Bottled Water Dangers And How To Go About It

An increasing number of studies report the presence of EDCs (endocrine disrupting chemicals) in bottled water. A recent research Identification of Putative Steroid Receptor Antagonists in Bottled Water indicates there are more than 24000 of such chemicals in any given bottle of water – some of them causing serious hormone-disrupting effects.

The German researchers tested 18 different bottled water products out of which 13 had “significant” anti-estrogenic activity, and 16 out of 18 inhibited the body’s androgen receptors by 90%.

Bottled water has been found to contain estrogenic, antiestrogenic, as well as androgenic, progestagenic, and glucocorticoid-like chemicals.

Hormone disruption has the potential to cause serious effects on human life, from early maturation in children, to increased risk of cancer.

Bottled water that has been left in a car is especially dangerous. The heated chemicals in the plastic release dioxin into the water. Dioxin is a toxin increasingly found in breast cancer tissue.

Another consideration to have in mind is that just because a plastic container says it is “BPA Free” doesn’t mean it is free of harmful chemicals!

Fluoride IS Poison

More and more people are waking up to the health risks of fluoride in their water. Fluoride, added sometimes in water supplies, is a neurotoxin that has been linked to cancer and many other health issues.

The Lancet, one of the oldest and most prestigious medical journals, published a report that has officially classified fluoride as a neurotoxin, in the same category as arsenic, lead and mercury.

Many European countries have rejected water fluoridation in general, however a number of countries are still using this practice – check here the flouridation by country report.

If you live in one of these countries where fluoride is not added to the water supplies, instead of buying the bottled water, it may be a good start to have a water filter like Brita Maxtra that reduces chlorine, lead and other heavy metals.

This by itself is a huge saving comparing to bottled water as Britta Maxtra Water Filter Jug Annual Pack will cost you only about £35.

According to the newest research (August 2014) done by NaturalNews, Britta in fact did not perform well when it comes to heavy metals removal (Aluminum, Copper, Arsenic, Strontium, Cadmium, Cesium, Mercury, Lead and Uranium). Please note that the research did NOT measure fluoride, pesticides and chlorine removal.

Based on this research only two water filters performed well enough: ZeroWater and Waterman.

Water/Fluids Intake – How Much Do We Really Need?

How much do we need stays a highly controversial topic, as hydration needs are individual and vary. “8 glasses rule” that you no doubt have heard of is more and more questioned these days.

Using your thirst and the color of your urine (it should be light yellow) to understand your needs is one way to go about it. This doesn’t work for me as I constantly need to remind myself to drink water. My 5 year old as well rarely is asking for water. So I take a big, half/liter mug and prepare my morning and evening tea. Along with the rest of the fluids that I normally drink during the day, this way I know I have likely taken enough.

Quick Checklist

Avoid bottled water. 24 000 chemicals seem like a pretty good reason to do so, plus it will save you money.
Glass bottled water is normally safe but pricey. Other alternatives include water filter systems like ZeroWater Waterman or Brita Maxtra. Otherwise, a little pricier alternative could be a reverse osmosis system.
Your complete fluids intake needs to be limited to
- Filtered, pure water
- Tea (no caffeine, green tea is the only exception)
- Freshly pressed juices from vegetables and fruits
Use your thirst and the color of your urine (it should be light yellow) to judge your personal needs.