Why should you drink filtered or better yet, purified water？
We all know water is essential to live. But most of us are not aware of the crucial role water plays in virtually every organ and function of our bodies. Water does more than sustain live. Good water can actually improve our health, our fitness, and even our appearance. On the other hand, water with contaminants, chlorine or chloramines may slowly affect us.
Water is good for you only if it’s good water. But what is good water?
It has to be clear, clean, odor less, contaminant free, bacteria and virus free, there should be trace of beneficial minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and fluoride.
Potable water has become a major concern for many people today. The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) maintains that the number of Americans exposed to water contaminant above EPA standard is growing.
Do you know what is in your tap water before it is in you?
We often take the purity of our tap water for granted – and we shouldn’t. There are endless reports of contaminants in our tap water. Aging pipes can break, leach contaminants into the water they carry and breed bacteria – all potential prescription for illness. Old-fashion water treatment -built to filter out particles in the water and kill some parasites and bacteria, generally fails to remove 21st century contaminants like pesticides, industrial chemicals and arsenic.
To disinfect, chlorine is added to our water supply at the water processing plant. Chlorine is a poisonous greenish-yellow non-metallic gas used to prevents algae growth and kills bacteria in water. (Simply, it’s a form of bleach, think of Clorox in the laundry room or the bathroom for disinfection) In many cities, ammonia is also added to the process which is called Chloramine, to stabilize the chlorine so it won’t vaporize over time. Here are a few quotes from our city (San Francisco) water department pamphlet: “Unlike chlorine, chloramines cannot be removed from water by boiling or by letting an open container of water stand to dissipate chlorine gas… It can be removed by specific treatment methods.”; “Chloraminated water can harm fish and amphibians, such as turtles and frogs, as chloramine passes through their gills and directly enters the bloodstream…but it’s safe for people and animals to drink…”
Huh? I have to scratch my head when reading this. Water does eventually enter our blood stream too, how does that make it safe, just because we breathe through our lungs? It won’t kill us right away, but will slowly if accumulated over a long period of time, like 10, 20, or 30 years? Chlorination is necessary to kill bacteria in our tap water, but should be removed before it’s coming into our bodies. Chlorinated water destroy much of the intestinal flora, the friendly bacteria that help in the digestion of food and which protect the body from harmful pathogens. these bacteria are also responsible for the manufacture of several important vitamins like vitamin B12 and vitamin K. It is not uncommon for chronic digestive disorders as well as chronic skin condition like acne, psoriasis, seborrhea and eczema to clear up or be significantly improved by switching to unchlorinated drinking water and supplementing the diet with lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidus. Chlorinated water can destroy polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E in the body while generating toxins capable of free radical damage (oxidation). Consuming chlorinated water has been accounted for a greater incidence of bladder, breast and bowel cancer as well as malignant melanoma.
Beside chlorine or chloramines, tap water may or most likely contain:
- Lead from soldered pipes. Lead can result in anemia, low birth weight in children, increase blood pressure in adults
- Microbiological growth inside pipeline or tank
- Particulates from corrosion and rusting inside pipes or holding tanks
- Pesticides from leeching industrial runoff
- Mercury, which may cause kidney damage
- Radon from land decade can increase the risk of stomach cancer
- MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether), a cancer causing chemical
- Bacteria and viruses
EPA estimates that 2-10% of bladder cancer may be from contaminated drinking water. The use of at source water purification devices is strongly recommended to protect you and your family’s health.
May 03 2008 07:01 pm | Drinking Water