I get Dr. Mercola's Newsletters quite regularly. To subscribe to this great newsletter, please go to www.mercola.com Including one that is just as unhealthy as soda... another which has 36 harmful pollutants... and this 'healthy water' which invites devastating health consequences as it condenses the toxic byproducts into your drinking supply and sucks the good minerals out of your body.
Read this before you consume another drop... With all the different types of water out there and the hype that goes with each, it can be very easy to get confused about which water is really best for your health. So, if you find yourself struggling with the environmental concerns of bottled water versus the potentially dangerous chemicals in tap water, I understand.
Unfortunately not all of us live close to a mountain stream where we can fill up our water bottles and drink some of the best water on the planet for free – the way nature designed it. Most of us live in large urban areas and need to rely on commercial water distribution systems that are often loaded with chlorine, disinfection by-products, fluoride, and many other toxins.
Here’s the sobering truth… Every year a greater number of contaminants are uncovered in public and private water supplies. And with each passing day, we learn more about how these substances have the potential to jeopardize your well-being. Let me ask you… when was the last time you checked to ensure the water you and your family are drinking is truly safe? And I mean, really checked?
WHAT IS IN YOUR GLASS OF WATER?
If you’re like most people, you probably take your drinking water for granted. You crack open a bottle or turn on the filter on your tap and pour yourself a nice tall glass of cool, sparkling water. Did you know that the cleanest-looking water isn’t necessarily the healthiest? Sometimes the greatest dangers with drinking water can’t be seen, tasted, or even smelled. Impurities in your drinking water can come from a number of sources. There are many different toxic synthetic chemicals used in society today. And, unfortunately, the list grows longer every year. To make matters worse, even some naturally occurring substances can be harmful when they end up in your drinking water. Then there’s the question of water treatment and the myriad contaminants that can result from the process of disinfection.
Finally, distribution systems and pipes create hazards all on their own. To be sure, your drinking water is subject to many, many potential points of contamination. And honestly, these potential hazards can vary from water source to water source…
Five Sources of Water – What You Need to Know About Each
1.Tap Water – Easy, quick, convenient. But how many pollutants lurk in your water? And what is your associated health risk? More on this in just a moment…
2.Bottled Water – Did you know that 40% of bottled water is actually TAP WATER? With or without added filtration – you’re paying through the nose for it. Worse, an independent test by the Environmental Working Group found arsenic, DPBs and 36 other harmful pollutants hiding in bottled water. Read more about this below… Plastic bottles are a less than optimal idea too. They can contain the potentially hazardous chemical BPA. And the devastating environmental impact is staggering.
3.Distilled Water – Use with caution… Long-term use can invite health problems, because its minerals are evaporated out. So to try to maintain mineral balance, it sucks minerals out of your body. What’s worse, the contaminants in the water are more concentrated in the finished distilled water. You can just imagine what that does to your health…
4.Alkaline Water – Although there is some controversy on this, I and most experts believe that this water should be used for short-term detoxification only (1-2 weeks max). Additionally the alkalinization process does NOT filter the water so you need to carefully evaluate the water filter for the specific alkaline water unit it’s using.
5.Vitamin Waters – Don’t be fooled… Vitamin waters contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), artificial colors, additives, preservatives, and caffeine. Even worse… they use distilled water to produce these products – which as you just read, is one of the worst types of water you can consume.
So, to complete the full circle back to tap water… What the Government Isn't Telling You About Your Drinking Water Passed by Congress in 1974, and amended in both 1986 and 1996, the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act was intended to ensure safe public drinking water. It’s been documented that each year there are over 200,000 violations to the Safe Drinking Water Act – involving over 20 percent of water treatment facilities. However, I have no information that your particular water treatment facility had violations. EPA standards are based on a 175 lb. male drinking water with only one chemical present. It’s scientifically recognized that if 2 or more chemicals exist at the same time in your tap water, the synergistic toxicity of those two chemicals greatly magnifies the negative effects. Imagine what happens when you have 6 or 7 chemicals in your water...
HOW YOUR LOCAL WATER COMPANY MAY BE JEOPARDISING YUR HEALTHh
To make your water safe to drink, your local water treatment plant most likely adds chlorine, chlorine dioxide, or chloramines to the water. The practice of adding chlorine to drinking water began in the late 1800s and by 1904became the standard in water treatment, and for the most part remains so today. Chlorine isn’t necessarily used because it’s the safest or even the most effective means of disinfection. It’s used because it is the cheapest and it is highly effective at eliminating water borne infections that are all too common in countries like India and Mexico.. While chlorine effectively kills the harmful, disease-causing microorganisms, an unwanted side effect typically occurs at the same time. Water supplies naturally contain organic matter, such as decaying vegetation. The chlorine-containing disinfectants react with this matter, generating toxic chemical disinfection byproducts, or DBPs for short. And here’s the point that I want you to grasp… Chlorine itself is relatively harmless. Research reveals that the disinfection byproducts (DBPs) produced from chlorine are potentially harmful to your health! In other words, it’s typically the disinfection byproducts, the DBPs – not chlorine –that are responsible for the potential toxic effects of chlorinated water.
