Nutrition News

Nutrition News: How Safe is Your Tap Water?
By Dr. Marissa Bentham

We all know that water is essential for life. Try to go without water for a day and you'll quickly be reminded of how dependent we are on water. The problem that we have in the US is that the majority of the population, when thirsty, will "re-hydrate" with milk, diet coke, juice and/or coffee. It is interesting that even though most people know they need to drink at least 8 glasses per day for their health… they simply don't. Most people wait until they're thirsty before they decide to have a drink, and guess what that means… they're dehydrated! With that said, this article will focus on three important points:

Why is water so important for our health?

Water makes up 75% of the human body; 90% of the blood, 96% of the liver, and 85% of the brain. Water is essential for the proper functioning of your muscles, bones, organs and brain; their biochemistry, resistance to injury and disease, and longevity is absolutely dependent on the adequate consumption of water (American Journal of Public Health). In just the last decade, medical science has begun to focus more on the tremendous healing ability the human body possesses (innate intelligence) and how much that process depends on water.

Detoxification is probably the single most important component to long-term health, and one that relies almost exclusively on an adequate intake of pure, clean water. Water is our body‘s only means of flushing out toxins‚ and is therefore the key to disease prevention.

Has energy been a problem for you? At times, do you find it hard to motivate yourself to go to Curves? Did you know that our energy level is greatly affected by the amount of water we drink? According to the World Health Organization, it has been medically proven that just a 5% drop in body fluids will cause a 25 to 30% loss of energy in the average person... a 15% drop in body fluids results in death! It is estimated that over 80% of our population suffers energy loss due to minor dehydration. In addition to an increase in energy, water can also help facilitate weight loss. Water is what our liver uses to metabolize fat into useable energy. A proper intake of clean water will help metabolize and shed stored fat... resulting in more energy and less fat!

How clean is your tap water?

Despite multiple warnings from health officials and doctors that the water is not clean, the majority of Americans are still using water from the faucet to drink and cook. According to research, almost all tap water in America today comes from polluted sources (Nutrition News). There have been a number of warnings from the US Department of Public Health that up to 85% of American drinking water is contaminated. Furthermore, "more than 60,000 different chemicals may now contaminate our water supplies." (Dr. Colgan, 1995;29). The problem with the average water treatment station is that it can only remove approximately 20-40 chemicals out of a possible 60,000. The health risks linked to our drinking water stem from the onslaught of pollutants such as microorganisms, toxic minerals, pesticides, radon, and radioactive waste, not to mention the chemicals that are added to our water supply, such as chlorine and aluminum-chemicals that have no place in your body.

Where should we get our water from?

Believe it or not, it's even important to be cautious of bottled water. The big question in regards to bottled water is "How was the water filtered?" Bottled water is now a billion dollar industry, with hundreds of brand names promoting clean, filtered water. But according to a four-year scientific study recently made public by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), many brands of bottled water are not necessarily cleaner or safer than tap water. The problem is that most bottled water is simply passed through an inadequate "conditioning filter" to make it taste better. This system may only remove chlorine and not the other pollutants mentioned earlier. There is also the issue of labeling rules and regulations. The FDA rules allow bottlers to call their product 'spring water' even though it may be brought to the surface using a pumped well, and it may be treated with chemicals. The actual source of the water is not always made clear. Some marketing is misleading, implying that the water comes from pristine sources when it does not. In fact, in 1995 the FDA issued labeling rules to prevent misleading claims, but while the rules do prohibit some of the most deceptive labeling practices, they have not eliminated the problem-yet!

Therefore, our recommendations are:

1. Your best bet is a multiple-filter reverse osmosis system. This includes any ROS filtered bottled water (e.g. Dasani water).
2. A lower rating goes to: Brita, or any generic bottled water.
3. Warning…please avoid tap water as much as possible!