Water - Have you had your fill today?

What makes up 60% of our body weight, works as a moisturiser to improve the skin's appearance, helps eliminate toxins, and contributes to the prevention of tooth decay?

It's water.

Water is our most vital element, forming the basis of blood and lean muscle, and it plays an important role in carrying nutrients and oxygen to our cells.

Water is integral to our wellbeing - even the most inactive person requires approximately 8 glasses of water per day.

Essential to most bodily functions, water helps your body to eliminate toxins, such as those found in tea, coffee and alcohol. It also plays an important role over the summer months when exercise and outdoor activities like swimming, rollerblading and running can lead to increased perspiration, which in turn can lead to dehydration. Drinking plenty of water is a natural way to improve your health and it is especially important on a hot day or during exercise, when your body temperature rises. As a result, water intake should be increased during such activities to re-hydrate the body.

Fluoride occurs naturally in water, and fluoridation (or adding a small amount of fluoride to drinking water) ensures that water has the appropriate level of fluoride to optimise your dental health. Therefore drinking fluoridated water has the added benefit of protecting your teeth from decay, as well as maintaining optimal hydration. Dental decay is the number one non-communicable disease affecting over 60% of Australians each year. With the introduction of fluoride into our drinking water, dental decay has reduced on average by a whopping 50%. The introduction of fluoride to our drinking water is considered to be one of the most successful public health measures, and means that we enjoy greater dental health than ever before.

Getting into the habit of drinking lots of water, especially good old-fashioned tap water, is the best way to stay healthy and hydrated, and if your water supply is fluoridated, you'll be getting your daily requirement of fluoride - and preventing tooth decay.

Fluoridation of water supplies for Australia's major metropolitan centres commenced in 1964 with Canberra and Hobart. Melbourne was the last capital city to introduce fluoridation and February 1, 2002 is the 25th Anniversary of this event. Brisbane water supplies remain unfluoridated.

CLICK HERE to read more about the benefits of drinking fluoridated water and why it plays a vital role in keeping teeth beautiful! ***