Food | Health | Nutrition

Why Water Alone Is Not Enough to Keep You Hydrated

And how eating foods that contain gel water can lead to “deeper” hydration

Drinking lots of water every day may help you stave off thirst, but is it enough to keep you hydrated and healthy? According to biology professor, sports nutrition specialist, and director of the Appalachian State University’s Human Performance Lab at the North Carolina Research Campus David Nieman, water is not absorbed well by the digestive system when it is “not accompanied by food or nutrients.” In a Time magazine article entitled “Why Drinking Water All Day Is Not the Best Way to Stay Hydrated,” Nieman argues against guzzling lots of plain water, saying “There’s no virtue to that kind of consumption.”

Luckily there is a way to increase your hydration in a much more sustainable — and many would argue enjoyable — way than pounding down a gallon of H20 on a daily basis. The key is H302 — gel water. Also known as structured water, ordered water, liquid crystalline water, and living water, gel water is found in certain foods, including a number of fruits and veggies you may already eat on a regular basis. Simply increasing your intake of such foods could help improve your overall level of hydration.

According to National Jewish Health, staying hydrated improves your ability to increase your metabolism, decrease your blood pressure, lubricate your joints and cartilage, transport oxygen and nutrients throughout your body, balance electrolytes to help with muscle and nerve functioning, clear out your liver and kidneys, digest food, keep your skin moist so it serves as an effective barrier, keep your core temperature consistent, and reduce hunger pangs so you don’t overeat. Even if your biggest health concerns center on losing weight and/or improving your complexion, the benefits of eating more fresh foods that contain gel water are well worth the relatively minimal effort it takes.

The Top Contenders

So which foods should you eat to improve hydration? If your diet is already rich in colorful fruits and veggies, you’ll find a number of favorites in the following lists. You may also find a few new ones to try, however. Fruits: starfruit, watermelon, strawberries, grapefruit, cantaloupe, pineapple, raspberries, blueberries, kiwi, apples, pears, grapes. Veggies: cucumbers, romaine lettuce, celery, radishes, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, carrots, sprouts.

For a breakdown of which of the above fruits and veggies contain the most gel water, visit the Hydration Foundation website. Hydration Foundation founder, Gina Bria, is an anthropologist and the author of Quench: Beat Fatigue, Drop Weight, and Heal Your Body Through the New Science of Optimum Hydration. On the Hydration Foundation site, Bria promotes not only eating the above foods but blending them in smoothies:

“Smoothies blend in the whole fruit or vegetable, retaining the plant fibers. In addition to helping us stay hydrated longer, these precious plant fibers, or cellulose, also sweep clean micro-sized toxins, cellular waste, and debris that are constantly coming into our bodies from our industrial environments. Plant compounds can even buffer us from electromagnetic assaults, which create mineral imbalances. With smoothies, there is no tossing out the pulp!”

Bria’s site’s Recipe Section includes recipes for soups and lattes in addition to smoothies.

Other Options

Chia seeds, bone broth, coconut, and ghee also contain gel water. According to journalist Krysta Scripter in her article, “A Better Way to Get Your Recommended Daily Amount of Water,” chia seeds were one of the keys to Bria’s discovery of how people survive living in desert communities despite limited access to water. “She found that desert cultures prioritized finding foods such as cacti and…chia seeds,” Scripter wrote. Such foods “contain gel water that allows people living in these areas to stay hydrated.”

University of Washington bioengineering professor Gerald Pollack is often described as having discovered the “concept of gel water.” The Public Goods blog post “Gel Water Hydration: What It Is and How It Will Help You” describes this discovery, called by some the “fourth state” of water, in this way: “This type of water exists because of a molecular change that adds one hydrogen atom and one oxygen atom, modifying the molecule from the classic H2O to H3O2.” This change allows water to crystallize without changing temperature, making it “slightly more solid.” Gel water can take the shape of a “thin, silky fluid” or something much more dense, like gelatin. The Public Goods post gets into details about the impact of that extra hydrogen atom, which is constantly on the move, and a reaction that “triggers the formation of hydrogen bonds,” creating more gel water, which may allow for “deeper hydration.” It also notes Pollack’s suggestion that “gel water makes up about 90% of the water in our bodies. It is found in cells, joint fluid and connective tissues such as collagen.”

Another helpful blog post on this subject, “Secrets to Hydration” by St. Louis chiropractor Kimberly Rittmaster, also quotes Pollack, who explains that gel water’s “absorptive properties help retain more water in the body.” Rittmaster adds that “water from plant sources” is absorbed more slowly than regular water, which means it “stays in our system longer” — and keeps our hydration levels higher — “for longer periods of time.” Echoing Jewish Health with regard to the benefits of improved hydration, Rittmaster states that “less brain fog, clearer skin, lower blood pressure, fewer (or no) headaches, and improved GI function” can result when you eat more foods that contain gel water.

Bottom line: Gel water is good, and you need more of it. Eat more fruits and veggies; cook with bone broth, coconut oil, or ghee; and add chia seeds to your smoothies. As Dr. Jeffrey Rediger, M.D., MDiv states in his recent post, “Your Immune System Is Your Greatest Asset: Here’s How to Care For It”: “You have an amazing immune system, with brilliant cells and cell-subtypes, all of which want to unleash their superpowers and keep you healthy and vital. For that to occur, you need to give your cells the proper conditions.” In addition to eating “real food” as Rediger promotes, eating real food that contains gel water may further improve the conditions in which you ask your immune system to operate. So drink up and eat up. Your body will thank you.

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I write fiction, poetry, and nonfiction when I’m not working as a copy editor. Author of the novel One Sister’s Song.