Question:
Not to diminish the importance of drinking sufficient water, but the statementcontained in the refrenced article that water "contains many esssentialnutrients" sounds a bit off. As I recall there shouldn't be too much more thanhydrogen and oxygen in water. Perhaps some trace minerals as well, depending onthe source of the water. Did I miss something here, what gives?

Answer: I don't know... I always thought water was to cleanse the body andnutrients were from food. But there must be something I'm missing too,so I'll see what I can find.

Saydee

The Four Basic Nutrients

Water, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are the basic building blocksof a good diet. By choosing the healthiest forms of each of thesenutrients, and eating them in the proper balance, you enable your bodyto function at its optimal level.

Water

The human body is two-thirds water. Water is an essential nutrient thatis involved in every function of the body.

Water helps transport nutrients and waste products in and out of cells.

Water is necessary for all digestive, absorption, circulatory, andexcretory functions

Water is needed for the utilization of the water-soluble vitamins.

It is needed for the maintenance of proper body temperature.

It is recommended that you drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of watereach day.

Quick Facts

Water is our most essential nutrient.Water contains different amounts of dissolved inorganic and organiccompounds.The Environmental Protection Agency regulates public water systems.The Colorado Department of Health regulates bottled or vended water ifthe water doesnot leave Colorado. The Food and Drug Administration regulates if thewater is involved ininterstate commerce.

Introduction

People can survive days, weeks or months without food, but only aboutfour days without water. The body uses water for digestion, absorption,circulation, transporting nutrients, building tissues, carrying awaywaste and maintaining body temperature.

The average adult consumes and excretes about 10 cups of water daily.Adults should drink six to eight cups of liquids per day. Although mostof this liquid should come from beverages, food supplies some water. Ourbodies make water as a by-product in the breakdown of fats, sugars andproteins to energy.

Water is always two parts hydrogen to one part oxygen. Beyond that, itscomposition depends on where it comes from, how it is processed andhandled. Water can be hard or soft, natural or modified, bottled or tap,carbonated or still. About one-half of our water comes from undergroundwater tables (groundwater) and one-half from surface water in rivers,lakes and reservoirs.

The term "nutrients" refers broadly to those chemical elements essentialto life on earth,but more specifically to nitrogen and phosphorus in a water pollutioncontext. Plants andanimals are made up mostly of compounds of carbon (C), hydrogen (H),oxygen (O), nitrogen(N), and phosphorus (P), and lesser amounts of sulfur (S), potassium(K), magnesium (Mg),and calcium (Ca). These are the macronutrients. Many other elements arenecessary forgrowth, yet because these are needed in very small amounts they areclassified asmicronutrients. Animals get their nutrients (that is, the chemicals theyneed to grow andreproduce) from eating plants or other animals; the air (or water inaquatic systems)provides them only oxygen. Plants, however, obtain carbon, hydrogen, andoxygen from theair and water, where all three elements are abundant (as water andcarbon dioxide). So theterm "nutrients" in a water quality sense really deals with elementsthat are necessary forplant growth, but are likely to be limiting -- that is, where used up orabsent, plant growthstops. Of the nine macronutrients listed above, nitrogen and phosphorusare most likely tobecome limiting in aquatic environments.