When you feel thirsty, you may not think twice about reaching for a glass or a bottle of water. But you might want to think about it, because the water you’re drinking may be robbing you of your health. Bottled water, often promoted with claims of purity and healthfulness, can contain harmful BPA, and is often little more than filtered tap water anyways. In fact, for health purposes, you are better off filtering your tap water yourself. Healthy drinking water doesn’t necessarily come in plastic bottles, it can be had at the tap if you use common sense.
Bottled Water – Bisphenol A and other toxins
Research has shown that plastic bottles can leach Bisphenol-A, (BPA) a potent hormone disrupter. BPA has been banned in some countries due to health concerns, but bottled water industry lobbying has kept it legal in the US. The amount of BPA that leaches into water depends on two factors: Heat and time. The longer the water sits in the bottle, and the hotter the bottle gets, the more likely BPA contamination becomes.
Tip: Never leave a plastic water bottle in a car because it can get very hot. Women who are pregnant should consider avoiding bottled water entirely.
Dirty water bottles
Got a reusable water bottle? Good for you, it’s better for the environment and cheaper to boot! Just be sure to wash it thoroughly every evening when you are done drinking from it. Bacteria like to grow in warm, wet places – like under the lid of your water bottle. Then leave it to dry out.
Tip: Washing your bottle at night gives it time to dry out
Unfiltered tap water
Chlorine is used in virtually 100% of US water supplies to disinfect the water, but chlorine is not good for you. Research has shown that a byproduct of chlorine that is found in drinking water, dichlorophenol is associated with a much higher risk of developing food allergies.
Thankfully, you can effectively filter chlorine, chloramines, and other toxins from your drinking water. The best way to ensure your water is safe to drink is to find out which toxins are in it by evaluating your local water quality report. You can then select a filtration system that is set up to filter the toxins found in your water.
Yes! We can evaluate your water quality. Click here for a free water quality report
Drinking water from the hose or shower
Drinking water from a hose or shower head is a definite no-no. Both of these water sources are places where bacteria like to gather, and neither source is filtered for your safety. Cleaning your shower head from time to time is a good idea, but it is never safe to drink from it! A garden hose is made of plastic and can leach chemicals into the water you drink.
Tip: Avoid unfiltered water sources.
Artificial flavors and sweeteners
Choosing to drink water over soda or other harmful beverages is a healthy choice – unless you add harmful additives to it! Read the label on any flavorings you are thinking of adding to your water. Keep in mind that “natural” can mean anything! Arsenic, for example, is found in nature. So anything that contains arsenic could technically be considered natural!
You are much better off flavoring your water with a slice of fruit, and perhaps a bit of stevia or organic unbleached sugar. If you are fortunate enough to have alkaline water, a slice of lemon or orange unlocks the antioxidant potential of alkaline water.
Tip: Read the ingredients of that flavor packet out loud. If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, don’t put it in your water!
Drinking too much water
Most people don’t need to worry about this, water is pretty hard to overdo. Drinking too much water can cause hyponatremia, a condition where sodium levels in the body drop to dangerously low levels. This is hard to do, because most people have too much sodium in their diets, and are actually dehydrated as a result. Marathon runners and other endurance athletes are most at risk for hyponatremia.
Tip: If you are working out for more than an hour, be sure to replace the electrolytes that you lose to sweat.
Alkaline water best for health
Avoiding the problems cited in this article will help ensure the water you drink isn’t harming you. But chances are, the water you’re drinking isn’t doing you much good either. Alkaline water is considered to be functional water, because of what it does for you. Alkaline water has the ability to neutralize acid, and it hydrates better than plain water. Another benefit of alkaline water is nutrition, alkaline water gets its alkalinity from the minerals in it, which are easier for your body to absorb than they are from supplements or food. In fact, the World Health Organization reports that your body absorbs minerals from water 30% faster and easier than it does from food!
Yes! We can make sure your water is safe to drink! Call our healthy water experts today at 877-959-7977 for a free water quality consultation
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