Namah

Water

Editor's note

Who gave birth to water? To fire? To the wind? To the earth? What is life? What is good? What is there beyond the world? And so on. Great were the questions and great must be the people who can look deeply into them and answer. This article is a compilation from different sources about one of the most important elements of the world - water

Water (H2O, HOH) is the most abundant molecule on earth's surface. It is in dynamic equilibrium between the liquid and vapour states at standard temperature and pressure. At room temperature, it is nearly colourless with a hint of blue, a tasteless and odourless liquid. Many substances dissolve in water and it is commonly referred to as the universal solvent. Because of this, water in nature and in use is rarely pure, and may have some properties different from those in the laboratory. However, there are many compounds that are essentially, if not completely, insoluble in water. Water is the only common substance found naturally in all three common states of matter, i.e. solid, liquid and gas. About 1,460 teratonnes (Tt) of water cover 71% of the earth's surface, mostly in oceans and other large water bodies, with 1.6% of water below ground in aquifers and 0.001% in the air as vapour, clouds (formed of solid and liquid water particles suspended in air), and precipitation. Saltwater oceans hold 97% of surface water, glaciers and polar ice caps 2.4%, and other land surface water such as rivers and lakes 0.6%. Water moves continually through a cycle of evaporation or transpiration (evapo-transpiration), precipitation, and run-off, usually reaching the oceans. Winds carry water vapour over land at the same rate as run-off into the sea, about 36 Tt per year. Over land, evaporation and transpiration contribute another 71 Tt per year to the precipitation of 107 Tt per year over land.

Properties

Water is transparent, and thus aquatic plants can live within it because sunlight can reach them. Only strong UV light is slightly absorbed.

Since oxygen has a higher electro-negativity than hydrogen, water is a polar molecule. The oxygen has a slight negative charge while the hydrogens have a slight positive charge giving the article a strong effective dipole moment. The interactions between the different dipoles of each molecule cause a net attraction force associated with water's high surface tension. Another very important force that causes the water molecules to stick to one another is the hydrogen bond.

The boiling point of water (and all other liquids) is directly related to the barometric pressure. For example, on the top of Mt. Everest, water boils at about 68 °C (154 °F), compared to 100 °C (212 °F) at sea level. Conversely, water deep in the ocean near geothermal vents can reach temperatures of hundreds of degrees and remain liquid.

Substances that mix well and dissolve in water, e.g. salts, sugars, acids, alkalis, and some gases, especially oxygen, carbon dioxide (carbonation), are known as 'hydrophilic' (water-loving) substances. Those that do not mix well with water (e.g. fats and oils), are known as 'hydrophobic' (water-fearing) substances.

All the major components in cells (proteins, DNA and polysaccharides) are also dissolved in water.

Pure water has a low electrical conductivity, but this increases significantly upon solvation of a small amount of ionic material such as sodium chloride.

Water has the second highest specific heat capacity of any known chemical compound, after ammonia, as well as a high heat of vaporisation (40.65 kJ mol-1), both of which are a result of the extensive hydrogen bonding between its molecules. These two unusual properties allow water to moderate earth's climate by buffering large fluctuations in temperature.

The maximum density of water is at 3.98 °C (39.16 °F). Water becomes even less dense upon freezing, expanding 9%. This causes an unusual phenomenon: ice floats upon water, and so water organisms can live inside a partly frozen pond because the water on the bottom has a temperature of around 4 °C (39 °F).

Water is miscible with many liquids, for example ethanol, in all proportions, forming a single homogeneous liquid. On the other hand, water and most oils are immiscible usually forming layers according to increasing density from the top. As a gas, water vapour is completely miscible with air.

Water forms an azeotrope with many other solvents.

Some substances (sodium, lithium, calcium, potassium) emit a flammable gas (hydrogen) when wet, or react violently with water.

