If you aren't getting the recommended daily amount of water, an under sink filter may just make it easier. What is that recommendation? Well, you might first think of drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day (the 8x 8 rule). While this rule is true, it really is not that simple. The amount of water your body needs is dependent on many factors, including: your overall health, how active you are, where you live, whether you enhance your water (with shilajit powder, for instance), etc. Overall water intake should be approximately 3 liters (13 cups) for men and 2.2 liters (9 cups) for women, according to the Institute of Medicine.

That could be an overwhelming amount of water for some people. And, while most will not argue that the body needs it, why exactly is that much water necessary and what does the body do with it? What about safety? Is it possible that tap water contains more harmful chemicals then it provides benefits? And, if I do decide that purifying my water is a good idea, there are so many choices: countertop water filters, an under sink filter, reserve osmosis, ultraviolet radiation, etc. What filtration system is best?

The human body is over half water. Yep, you read that right, 60% of the body is composed of water. All of the tissues, organs, and major systems of the body are dependant on water to work the way they should. Water flushes toxins away from vital organs and also carries nutrients to all of the body's cells. The body cannot carry out its natural functions with any level of dehydration. Even mild dehydration makes individuals tired and prone to illness. All of the function of the body, breathing, perspiration, urine and bowel movements, excrete water from the body daily. Because of this, it is essential for the body to have a water intake sufficient to restore supplies that are lost of a daily basis.

Water directly from the tap has been treated with any number of chemicals to make it "clean". What about those chemicals? Don't they make the water unsafe to drink? Or could drinking too much of this "treated" water cause you to get sick over time? This may depend on where you live and what treatments are used in your area to clean your water supply. Because of advances in technology, most drinking water from a home faucet is perfectly okay to consume in large quantities. But if you just don't like the taste of your water, you can always install a countertop or under sink filter to make it taste better and be assured that it is free from any unnecessary chemicals or additives.

There really is no "best" way to purify your water. Every method, ultraviolet radiation, reverse osmosis, under sink filter, etc, have distinct advantages and disadvantages. It is important to consider factors such as cost and what your basic needs are before you determine what kind of water purification might be right for you. Some methods require little to no time for the water to be purified; others take some time to purify water. There is large upfront cost to some purification systems and little maintenance and then there are purification systems that require only a small purchase upfront, but larger expenses in upkeep. Some methods are best suited to drinking the water directly after purification and others recommend adding supplements, such as shilajit powder, back to the purified water to improve absorption and nutritional value.

Take a look at all of your options (under sink filter, countertop filter, reverse osmosis, additives such as shilajit powder, etc.) and then decide what system will ultimately help you get the amounts of water that your body needs on a daily basis.