The Intelligent Use of Water

Water is the most abundant component of the human body.  It is present in the blood plasma, saliva, enzymes, gastric juice, lymph, in the tissues, bones, etc.  Water is needed for growth and repair, for respiration, circulation and elimination.    It is therefore not possible to have a livelier health if one has an aversion for water.  As much as 8 to 9 glasses of water and other fluids are needed by the average person each day.  This is incidentally just enough to sustain the body and to replace the daily fluid loss which amounts to about 5 pints.  Persons who engage in heavy physical labor and who perspire more, should really drink more water and juices.

Water is best Not taken during meals, since this will dilute the digestive juices and retard digestion*.  Drink water one hour before or after meals.  For optimum health, one must develop the habit of drinking plenty of fresh, pure, clean water and fruit juices between meals, whether thirsty or not.  Ice cold water and very hot drinks effect drastic changes in the body and tend to lower its vitality.  Boil the drinking water  in case  of epidemic.  Avoid also using rain water for drinking purposes since it gathers plenty of impurities in the atmosphere before collecting on the surface of the earth.

*The hyper-acidic condition, one may need to drink during meals, to balance the effects of strong acid secretions in the stomach.