impurities in drinking water Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Hidden Dangers of Tap & Bottled Water: Which Water is Best & Which is Worst!

The AHA! Team — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 06:29:33 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – For many of us, bottled water has become a go-to for convenience and perceived purity. However, as research increasingly shows, the story behind bottled water is not so clear-cut. There are real health risks lurking in plastic bottles, and the options for staying hydrated have varying degrees of benefits and potential drawbacks. Today, I want to help you make an informed choice about your drinking water, considering the best options for your health and the planet. Plastic Bottled Water: A Health and Environmental Risk Plastic bottled water is often marketed as a safe, clean alternative to tap water, but the reality is much more complicated. A study from the State University of New York at Fredonia found that 93% of bottled water tested contained microplastics. These tiny plastic particles, which can also include harmful chemicals like BPA and phthalates, have been linked to inflammation, metabolic disruptions, and even reproductive issues. Moreover, many bottled waters are simply repackaged tap water. In the U.S., it’s estimated that up to two-thirds of bottled water is derived from municipal sources. This means you could be paying a premium for the same water you get from your faucet—only with the added risk of plastic contaminants. I personally recommend Mountain Valley Spring Water, which comes in glass bottles, free of harmful chemicals and leaching that occurs in plastic. Glass is the ideal packaging to ensure that water remains pure and untouched by contaminants. However, not everyone can afford premium spring water in glass, so it’s important to understand the pros and cons of other water types. Spring Water: Nature’s Hydration Source Spring water is often considered the gold standard for natural hydration. Sourced from underground springs, it’s naturally filtered through rock layers, which add beneficial minerals like magnesium, calcium, and potassium. These minerals are essential for optimal hydration, supporting everything from muscle function to bone health. The key benefit of spring water is its mineral content, which naturally supports your body’s electrolyte balance. Studies have shown that mineral-rich spring water can improve hydration better than water with low mineral content. However, not all spring waters are created equal, so look for brands that test for purity and ensure the water is free from pollutants and chemicals. Tap Water: A Mixed Bag of Benefits and Risks In most developed countries, tap water is regulated and frequently tested for safety. In the U.S., for example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversees municipal water supplies to ensure they meet safety standards. However, tap water is not without its risks. Depending on where you live, your tap water may contain industrial contaminants like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), plasticizers, and even hormones. For instance, a 2020 report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that millions of Americans’ tap water contains potentially unsafe levels of toxic substances like lead, arsenic, and nitrates. While tap water can be safe for everyday use in many places, it’s important to stay informed about your local water quality. You can request water quality reports from your municipality or invest in at-home testing kits to ensure your water is safe. Filtered Water: A Reliable Middle Ground Using a home water filtration system is one of the best ways to ensure your drinking water is free from harmful contaminants. Filters can remove a wide range of impurities, from chlorine to heavy metals like lead. According to a study from the University of Arizona, water filters can significantly reduce contaminants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and some bacteria. However, not all filters are created equal. Some only remove basic impurities like chlorine, while others can remove a more comprehensive list of toxins, including pharmaceuticals and heavy metals. It’s essential to choose a high-quality filter and replace it regularly, as outdated filters can accumulate toxins and potentially release them back into your water. Without proper maintenance, filters can actually do more harm than good. Alkaline Water: A Trend with Caution Alkaline water, with its pH level higher than neutral (typically around 8 or 9), has gained popularity for its potential health benefits, and I’m a strong advocate for it. Drinking water with a higher pH can help neutralize acid in the body, which may be especially beneficial for those dealing with acid reflux or other issues related to excess acidity. Some studies suggest that alkaline water can improve hydration, especially during intense exercise, by promoting better fluid retention compared to regular water. It’s also been shown to help balance the body’s natural pH levels, which can reduce acidity and support overall wellness. Furthermore, alkaline water is believed to act as an antioxidant, helping to neutralize harmful free radicals in the body, potentially reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. Some research indicates that it may even aid in detoxifying the body, improving digestion, and enhancing energy levels. However, it’s important to choose a high-quality alkaline water system that not only filters and alkalizes the water but also retains the essential minerals needed for hydration. These minerals are crucial for supporting muscle function, bone health, and maintaining proper electrolyte balance. While there are benefits to drinking water that has been filtered through an alkaline system, it’s important to note that these systems often remove essential minerals during the alkalizing process. This can leave your water less beneficial for hydration than mineral-rich spring water. In fact, water that is overly alkaline can sometimes disrupt the body’s natural pH balance, especially in individuals with certain health conditions. Moreover, research is still inconclusive about the long-term benefits of alkaline water, and most health professionals recommend getting your pH balance through a balanced diet rather than relying solely on alkaline water. Which Water is Best for You? For those who can afford it, I highly recommend Mountain Valley Spring Water in glass bottles for its purity, natural mineral content, and avoidance of harmful chemicals. If this option is out of reach, a high-quality water filter paired with a reusable glass or stainless-steel bottle can offer significant health benefits without the environmental and health risks associated with plastic bottles. Tap water is a convenient option but be sure to research your local water quality and consider filtration if there are concerns about contamination. As for alkaline or ionized water, proceed with caution—these systems can filter and alkalize, but they may also remove key minerals that your body needs for optimal hydration. So the choice of drinking water is more than just a matter of convenience. It’s a choice that affects your health, the environment, and your overall well-being. By making informed decisions about what you drink, you can protect yourself from harmful chemicals while staying hydrated. To read the original article click here.

