In this episode, I discuss our body’s most vital and essential nutrient—water. I explain the structure of water and how it is used by the cells and tissues of our body, how much water we each need to drink and when in order to optimize our mental focus and physical performance; and I include how exercise, humidity, heat, and caffeine affect our hydration needs. I explain how temperature and pH influence water’s physical properties and if there is any scientific basis for drinking so-called “pH water” or “alkalized water” to improve health. I explain how to test your tap water for contaminants (e.g., endocrine disruptors) and the documented problems with fluoride in drinking water. I provide options for filtering drinking water and describe different water types (e.g., reverse osmosis, hydrogen-enriched, electrolyzed reduced, deuterium depleted, etc.). Since the human body is mostly water (55-80% depending on one’s age) and water has essential roles in health, disease and cellular function, everyone ought to benefit from understanding how best to clean our tap water, hydrate effectively and in some cases, adjust the type of water we drink to allow our brain and body to function optimally in regard to health and performance. For recommended water filters, tests and the full show notes, please visit https://hubermanlab.com/how-to-optimize-your-water-quality-and-intake-for-health Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Thesis: https://takethesis.com/huberman HVMN: https://hvmn.com/huberman InsideTracker: https://www.insidetracker.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Social & Website Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Twitter: https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://hubermanlab.com/neural-network Articles Impact of cold exposure on life satisfaction and physical composition of soldiers: https://bit.ly/3kMxG7G Circadian rhythms and the kidney: https://go.nature.com/41RHUnV Endocrine Disruptors in Water and Their Effects on the Reproductive System: https://bit.ly/3L7rjXc Impact of Drinking Water Fluoride on Human Thyroid Hormones: A Case- Control Study: https://go.nature.com/3ZFoFfu Regulations for calcium, magnesium or hardness in drinking water in the European Union member states: https://bit.ly/3SOdnU4 Electrolyzed-Reduced Water: Review I. Molecular Hydrogen Is the Exclusive Agent Responsible for the Therapeutic Effects: https://bit.ly/3Zn9oAp Electrolyzed-Reduced Water: Review II: Safety Concerns and Effectiveness as a Source of Hydrogen Water: https://bit.ly/3SQyu88 Hydrogen-rich water reduces inflammatory responses and prevents apoptosis of peripheral blood cells in healthy adults: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial: https://go.nature.com/3ZoUGJ6 Other Resources Using Deliberate Cold Exposure for Health and Performance: https://hubermanlab.com/using-deliberate-cold-exposure-for-health-and-performance ClearlyFiltered Pitcher: https://www.clearlyfiltered.com/products/clean-water-pitcher Berkey Filters: https://www.berkeyfilters.com Molecular Hydrogen: https://amzn.to/3mrs0AG Timestamps 00:00:00 Water 00:03:33 Tool Deliberate Cold Exposure, Immersion & Showers Mood & Fat Loss 00:15:26 Sponsors: LMNT, Thesis, HVMN, Momentous 00:19:27 Water: Physical Properties & Chemistry 00:26:32 Bonds & Water Phases, “Structured Water” 00:34:07 Body, Cells & Water 00:36:22 Sponsor: AG1 (Athletic Greens) 00:37:37 Water as a Solvent, Temperature & pH 00:41:49 Water Transport in Cells, Aquaporin Channels 00:49:46 Alkaline/pH Water; Temperature, pH & Water Transport 00:55:14 Water Cellular Function, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) & Antioxidants 01:01:20 Sponsor: InsideTracker 01:02:38 Tool: Baseline Hydration 01:11:35 Tool: Hydration & Exercise, Galpin Equation 01:15:40 Tool: Hydration, Sauna, Humidity & Sweat; Thirst, Caffeine 01:19:15 Hydration; Cognitive & Physical Performance 01:23:53 Tool: Water Filtration; Nighttime Urination 01:29:35 Tap Water Tests, Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs), Fluoride & Thyroid Health 01:37:18 Tool: Water Filters 01:44:18 Tool: Resting Tap Water & Sediment 01:48:13 Tool: “Hard Water”; Magnesium, Calcium & Cardiovascular Health 01:53:40 Water Temperature 01:56:42 Water Types: Distilled, Reverse Osmosis, Hydrogen-Enriched 02:03:26 Hydrogen-Enriched Water, Magnesium, Optimize Hydration 02:11:13 Tool: Molecular Hydrogen Tablets, Water pH 02:14:05 Structured Water 02:16:39 Tool: Water Pipes, Faucet Filter 02:19:42 Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, YouTube Feedback, Sponsors, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer: https://hubermanlab.com/disclaimer