding the effect to health that these chemicals may have. 

Other chemically-induced water purification methods use ozone and ultraviolet light (UV).  Ozone is a very powerful method of oxidizing water and killing many waterborne organisms.  The UV light method uses lamps to sanitize water and make it safe to drink.

Water is easily the most important and useful compound that exists on this planet.  The tissues and cells in plants and animals, for example, require water in order to thrive and survive.  There are very few beings on this planet that can live with little water.  Humans, for example, cannot survive over three days without water.  Since quality water is so important to health, could it also be an important component of a weight loss system?

Why quality water?

Quality water is water that has been purified and rid of harmful contaminants.  Although the human body is equipped with the natural ability to cleanse itself of harmful organisms and materials, the effort can also take its toll.  Some contaminants found in water, such as lead and chlorine, are difficult to eliminate from the body.  Too many contaminants also overwork the liver, making it less deficient. 

By using only quality water, the body is able to maintain a healthier environment for the cells and organs to dwell in.  This also makes it easier for the body to undergo the important process of weight loss.

Quality water and weight loss

There are numerous benefits that quality water can offer to promote a healthier body.  Here are just a few of the reasons why:

Quality water detoxifies.

The problem with weight gain is that it suppresses many of the body’s important functions.  This is why people who gain weight feel less energy, suffer from mood swings and lack the enthusiasm to perform.  And that is just the physical cause.  Weight gain is also associated with a host of emotional problems that often lead to a vicious cycle involving overeating

Excessive weight also encourages the body to store toxins which not only impairs the body’s ability to fight off any threat but also causes the breakdown of important functions.  With quality water, the body is able to naturally cleanse itself of these toxins, helping to aid in the elimination of harmful substances. 

Quality water aids in the absorption of important nutrients.

Quality water is known to help ease the activities in the intestines, allowing the process of digestion to occur smoothly.  This encourages the body to absorb and make use of the nutrients found in food.  Without a healthy digestive system, it will be difficult for the body to absorb nutrients and then pass them on to the bloodstream to be used by the body. 

Since the body can naturally make use of the nutrients, this eliminates abnormal cravings for foods that are high-calorie.  The result?  The body experiences safer weight loss.

Quality water encourages healthy metabolism.

For anyone wanting to shed a few pounds, a method that promotes gradual but healthy weight loss should be used.  The key is to ensure that the body metabolizes fat and prevents it from losing muscle tissue. 

Because quality water helps the liver perform its job more efficiently, the liver can metabolize fat and turn it into energy.  This is what the body burns during physical activities.

Quality water suppresses the appetite.

Water is a known suppressant of appetite.  Increasing your water intake before a meal will give you a full sensation.  This feeling tricks the brain into thinking that the stomach is full and therefore, does not encourage you to eat more.  Drinking a full glass of water before eating will often do the trick.

When a person feels full, he eats less and his body no longer has to process excess calories.  With water, effective and safe weight loss may be achieved.