Let's face it, we all drink lots of water as we need it to survive. However, it's rare to get pure water whether we have our own well or we rely on a municipal water supply. While some of the minerals dissolved in water may be good for us in moderate amounts, like calcium and magnesium, there are many other things that could (and some are) classified as poison lurking in our water.
Doesn't it make you wonder why water in different cities gets rated in taste tests? Shouldn't good, clean water all taste the same? Unfortunately, all water has its own unique make-up and that's why there's a variance in taste, odor and appearance. Most municipal water supplies are tested and it amazes me what is legally allowed to be dissolved in our water. We get a dose of herbicides, pesticide's, microscopic organisms, industrial solvents including the gasoline additive MTBE, pharmaceuticals, and the list goes on. A recent report by the Ralph Nader Study Group, after a review of over 10,000 documents acquired through the Freedom of Information Act, confirmed that "U.S. drinking water contains more than 2,100 toxic chemicals that can cause cancer." The worse news is that the situation keeps getting worse and worse as time goes on and more pollution makes its way into our water supplies.
In addition to what the water in the well or reservoir contains, more harmful stuff makes its way into our water before we drink and cook with it. While chlorine is necessary as a disinfectant, the byproducts of its reaction to the air and other chemicals aren't exactly vitamins or nutrients. As much as we wouldn't eat rust and dirt, we get a portion in our water daily from pipes that deliver water to us. If we live in an older home (pre 70's construction), the water picks up lead from the solder joints in our pipes.
There are so many studies over the years that prove that the chemicals found in our water supply are at least partially responsible for a myriad of illnesses. One of America's leading authorities on water contamination, Dr. David Ozonoff of the Boston University School of Public Health states: "The risk of disease associated with public drinking water has passed from the theoretical to the real. Many illnesses that in the past could not be linked to a probable cause have now been linked to toxins in our drinking water." The U.S. Council on Environmental Quality states: "While levels of these carcinogens in drinking water are low, it is precisely these low levels that carcinogenists believe to be responsible for the majority of human cancers in the U.S." There's probably no need to discuss lead poisoning here as that's been in the news for years.
In addition,the studies on the effects of the various toxins and their "safe" levels do not take into account the synergistic effect from these substances being consumed together. In a 1995 Science Advisory Report to the EPA, it was stated that "when two or more of these contaminants combine in our water, the potency may be increased as much as 1,000 times!"
The horrendous effects on our health of putting all these toxins into our bodies is magnified many times in small children because they consume more fluids in proportion to their body weight and their systems are still developing. The National Academy of Sciences issued a report in 1993 on this subject, stating "children are not little adults and their bodies are less developed and simply incapable of detoxifying certain harmful compounds."
There is a way to protect your family and bottled water is not the best solution. Although some bottled water is pure, most is just filtered tap water and we haven't a clue as to what's left after filtering. Let's face it, there is much more money spent in marketing these products than actually producing them especially with the virtually non-existent regulation of the industry. In addition, do you know any bottled water drinker that cooks with it as well?
The only way to be assured that you are getting clean, pure water is to filter it yourself with a quality filter. I'll stress the word quality as the range of quality is as wide as how many brands we can find. Luckily, the filter industry is governed by federal guidelines to some degree. So, please do some research before investing in a water filter as your family's health depends on it.
Larry Andron - I've been a gadget nut and health nut my entire life. Over the years, many friends and family members would laugh in disbelief when they saw the customization of my home for health, safety and convenience. I write about my experiences that you and your family can benefit from. Visit http://www.greatnewstuf.com/clean-water.html for an exclusive, limited time 50% discount on the best rated filter.
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