Nutrition Beat Blog
By Registered Dietitian, Susannah Baldock, MS, MPH, RD, LDN
In 2013, the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory completed a study that included analyzing U.S. tap water in order to find what percentages of the DRI (dietary reference intakes) the minerals in the drinking water meets. This was studied because water does not just hydrate the body but it also provides important nutrients, via minerals, ions, and more, that the body absolutely needs to efficiently function.
Water is one of the six nutrients, along with carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, lipids (fats), and proteins. It also happens to be one of the most abundant elements found in the human body, about 60% of our total body weight. Water is one essential nutrient we can only last a few days without because of how much the body needs and is unable to make for itself.
