Water and Beverages

Water

Water is a part of animal respiration and plant photosynthesis and therefore it is essential to life.   Water provides molecule transport, a medium for chemical reactions, and temperature regulation in the body.   It hydrolylizes molecules to make theme useful to the body, e.g., NaCl into Na and Cl ions.   Pure water provides no energy (and no taste), but drinking water (including commercial bottled water) has nutritive minerals dissolved in it (and taste).

Non-alcoholic Beverages

Non-alcoholic beverages are water combined with sweeters and flavoring.   Some are carbonated (carbon dioxide, CO₂, gas is added under pressure).   The sugar or high-fructose corn syrup added for taste and preservation have energy.   Unless they are fortified with nutrients, beverages have minimal nutrition   The water in beverages serves the same functions as pure water.

Alcoholic Beverages

An alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl group (-OH) is bound to a carbon atom, which in turn is bound to other hydrogen and/or carbon atoms.   Alcohols are widely used in industry and science as reagents, solvents, and fuels for power in vehicles, cooking, and heating.   The alcohol in beverages is ethanol (ethyl alcohol, CH₃CH₂OH), also known as grain alcohol, a colorless, volatile liquid, formed by the fermentation of sugars.   "Alcohol" also refers to any beverage that contains ethanol.   As a drug, ethanol has a depressing effect that decreases the responses of the central nervous system.   Although ethanol is a drug and not a food by its legal definition, it contains energy that can be used by the organism. ^{Wiki n.p.}