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• Water aids in digestion and metabolic processes. Water transports nutrients to cells and takes wastes away from the cells.
• Water curbs the appetite.
• Water aids in healthy kidney function. During dehydration or insufficient water intake, the kidneys must compensate and kidney stones may form.

Reports of the consequences of ADEs (adverse drug events) are constantly in the media. Whether it's a report of a dangerous drug that has been pulled off the market, or the number of hospital deaths associated with ADEs, the warning signs are all around. As one group of medical researchers noted in an essay published in the New York Times, "Not all treatments have important benefits, but almost all can have harms."

According to two studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the estimated prevalence of "inappropriate" medication use in the elderly population ranges from 12 percent to 40 percent; and more than 90 percent of individuals age 65 or older may use at least one medication each week, while up to 40 percent may use five or more drugs per week. The extensive medication use by older adults suggests that significant numbers of patients are affected by preventable adverse drug events. The authors of one of the JAMA studies conservatively estimated that among older adults, nearly 2 million ADEs - a half-million of which are preventable and 180,000 of which are fatal or life-threatening - are suffered annually in the U.S.

Most of us don’t think too much about what we eat. However, that’s a big mistake, particularly as we get older. Make the appropriate changes today. A third study noted that fatal adverse drug events are "a major problem in hospitals, especially in elderly patients with multiple diseases." In the study, the likelihood of a fatal ADE was directly related to increases in age, number of diseases and number of drugs used.

What all of the above evidence leads us to is that the use of drugs should be avoided whenever possible. Consult with your doctor about alternative ways to address health challenges - ways that are more nutritionally focused and less drug-focused.

Your body is seeking better food and the right nutritional supplements to keep you active and vibrant. Supplying what your body needs and restricting what can harm it will go a long way toward giving you the highest quality of life for years to come.