Hydrogen has three isotopes. The most common, making up more than 95% of water, has 1 proton and 0 neutrons. A second isotope, deuterium (short form 'D'), has 1 proton and 1 neutron. Deuterium, D2O, is also known as heavy water and is used in nuclear reactors as a neutron moderator. The third isotope, tritium, has 1 proton and 2 neutrons, and is radioactive, with a half-life of 12.32 years. T2O exists in nature only in tiny quantities, being produced primarily via cosmic ray-driven nuclear reactions in the atmosphere. D2O is stable, but differs from H2O in that it is more dense - hence, 'heavy water' - and in that several other physical properties are slightly different from those of common, Hydrogen-1 containing 'light water'. D2O occurs naturally in ordinary water in very low concentrations. Consumption of pure isolated D2O may affect biochemical processes - ingestion of large amounts impairs kidney and central nervous system function. However, very large amounts of heavy water must be consumed for any toxicity to be apparent and smaller quantities can be consumed without ill-effects at all.

The temperature and pressure at which solid, liquid, and gaseous water coexist in equilibrium is called the triple point of water. This point is used to define the units of temperature (the Kelvin, the SI unit of thermodynamic temperature and, indirectly, the degree Celsius and even the degree Fahrenheit). As a consequence, water's triple point temperature is a prescribed value rather than a measured quantity. The triple point is at a temperature of 273.16 K (0.01 °C) by convention, and at a pressure of 611.73 Pa. This pressure is quite low, about 1/166 of the normal sea level barometric pressure of 101,325 Pa. The atmospheric surface pressure on planet Mars is remarkably close to the triple point pressure, and the zero-elevation or 'sea level' of Mars is defined by the height at which the atmospheric pressure corresponds to the triple point of water.

The Mpemba effect is the surprising phenomenon whereby hot water can, under certain conditions, freeze sooner than cold water, even though it must pass the lower temperature on the way to freezing. However, this can be explained with evaporation, convection, supercooling, and the insulating effect of frost.

Water in the universe

Much of the universe's water may be produced as a by-product of star formation. Water has been detected in interstellar clouds within our galaxy, the Milky Way. It is believed that water exists in abundance in other galaxies too, because its components, hydrogen and oxygen, are among the most abundant elements in the universe. Interstellar clouds eventually condense into solar nebulae and solar systems, such as ours.

Drinking water

The human body is anywhere from 55% to 78% water depending on body size. To function properly, the body requires between one and seven litres of water per day to avoid dehydration. The precise amount depends on the level of activity, temperature, humidity and other factors. Most of this is ingested through foods or beverages other than drinking straight water. It is not clear how much water intake is needed by healthy people, though most advocates agree that 8-10 glasses of water (approximately 2 litres) daily is the minimum to maintain proper hydration.

Medical literature favours a lower consumption, typically 1 litre of water for an average male, excluding extra requirements due to fluid loss from exercise or warm weather. For those who have healthy kidneys, it is rather difficult to drink too much water, but (especially in warm humid weather and while exercising) it is dangerous to drink too little. People can drink far more water than necessary while exercising, however, putting them at risk of water intoxication (hyperhydration), which can be fatal. The 'fact' that a person should consume eight glasses of water per day cannot be traced back to a scientific source. There are other myths such as the effect of water on weight loss and constipation that have been dispelled. Original recommendation for water intake in 1945 by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council read:

"An ordinary standard for diverse persons is 1 milliliter for each calorie of food. Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods". The latest dietary reference intake report by the United States National Research Council in general recommended (including food sources): 2.7 litres of water total for women and 3.7 litres for men. Specifically, pregnant and breastfeeding women need additional fluids to stay hydrated. According to the Institute of Medicine - who recommend that, on average, women consume 2.2 litres and men 3.0 litres - this is recommended to be 2.4 litres (approx. 9 cups) for pregnant women and 3 litres (approx. 12.5 cups) for breastfeeding women since an especially large amount of fluid is lost during nursing. Also noted is that normally, about 20 percent of water intake comes from food, while the rest comes from drinking water and beverages (caffeinated included). Water is excreted from the body in multiple forms; through urine and faeces, through sweating and by exhalation of water vapour in the breath. With physical exertion and heat exposure, water loss will increase and daily fluid needs may increase as well.

