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Chapter 28: The Water You Forgot to Drink

You are 60% water. Your ancestors drank from mineral-rich natural sources throughout the day. You drink processed, mineral-stripped water -- when you remember to drink at all.

Key Insights

Natural water sources contained dissolved minerals (calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate) that modern purification removes

Chronic mild dehydration affects up to 80% of Americans and impairs cognition, mood, and kidney function

Your ancestors drank opportunistically and frequently while moving through landscapes; modern humans sit still and forget

The thirst mechanism is imprecise by design -- it was calibrated for frequent access, not for remembering after 4 sedentary hours

Mineral-depleted water combined with mineral-depleted soil means even 'healthy' modern diets may fall short of ancestral mineral intake

Read the full chapter to learn why the simplest molecule in your body is the one you're most likely getting wrong.

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