By Addison Landry
-Our bodies are made up of 70% water and for good quality health good quality water is needed.
- A common misconception. Some people are under the impression that they can remove toxins from water by boiling it. Boiling water kills harmful organisms but does nothing to remove toxic chemicals, compounds, salts, and metals.
What toxins can be found in water and how they harm the body:
Unfortunately, water quality issues are not a recent development. Industrial dumping, pesticide runoff, leaky storage tanks, and government mandates have created big problems. Let’s take a look at some of the nastiest water contaminants that may be pouring out of your tap.
1. Fluoride
Adding fluoride to drinking water is a process that began back in the 1940’s to help reduce tooth decay. However fluoride is a neurotoxin and an endocrine disruptor. It can harm the thyroid gland and calcify the pineal gland. It’s so toxic that several countries have banned water fluoridation.
2. Chlorine
Chlorine has disinfectant properties that make it useful for cleaning products and swimming pools. It’s even used to sanitize sewage and industrial waste. Chlorine is added to drinking water as a purification technique, despite not being safe.
Chlorine is a reactive chemical that bonds with water, including the water in your gut, to produce poisonous hydrochloric acid in gas form. Chlorine exposure can cause respiratory problems and damage cells . Long term effects include memory loss and impaired balance.
3. Lead
Corroded pipes are releasing up to ten times the allowable amount of lead into the water. Lead is toxic to almost every organ and affects children the worst. Developmental issues, stunted growth, deafness, behavioral problems, learning disabilities, and brain damage can all result from exposure to lead. If ingested during pregnancy, lead can cause premature birth. Lead exposure has even been linked to autism, prostate cancer, and reproductive problems for both men and women. It’s damaging to the cardiovascular system and kidneys, too.
4. Mercury
Although mercury is a naturally occurring element, “natural” does not mean “safe. Mercury is extremely toxic and can cause brain damage, blindness, nerve damage, cognitive disability, impairment of motor functions, headaches, weakness, muscle atrophy, tremors, mood swings, memory loss, and skin rashes.
5. PCBs
PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are chemicals used for industrial purposes such as insulation, machinery, oil, paints, adhesives, electronics, and fluorescent lights.
Although PCBs were banned in 1979, they’re still present in landfills and pose a danger to the environment. PCBs break down slowly and infiltrate the environment. They have been found in snow and sea water thousands of miles from where they were produced.
6. Arsenic
Arsenic, despite being poisonous, is used in a multitude of industrial processes. Environmental contamination may result from improper waste disposal, or from poorly-planned wells that hit a natural source.
Arsenic poisoning can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea.
7. Dioxins
Dioxins are released during combustion, such as burning of hazardous waste, forest fires, cigarette smoke, and burning oil and coal. They settle in the environment and destroy water sources.
Short term exposure can cause lesions and respiratory problems. Long-term exposure can affect the immune, nervous, endocrine, and reproductive systems. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has declared dioxins are carcinogenic. In developing fetuses, dioxin poisoning can cause birth defects or stillbirth.
8. DDT
DDT was used as an insecticide in the 1940s to combat insect-borne diseases like malaria and typhus. It had widespread use as an agricultural insecticide until it was banned in the United States in 1972 due to environmental concerns.
It remains in use in other parts of the world and is still a major health concern for all of us. DDT molecules are persistent and can travel vast distances in the atmosphere.
Animal testing has found DDT causes reproductive problems and liver damage. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has declared DDT is a cancer risk.
9. Dactyl (Herbicide)
Dacthal (dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, or DCPA) is an herbicide that contaminates soil and water sources. Unlike HBA and DDT, Dacthal is still in use today. Animal tests have found dacthal damages the adrenal glands, kidneys, liver, thyroid, and spleen.
Why water filtration is important:
With all these toxins contaminating our water its extremely important to remove them for good quality health. When you drink these toxins it depletes the bodies minerals to help balance the body form the toxins. This depletion of minerals creates a nutritional deficiency as the body has lost the minerals needed to perform at a healthy functional level. With depleted minerals then follows organ dysfunction. Organ dysfunction can cause cause anything skin rashes, digestions issues, acne, lowered sex drive, changes in mood, auto immune challenges, joint pain to name a very small amount. The body is is an interconnected machine so one organ dysfunction can lead to many others. So you can see how important it is to remove toxins form you life style especially water.
Best Filtration systems:
Zero water filters - Are a great cost effective filter option that removes total dissolved solids most specifically lead. Total dissolved solids being any chemical, metal or toxin that will dissolve in water which includes fluoride, chlorine, lean, mercury, herbicides and pesticides to name a few. It comes with a TDS meter which allows you to test your water to see the level of total dissolved solids giving you level in which you should change the filter. They are sold on amazon, target, bed bath and beyond and come in different sizes.
Additional ways to improve water quality:
Ozone- In the office we recommend a machine that adds extra oxygen to your water called the Ozo-pod. The ozone process is adding a three extra oxygen molecules to the 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen molecule (2:1).Because ozone is unstable, the newly formed bond is only temporary and must be used or preserved no more than 20 minutes after creation to be most effective.
Ozonated water in a number of scientific studies has shown to remove bacteria, viruses and eliminate impurities. When you drink ozonated water it increase energy, and blood detoxification. Increased oxygen in the brain heightens its function. Single oxygen cells introduced into the immune system makes it stronger and better able to fight infections. Drinking cold ozone water on an empty stomach every day can detoxify your intestinal tract. For most people we suggest 16 ounces a day.
Water on the go:
The best options for water would be glass and stainless steal. Plastic is a toxin that we test for in the office any form of plastic even if BPA free actually acts as estrogen in the body playing off our hormones and causing imbalance. If this toxin shows up in patients we ask them to stay away form all plastic where possible and help them detox through diet changes and whole food supplements. To start improving your health I would give this recommendation to everyone. The less toxins the better.
It is hard to stay away from plastic when traveling, Voss water and Mountain Valley water have the option of water in glass bottles if it's available. If there is no glass options I would recommend Evian, Volvic or Mountain Valley water in the plastic bottles.
Water bottles to check out:
I personally use the Flaska bottle and love it!
glass:
Flaska water bottle with cover
Life Factory- silicon sleeve for grip and protection
Stainless steel:
Klean kanteen
S’well