Humans require water that does not contain too many impurities. Common impurities include metal salts and/or harmful bacteria, such as Vibrio. Some solutes are acceptable and even desirable for taste enhancement and to provide needed electrolytes. The single largest freshwater resource suitable for drinking is Lake Baikal in Siberia, which has a very low salt and calcium content and is very clean.

Water crystals

Water has a very important message for us. Water is telling us to take a much deeper look our selves. When we do look at our selves through the mirror of water, the message becomes amazingly, crystal, clear. We know that human life is directly connected to the quality of our water, both within and all around us. Masaru Emoto, a creative and visionary Japanese researcher has published an important book, The Message from Water. This book shows changes in water crystals when exposed to different vibrations. He freezes droplets of water and then examines them under a dark field microscope that has photographic capabilities. From Mr. Emoto's work we are provided with factual evidence, that human vibrational energy, thoughts, words, ideas and music, affect the molecular structure of water. Water from pristine mountain streams and springs show the beautifully formed geometric designs in their crystalline patterns. Polluted and toxic water from industrial and populated areas and stagnated water from water pipes and storage dams show definitively distorted and randomly formed crystalline structures.

With the recent popularity in music therapy, Emoto decided to see what effects music has on the structuring of water. He placed distilled water between two speakers for several hours and then photographed the crystals that formed after the water was frozen. After seeing water react to different environmental conditions, pollution and music, Emoto and colleagues decided to see how thoughts and words affected the formation of untreated, distilled, water crystals, using words typed onto paper by a word processor and taped on glass bottles overnight. The same procedure was performed using the names of deceased persons. The waters were then frozen and photographed.

These photographs show the incredible reflections of water, as alive and highly responsive to every one of our thoughts and emotions. It is quite clear that water easily takes on the vibrations and energy of its environment, whether toxic and polluted or naturally pristine, either within ourselves or surrounding us in others and the environment.

Mr. Emoto's extraordinary work is an awesome and powerful tool, which can change our perception of ourselves and the world we live in forever. We now have profound evidence that we can positively heal and transform ourselves and our planet by the thoughts we choose to think and the ways in which we put those thoughts into action.

New research

In the past two decades, scientific research has come up with some startling new information about water. Water is not just some simple liquid that we happen to drink. Scientists such as the French biologist Dr. Jacques Beneviste, a physicist with the Temple University, Philadelphia; Dr. Wolfgang Ludwig, a biologist in Cooperative Nuova, Milan; Dr. Enzo Ciccolo, Director of the Civil Environmental Laboratory, Fieberbrunn, Germany, Dr. Horst Felsch and Drs. Engler and Kokoschinegg have performed experiments with water and have arrived at surprising conclusions.

1. Water is a carrier of information. As a solvent it is the best-known conductor of vibration, with information transfer possible without direct contact (Ciccolo).

2.. Water can transfer such information from vibrational patterns, or 'memory' to other systems, including living organisms (Ludwig) (Felsch).

3. Water possesses the ability to store information that has been impressed upon it from a given vibration for long periods (Engler and Kokoschinegg, 1988), as can be measured by specific electromagnetic wavelengths found in the water. Thus, even after harmful physical substances are removed, their negative energy vibrational patterns or 'signatures' still remain, which can be traced back precisely to the original substances (Ludwig) (Beneviste, in Natur-Wissen). So, even when water is 'cleansed' of contaminants by purification methods, it still retains the vibrational memory left from these contaminants, and their unhealthy informational messages can then be passed along into living organisms. These unhealthy messages can induce stress in the body, as it must try to compensate and adapt to all such messages it receives.

4. Water revitalisation allows water in a higher vibrational state to transfer or share its higher frequencies, which acts to balance out low energy and negative information (Ciccolo).

5. Water can retain the vibrational memory of a substance even after it is diluted beyond Avogardro's number, where no physical traces of the substance remain (Beneviste).

6. Water quality can also be evaluated by the amount of ultra-violet light it absorbs. 'Poor' quality water will absorb higher amounts of UV light, while 'good' quality water absorbs low amounts (Ludwig).

