Water is a life-sustaining magic elixir that makes up 60-65% of the human body and is essential for all flora and fauna to survive. No other liquid can substitute water to hydrate the body, flush the liver and kidney to eliminate toxins and stimulate the digestive system to expel waste. We all know the importance of water and strive to consume the recommended daily intake, but do we think about where our water comes from and what nasties might have hijacked it along the way? A contentious debate has been underway for a while on the pros and cons of tap water, bottled water and filtered water. What could possibly hide in such a transparent innocuous beverage you might ask?
Based on recent research, here are 7 reasons you should avoid tap water.
Added Chlorine
Chlorine is added by water treatment plants to disinfect municipal water supplies and destroy waterborne bacteria. Although bacteria destroyed in this process may result in typhoid fever, cholera and dysentery, chlorine has also been known for years to cause magnesium deficiencies resulting in migraine headaches, high blood pressure and chemical sensitivities and worsen respiratory problems. By products of the chlorination process have also been linked with cancer, endometriosis and neurological damage.
Water Fluoridation
Australian water has been fluoridated since the 1960’s and 70’s under the guise of providing dental health benefits. While calcium fluoride is naturally occurring and can be beneficial for our teeth in small amounts, the EPA classifies the sodium fluoride byproduct of agriculture and industry as toxic waste and the silicofluoride used for water fluoridation has not been the subject of much long term research. Some studies suggest that dental cavities decrease in European countries where fluoridation is banned and a high fluoride intake contributes to cancer, down syndrome and osteoporosis.
Heavy Metals
Noticed a metallic tang to your tap water? Due to corroding pipes in our old metal plumbing systems there are traces of aluminium, lead and other heavy metals making their way into our tap water. These heavy metals can build up in the human body, disrupting hormones and other important biological functions.
Industrial Toxins
Thanks to industrial and agricultural waste seeping into the water table, you could well be drinking chemicals, nitrates and pesticides. Studies have found that it’s not uncommon to find traces of phthalate or styrene which are used in manufacturing plastics in your tap water.
Travel
A common complaint when travelling is gastrointestinal issues which can be caused by consuming foods that haven’t been cooked properly or prepared safely but more often than not stems from drinking contaminated water. Different countries have different water purification standards and it is important to know if it is safe to drink the tap water in your destination. To be safe, it is recommended to drink bottled water or, if you’re looking to reduce your environmental footprint, try an advanced travel safe water filter from Fill2Pure which removes 99.9999% of bacteria and viruses as well as radiological contaminants from tap water.
Parasites
Giardia and Cryptosporidium are waterborne protozoan cysts that may be present in some water supplies. They are resistant to traditional disinfection agents employed by municipal water treatment facilities such as chlorine and ultraviolet light. If ingested they may cause intestinal illness and disease characterised by diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, headaches, and fevers.
If you’re eyeballing your faucet with suspicion and distrust, it might be time to consider investing in water filtration technology. Although it might seem like an investment, a water filter will give you years of clean and safe drinking water without ending up as landfill or litter.