The average human body is approximately 60 percent water, and the brain itself is closer to 70 percent. Therefore, drinking enough clean, healthy water is essential. You should be drinking half your body weight in water. So, if you weigh 200lbs, you should consume 100 ounces of clean water per day.
Don’t believe that tap water is good for you as some may want you to think. Yes, the water is free from disease-causing microorganisms such as cholera and fecal bacteria, but instead is full of toxins and carcinogens (cancer-causing substances).
Let’s first discuss fluoride. The U.S. government has required for more than 50 years that water treatment facilities add fluoride to our water to prevent tooth decay. However, research has shown that the type of fluoride added to our water actually causes damage to the tooth enamel, which is the hard outer layer.
Fluoride has also been found to increase the risk of bone fractures, disrupt the function of the pineal and thyroid glands, suppress the immune system and increase your cancer risks. Shockingly, it is also the prime ingredient used in rat poison.
Next time you go to the grocery store, take a look! You will find two types of rat poisons: one is fluoride based, and the other type is warfarin, which is similar to what is used in the drug Coumadin.
Some countries have even banned the use of fluoride in all applications, even in dentistry. Fortunately, there are a group of activists attempting to get it removed from use here in the U.S. as well.
The second toxin found in water is chlorine, which is used by water treatment facilities as a disinfectant despite not being completely safe. It reacts chemically with water including the water in your gastrointestinal tract, which causes the production of a poisonous type of hydrochloric acid. Chlorine exposure can damage cells in your body, cause respiratory problems, has been known to cause memory loss, impaired balance and bladder cancer.
The next culprit found in water is lead. Almost everyone has heard of Flint, Michigan’s, lead problem. If your water comes through corroded pipes, you will receive 10 times the allowable amount of lead in your water, which affects children the most.
Lead has been linked to severe developmental delays and behavioral disorders. Is your child on ADHD medication when he or she really has lead poisoning?
Lead is toxic to almost every organ in the body and causes premature birth if ingested during pregnancy. It can cause reproductive problems and kidney damage.
Aluminum is another heavy metal that can be found in tap water that causes nerve, brain and kidney damage.
Mercury is the next dangerous toxin that can be found in water and can cause brain damage, blindness, impaired motor functions, muscular weakness, headaches, skin rashes and memory loss.
PCBs or polychlorinated biphenyls, are also found in tap water. They are chemicals used in insulation, paints, adhesives, electronics, machinery and fluorescent lights. Animal testing proved that PCBs could cause cancer and damage to the immune system, nervous system, reproductive and immune system.
Arsenic has also wound up in our water supply, which causes numerous problems including abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, skin cancer bladder and lung cancer. It can also cause a form of gangrene that causes blood vessels to die and rot.
Perchlorate used in rocket fuel and explosives seeps into the ground water, making its way to our tap water and can cause thyroid problems.
Dioxins, which are released with smoke and the burning of oil and coal, settle onto the ground and fresh water sources, making its way to groundwater and into our public water systems. It can cause sores on the skin, respiratory, immune, endocrine and reproductive disorders as well as cancer and birth defects.
Pesticides and herbicides also wind up in tap water through the same route as Dioxins. DDT, HCB and Dacthal, although some were banned years ago, so much was used previously that it is still showing up in our water. They are linked to liver, kidney, adrenal and spleen disorders and cancer.
Radioactive contaminants from Japan have been detected in drinking water here in America in samples taken from 13 U.S. cities. The EPA has yet to determine the health implications from this radioactive fallout.
Recently, we have seen increasing amounts of pharmaceutical drugs in tap water. Drugs ranging from antibiotics to painkillers are showing up.
I am sure after knowing this you would want to switch to spring water, purified water or some other source such as ZERO water, which is what I consume. If you do go to bottled water, just make sure you go to BPA free bottles. BPA is a cancer-causing plastic that some industries still use.
Just a word about weight loss and drinking toxic tap water, it can dirty the liver which, will slow down weight loss.
Dr. Ramona Valentine