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Government Report Links Fluoride Intake to Lowered IQ in Children

The AHA! Team — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 08:10:05 +0000

Ethan Huff via Natural News – The United States government has once again found that consuming fluoride is really dangerous, especially for children. A new report from the National Toxicology Program (NTP), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), reveals that exposure to fluoridated water at levels twice the recommended limit of 0.7 milligrams per liter (mg/l) of water is linked to lower IQ. Keep in mind that prior to 2015, the government-recommended fluoride level for drinking water was 1.5 mg/l. For many decades – and still in some U.S. cities today that have not adjusted their fluoride levels to the new 0.7 mg/l standard – children across the U.S. have been forced to consume and bathe in water that was fluoridated at levels of 1.5 mg/l, which the NTP now admits causes brain damage and lowers IQ in children. The new study, which includes data and analyses from previously published research, marks the first time that a U.S. federal agency has determined “with moderate confidence” that fluoride damages children’s brains. “While the report was not designed to evaluate the health effects of fluoride in drinking water alone, it is a striking acknowledgment of a potential neurological risk from high levels of fluoride,” The Associated Press (AP) reported. (Related: Harvard University researchers identified a link between fluoride and ADHD and mental disorders some 10 years ago, but fluoridated water keeps on flowing through taps across the U.S.) Drinking, bathing in any amount of fluoride isn’t safe The CDC still claims that fluoride consumption at lower levels is safe, helping to re-mineralize teeth and prevent dental caries (cavities). How is a person supposed to regulate this, though, when people are exposed to fluoridated water at unknown levels each and every day? If a person lives in a fluoridated area and consumes food and beverages made with fluoridated water, not to mention brushing one’s teeth with fluoridated toothpaste, the amount of fluoride that ends up being ingested has the potential to be very high. Even if fluoride does the things that public health officials continue to claim it does for the benefit of health, the drug needs to be regulated and controlled at specific levels in actual drug products, not laced into the water supply. “I think this (report) is crucial in our understanding,” commented Ashley Malin, a researcher at the University of Florida who has been studying the effects of fluoride on pregnant women and their unborn children, calling the study the most rigorous of its kind. For their study, researchers at the NTP reviewed a cohort of studies from Canada, China, Iran, India, Pakistan and Mexico looking at fluoridated drinking water. Based on the results of all these studies, the NTP determined that consuming fluoridated water at levels greater than 1.5 mg/l results in lost IQ points. While the review itself did not determine exactly how many IQ points are lost due to drinking fluoridated water, several of the studies included as part of the review suggested that children not exposed to fluoridated drinking water have an IQ that is anywhere between two and five points higher than their fluoridated counterparts. Children not exposed to fluoridated drinking water have an IQ between two and five points higher The World Health Organization (WHO), by the way, still recommends that water supplies be fluoridated at a level of 1.5 mg/l, which is more than double the new recommendation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as of 2015 that only 0.7 mg/l of fluoride be added to water supplies. Currently, about 0.6 percent of the total U.S. population, around 1.9 million people, are still exposed to drinking water fluoridated at levels of 1.5 mg/l or higher. “The findings from this report raise the questions about how these people can be protected and what makes the most sense,” Malin added. More related news coverage can be found at Fluoride.news. Sources for this article include: APNews.com NaturalNews.com To read the original article, click here: https://www.naturalnews.com/2024-08-25-government-report-fluoride-intake-lowered-iq-children.html

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Which Chemicals in Tap Water Can Wreck Your Health?

