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Didjaknow
Did you know that drinking high levels of water can significantly reduce coronary heart disease? In 2006, the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that drinking large amounts of water is as important as exercise, diet, and not smoking in the prevention of coronary heart disease. The study began in 1973, was supported by the National Institutes of Health, and was conducted on 20,000 non-Hispanic Caucasians living in Seventh-day Adventist households. Drs. Can and Knutsen found that people who drink five or more glasses of water a day have a much lower risk of fatal coronary heart disease compared to those who drink less than two glasses per day. “Other fluids” such as coffee, soda, milk, and caffeinated sodas showed an increased risk in coronary heart disease—the reason being that water is drawn from the blood to improve the concentration of the “other fluids” because the products cannot be digested until their concentration is reduced to one similar to that of blood. Therefore, drinking “other fluids” will cause a temporary increase in blood viscosity, which in turn causes an increase in the risk for blood clots. Water is absorbed quickly and hydrates the circulatory system. Drinking large amounts of water thins the blood and decreases the risk for blood clots that lead to heart attacks. Please do not ignore the other health risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking, calorie intake, lack of exercise, and high blood pressure. Health care professionals support consuming water equaling in ounces the figure that is half your body’s weight in pounds, i.e., if you weigh 180 pounds, you should consume 90 ounces of water daily.