7. The minimum specific warmth and the maximum structural potential of water is measured at 37.5 C, or the normal human body temperature (98.6 F). This finding indicates that water at this temperature is at a maximal structural point to acquire a large amount of information (Felsch) (Engler and Kokoschinegg, 1988).

The human body may be uniquely susceptible to the memory/informational capacity of water in view of the 37.5 C factor. Thus, positively energised water has the best potential at this temperature to spread its 'good news' throughout the body; conversely, negatively energised water can spread its 'bad news' with unfortunate efficiency (Felsch).

Without good healthy water, no plant or animal can survive. Our bodies crave healthy water until the day we die. Currently our planet contains water that will sustain life, but not prolong life or promote a healthy, vital life. The key is to enhance our life with life- enhancing water which is essential

The Bovis scale

A French physicist, A. Bovis, developed a scale to quantify how positively or negatively charged a substance is. The charge in living organisms begins at 6,500 Bovis. From 0 to 6,500 the charge is life detracting. For humans, the desired minimal energy is found between 8,000 to 10,000 Bovis. The earth itself creates energy in the 7,000 to 18,000 range.

Spin and the Bovis scale

Scientists discovered a correlation between the Bovis scale and the direction of spin displayed by an atom or molecule. Atoms registering in the negative Bovis range, spin to the right, or clockwise. Atoms in the positive range spin in the opposite direction, i.e. left or counter-clockwise. For example the DNA of normal cells is a left-turning spiral. In contrast, the DNA of cancer cells turns right. Every atom, molecule, or substance has its own unique oscillation pattern or vibration, which can be measured in electromagnetic wavelengths (Ciccolo, Domenica del Corriere, February 18, 1988).

Average tap water measures in the 3,000 to 4,000 Bovis, that is, in a negative range. Bottled waters have been measured up to 5,000 Bovis, still negative. It is now understood that water can be damaged by several factors such as the pressure in pipes, the pressure from water pumps, straight-line water pipes or conduits (remember, in nature water curves and spirals), exposure to negatively charged chemicals, heavy metals, or other contaminants. These factors combine in a telling loss of charge, or vibratory rate. Water that is in a highly charged positive state allows the immune system to function more effectively to eliminate disease and lower inappropriate inflammation. Water has the potential to heal all disease because the H2O molecule establishes the foundation for the immune system's cell to cell communication centres to monitor and eliminate disease.

The consequences of water insufficiency in the human body are as follows:

If a 0.5 % share of water in body weight is missing, the body becomes thirsty and requires a drink. If a 2 % share of water in the body weight is missing, the body becomes tired, weak and non-productive mentally. If a 4% share of water in body weight is missing, the person suffers from headaches and muscle weakness. If a 5% share of water in body weight is missing, the person suffers from spasms and breaks in consciousness. Loss of above 15% of water in body weight may be fatal.

Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj has linked most diseases to chronic water insufficiency. His bestseller Wasser die gesunde Lösung, written in 1995, met with great resistance from the pharmaceutical industry. In Batmanghelidj's opinion, chronic water insufficiency can lead to anxiety, depression, asthma, hypertension, constipation, type II diabetes and autoimmune disorders. Drastic emergency signals of body dehydration, in his opinion, include feelings of heartburn, dyspeptic pain, heartache, backpain, rheumatic pain, migraine, colitis, fibromyalgia (chronic fatigue), morning sickness in pregnancy and bulimia.

Conclusion

Water has been used by all ancient methods for treating human suffering. There is a whole method called hydrotherapy in which hot and cold water packs are used to treat ailments like arthritis, fevers, constipation, liver and gallbladder disorders, headaches, neuralgia, obesity, etc. Naturopaths recommend drinking 1 - 2 litres of water every day, to clean the body. Allopathic medicine also uses water packs to relieve fever and sunstroke. Colour therapists use water exposed to sunlight in variously coloured glass containers. Flower remedies are made in water. Thus this simple life sustaining substance that we so take for granted pervades our life.

- Compiled from different sources by Dr. Vandana