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Summary of medical research results to date

WATER CLINICAL TRIALS

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How active is water in disease prevention?

Clinical trials listed

Biology and the properties of water

About the Water Clinical Trials site

Water consumption and disease prevention

The Water Clinical Trials information website is a non-commercial, free resource for health professionals, nutritionists and the public.  The website exists to scientifically scrutinize the evidence that consumption of water, or extra water, or water with specific constituents, is good for health.

The Water Clinical Trials information website cites results from authentic medical research published in peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals and provides unbiased information on water consumption and optimal hydration.  The website serves also as an online journal specializing in the publication of authentic internationally registered clinical trials conducted in relation to water consumption and hydration.

Research conducted over the past decade has shown that water is an active component in the formation of intracellular components.  The chemical nature of water determines the structure, function and hydration of intracellular biomolecules and assemblies.  For example, the classic double-helix of DNA is hydration dependent and does not exist per se.  It is now considered that biomolecules in cells don't just function in water but actively interact with water for their structural formation and function. Properly conducted clinical trials may determine if this knowledge can be utilized for the prevention of disease. 

Specifically, in relation to water consumption and preventive medicine, the question often posed is:  Does the long term consumption of water, or extra water, or water with specific constituents help to optimize kidney mass and kidney function? Normal kidney function is essential for fluid balance, calcium and magnesium balance, sodium, potassium, phosphate and chloride balance, acid-base balance, the production of numerous hormones and other entities, and the excretion of toxic products of metabolism.  Certainly, poor kidney function is correlated to major inflammatory and degenerative disease conditions.

The Water Clinical Trials website seeks to present, either through publication on the site or by identification in other journals, results of authentic medical research that may assist medical specialists, medical practitioners and health professionals in advising patients on the consumption of water and the possible benefits of optimal hydration.

The website also seeks to provide information to people without medical or healthcare qualifications.  However, it should be emphasized that each person maintains a specific total body water (TBW) steady state. Therefore, it is important that professional medical advice be obtained prior to deciding on any alterations to water intake. Professional medical advice is important particularly for the elderly where significant changes in water balance and kidney function occur. The Water Clinical Trials website, national and international editors, and all people associated with the site, accept no responsibility for the use or misuse of any information contained on the site.

The website serves to emphasize the health benefits, or otherwise, of the consumption of water per se and does not serve to discuss the microbiological, parasitological or chemical contamination of drinking water.

It is known that human body cells contain up to 85 per cent water and that water is lost continuously from the body in sweat, tears, expired air, urine, etc. Accordingly, humans cannot thrive without the ingestion of appropriate amounts of water. The amount of water needed to maintain appropriate body function is determined by exquisite complex physiological processes that culminate in thirst. However, there appears to be a ubiquitous admonition to drink extra amounts of water (up to 8 glasses, about 1.5 to 2 liters, per day) to obtain optimal hydration. Many physicians and other health professionals counsel their patients accordingly. In addition, there are numerous claims that relate to the positive health, nutritional and physiological benefits of either drinking extra water or drinking water with specific constituents.

The Water Clinical Trials website provides a vehicle that assists water companies, water utilities, and other interested groups to validate or otherwise any health, nutritional and physiological claims that relate to the consumption of water. The website is available for publication or identification of authentic clinical trials that have been conducted in accordance with international standards of Good Clinical Practice. [That is, clinical trials must have been conducted in accordance with ICH Harmonized Tripartite Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice 1996 (CPMP/ICH/135/95); US Code of Federal Regulations dealing with clinical studies (21 CFR including parts 50 and 56); and Declaration of Helsinki (V11 Oct, 2000).] The clinical trials may have utilized water that is deemed either soft water (water relatively low in calcium or magnesium ions) or hard water (water relatively high in calcium or magnesium ions). The clinical trials may have utilized water that contained other specific constituents.

In addition, because of improvements in understanding that may be obtained from scientific investigations into all aspects of body hydration, this website is available for publication or identification of authentic clinical trials and authentic medical research that have been conducted in relation to body hydration and/or kidney function and/or intravenous fluid administration and/or dialysis.

This website is not available for the publication of research results or health claims that fail to comply with the above strict criteria.

Despite numerous claims that relate to the positive health, nutritional and physiological benefits of extra water consumption and optimal hydration, rigorous proof and properly conducted clinical trials appear to be sparse. Indeed, it has been claimed that a firm scientific or medical basis for advocating the daily consumption of extra water may not exist(1,2). Accordingly, the Water Clinical Trials website aims to present results of authentic medical research, either positive or negative, that relates to the consumption of water, extra water, or water with specific constituents.  These results can then be integrated into professional advice given to patients by medical and healthcare professionals.

1. Valtin H. 2002. “Drink at least eight glasses of water a day.” Really? Is there scientific evidence for “8x8”? Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 283: R993-R1004.

2. Negoianu D and Goldfarb S. 2008. Just add water. J Am Soc Nephrol 19: 1-3.

Summary of Medical Research Results to Date

About the Water Clinical Trials information website

About the Water Clinical Trials site