AHA Publisher — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 08:00:34 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – Perhaps nothing is as essential to maintaining good health as safe and adequate drinking water. But an increase in water contaminants in recent years has heightened concerns over what is coming out of the tap when you reach for that faucet. In fact, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) have stated that fluoride – which is deliberately placed in public water systems throughout North America – directly ‘contribute to the development of mental disorders in children, such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and autism.’ Can U.S. Citizens Trust EPA Water “Safety” Standards? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that Americans should expect their drinking water, whether from the tap or bottle, to contain at least trace amounts of certain pollutants and contaminants. Don’t you love the way they downplay the health concern? (i.e. ‘trace amounts’) According to the agency, finding impurities in drinking water does not necessarily mean it is dangerous to consume. To that end, the EPA has created standards for about 90 contaminants most often found in drinking water, providing limits for what the agency has determined are safe levels. In addition, the list includes what the EPA has labeled as “indicators,” substances that signal a likely problem with a treatment facility or distribution system. Is Your Water Supply Safe to Drink? While these “National Primary Drinking Water Regulations” may provide some legally enforceable standards that public water systems must adhere to, the presence of contaminants in drinking water continues to raise questions as to whether safe levels truly are “safe,” and what the long-term health consequences may be of consuming even trace levels of hazardous chemicals over long periods of time. And with fewer than 100 contaminants on the list, the public is at risk for additional substances not falling under the regulation that pose a health threat for cancer and other ills. Among the classifications of hazardous substances most commonly found in drinking water supplies are: Microorganisms Disinfectants Disinfection byproducts Inorganic chemicals Organic chemicals Radionuclides Notice what is NOT mentioned (tested)? How about all the pharmaceutical drugs flushed down the toilet – every single day! Microorganisms Prove to Be Deadly Modern municipal treatment processes, including disinfection and filtration, have led to complacency about drinking water safety. But all the technology available cannot always completely safeguard people from deadly microorganism contamination and other pollutants. The Natural Resources Defense Council points to an incident in upstate New York in 1999 when more than 1,000 county fairgoers fell ill due to waterborne contamination by a particularly virulent strain of E. Coli bacteria. An elderly man and young child died when they were not strong enough to fight off the pathogen. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Health officials around the country have documented similar situations of human health compromised by microorganism contamination of drinking water. Problems with microorganisms in water most often result from contamination with human or animal fecal matter or bacteria that typically exist in the environment. How Do Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Get Into the Water Supply? Ironically, when agents are added to water to control the growth of microbes, these disinfectants can become contaminants themselves. In addition, substances that are formed during the disinfection process can also find their way into the drinking water. For example, chlorine added to control the growth of bacteria can cause nose and throat irritation and irritate the stomach. In addition, bromate and haloacetic acids can form during the disinfection process and contaminate water. Both substances are considered cancer-causing agents, according to the EPA. Other disinfectant byproducts have been linked to serious reproductive problems. Can Inorganic and Organic Chemicals Harm the Body? Large numbers of organic and inorganic chemicals find their way into public drinking water, causing everything from kidney damage and intestinal lesions to nerve disorders. For example, an inorganic chemical like arsenic can contaminate drinking water supplies due to erosion of natural deposits, orchard runoff, or contamination from waste sites that handle materials like electronics and glass. Fluoride, added to many municipal water supplies, can lead to bone disease, teeth mottling, and lower IQ. Organic chemicals like atrazine, a chemical used in agriculture production that can enter water supplies through runoff, raise havoc with cardiovascular and reproductive systems. What Kind of Radionuclides Can Be Found in Our Water Supply? Contaminants like uranium and alpha particles can enter the water supply from natural erosion. These and other radionuclides are known to raise the risk of cancer and lead to kidney toxicity. These outdated ‘safety standards’ from the EPA raise serious health concerns. While the EPA regulates only 91 contaminants through the Safe Drinking Water Act, the agency is quick to point out that over 60,000 chemicals are used in some capacity across the nation. According to an analysis of government records by The New York Times, these chemicals have been scrutinized by government officials and independent researchers, and hundreds have been found to increase the risk of cancer and raise other serious health risks, even when found at tiny concentrations in drinking water. Despite this finding, however, no additional chemicals have been added since 2000 to the list falling under regulation of the Safe Drinking Water Act, leaving citizens with unanswered questions about the safety of their water supply. If you want to be sure about the safety of your water supply – get it tested and take the appropriate actions necessary to protect you and your family. After all, drinking pure (clean) spring water or purified water is one of the best ways to stay healthy. Sources for this article include: EWG.org MedicalDaily.com EPA.gov NRDC.org To read the original article click here.

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