The Potentially Dangerous Effects of Disinfection Byproducts, or DBPs
Some of the more dangerous DBPs created from the chlorination of water include trihalomethanes (THMs) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These chlorine byproducts can trigger the production of free radicals in your body. Three Disinfection Byproducts, or DBPs, You Want to Avoid… At All Costs Here are some of the more dangerous chlorination byproducts and their associated suspected side effects: Trihalomethanes (THMs): Cause cancer in laboratory animals Trigger the production of free radicals in your body Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Lead to central nervous system depression and drowsiness Can irritate skin and mucous membranes Haloacetic Acid (HAAs): Is a Class B2 probable human carcinogen May cause liver disease in test animals at very high levelsAre They in Your Drinking Water? According to a recent New Scientist report, a comprehensive survey of U.S. drinking water reveals that drinking water may contain a host of hormonally active chemicals. Some of the most frequently found substances included: MTBE (Methyl-tert-butyl Ether) – a chemical added to fuel to raise octane number; a potential human carcinogen at high doses Atrazine – a U.S. herbicide banned in the European Union; a known endocrine disruptor, it feminizes wildlife and lab animals, is linked to reproductive problems in lab animals, impairs immune function, and is linked to both breast and prostate cancers in humans Granted, the levels detected were low. But let me ask you: do you really want to drink someone’s recklessly discarded fuel boosters and pesticides? I certainly don’t. Incidentally, the U.S. government does not regulate or set rules for pharmaceuticals or any of these other compounds in your drinking water, except for one: the herbicide Atrazine.
WHY YOUR BODY NEEDS HEALTHY WATER
Your body depends on clean water for countless functions. Your body depends on clean water to perform its daily functions, such as digestion, temperature and blood regulation, respiration, and detoxification.
In particular, your body’s ability to flush out toxins and properly assimilate nutrients depends heavily on an abundant intake of clean, chemical free water. The more stress, toxins, and pollutants your body battles with each day, the more water it needs.
The quantity and quality of the water you use largely determines your body’s ability to shed excess fat and properly maintain your body’s largest organ, your skin. While your entire body is 72 percent water, your skin is 80 percent water. Plentiful water is needed to maintain your skin’s elasticity and moisture barrier. Your blood is over 90 percent water and uses water to transport oxygen, nutrients, and antibodies throughout your body. I’m often asked what is the ideal amount of water to drink on a daily basis.
HOW MUCH WATER DOES YOUR BODY REALLY NEED?
Eight glasses of water a day is a good start, but your body may need more A good rule is to use the color of your urine as a guide. When you’re well hydrated, your urine should be clear, or nearly so. Please note this guideline does not work when you are taking B supplements with riboflavin which will turn your urine bright yellow.
It’s been estimated that over two-thirds of all people don’t drink enough water, and suffer from some degree of dehydration. Did you know that just a 5 percent drop in body fluids can cause a 25 to 30 percent loss of energy? Unfortunately, many people turn to stimulants like caffeine and sugar to boost their energy level when they feel drained. Problem is, these substances only increase your need for more water, as well as potentially cause a myriad of other health issues. Next time you feel a drop in your energy, pour yourself a cool, tall glass of water and see if it doesn’t make a difference in how you feel!
THE MOST POPULAR SOLUTION......BUT IS IT THE HEALTHIEST?
Drinking bottled water opens up a whole new set of health and environmental concerns. Is drinking bottled water the solution? Evidently, many people believe so. Bottled water represents, by far, the fastest growing segment of the beverage industry with annual sales exceeding $11 billion.
How has the bottled water industry created such a demand for a commodity that’s available for free? By slick marketing tactics and taking advantage of lax governmental regulations. Playing the message that bottled water is cleaner, and therefore healthier, the bottled water industry has successfully created one of the most incredulous scams of the century.
Here’s how you’ve been duped: Studies reveal that about 40 percent of bottled water is actually regular tap water with possibly no additional filtering treatment. The EPA standards that apply to public water supplies do NOT apply to bottled water There are no restrictions protecting against a source of bottled water being located near industrial facilities or waste dumps. Overall, bottled water is less regulated than tap water. A recent Environmental Working Group test uncovered 38 contaminants in 10 brands of bottled water, including DBPs, nitrate, caffeine, arsenic, Tylenol, bacteria and industrial chemicals.
THE PROBLEM WITH WATER BOTTLES The alarming environmental impact of discarded plastic water bottles In the time it takes you to read just this one short sentence, over 8,000 empty water bottles are being thrown away worldwide. According to the Container Recycling Institute, in the U.S. alone, more than 67 million plastic water bottles are discarded each day. That’s enough empty plastic water bottles to… Fill 5500 garbage trucks each day. Bury Manhattan Island one foot deep each day. Wrap around the planet 149 times each year! Not easily degraded, empty plastic water bottles have become a major contributor to worldwide pollution. In fact, water bottles make up a sizable portion of the garbage patch of discarded plastic swirling in the Pacific Ocean just a few hundred miles off the coast. This enormous plastic “stew” is currently larger than twice the size of Texas and growing rapidly!
The waste issue is not the only problem. According to the Sierra Club, the U.S. alone uses 1.5 million barrels of oil to produce all the water bottles we toss each year. And along with oil, comes unwanted toxins. The processing of plastic water bottle releases toxic compounds such as nickel, ethylbenzene, ethylene oxide, and benzene into the environment.
