Do we really need a home water filter? Can't we just assume the water that flows from our kitchen and bathroom tap is sufficiently treated for contaminants by our municipal water facility? In order to answer these questions, we need to obtain a little more background information.
Next to air, water is the most important element for our survival.
Water is an integral part of our life and we use it for many household tasks throughout the day, such as: drinking and brushing our teeth, steaming fish and vegetables, washing salad greens, face and hand washing, showering and bathing, feeding the pets and watering our plants.
Most of us take it for granted that our tap water is safe to drink and use for common household tasks. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), however, estimates that 45,000,000 people drink tap water that is polluted with chemicals, lead, germs, parasites and other impurities.
A large majority of the major U.S. cities still employ the same basic water treatment technologies that have been used since before World War I. In cities such as Atlanta, Boston and Washington, D.C. consumers are relying on pipes that are, on average, over a century old. Many people don't realize that our municipal water treatment plants are not designed to remove synthetic chemicals and as a result we find traces of health threatening contaminants in most of our public water supplies.
Situations arise when our tap water is polluted with more than the usual amount of contaminants. Municipal treatment plants have breakdowns that take time to repair. Lead leaches into our drinking water from old pipes and private wells. Smaller water-supply sources can become contaminated from agricultural and other environmental pollutants.
It is difficult to be sure of the exact amount of toxins in our water supply. The EPA has estimated that, in our modern society, we use in excess of 75,000 toxic chemicals and more than 1000 new chemicals are developed each year. The Ralph Nader Research Group? after reviewing thousands of pages of EPA documents acquired through the Freedom of Information Act? concluded that to date more than 2100 toxic chemicals have already been detected in U.S. water supplies.
Our planet earth reuses the same water over and over again, which means there is no "new water". Every single chemical used in our society, eventually winds up in our water supplies. As the use of synthetic organic chemicals increases, so does the toxicity of our water. The earth's natural filtration process is not effective at removing these toxic synthetic organic chemicals.
The human body is made up of over 70% water. The proper function of each organ system, as well as every healing process that happens inside our body, takes place with water. Optimal functioning is only possible when water, our body's transport medium is clean. Wastes form during the body's metabolism and if these wastes are allowed to accumulate through insufficient water intake, fatigue and even illness results.
If we drink water that contains chlorine or other organic and inorganic chemicals, we force our liver and kidneys to act as a filter for these contaminants. The liver purifies and detoxifies the blood of waste products and toxins. In addition to regulating the body's water balance and maintaining optimal pH, the kidney also removes metabolic waste products from the bloodstream.
By providing the liver and kidneys with water, a universal solvent and transport medium, they are assisted in their role as a natural body filter. Bombarding these organs with water that contains traces of additional toxins only hinders the body detoxification process and delays waste removal.
Water may not cure every ailment, but it is a primary ingredient that allows our body to dilute and eliminate toxins that have accumulated over time.
What Can We Do To Provide Healthy Water For Our Family?
The simplest, most effective and also the most economical way to treat municipal tap water is a home water filter. Multi-media water filters that combine activated carbon with iron exchange media such as KDF are an excellent choice.
Carbon and KDF work together to remove or reduce traces of contaminants such as chlorine, lead, Cryptosporidium and Giardia cysts, synthetic chemicals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), MTBE, pesticides (lindane, atrazine), chemicals linked to cancer (benzene, TTHMs, toxaphene) and hundreds of other chemical contaminants that may be present causing bad taste and odors in your drinking water.
The result is healthy, great-tasting water that still contains natural trace minerals that are beneficial to optimal wellbeing and health.
? Copyright 2005 Andie Klein
Article courtesy of home-water-filter-guide.com, where you can get the answers you need about comparing home water filter systems and filtration methods, drinking water contamination, the health benefits of drinking water and more.
Related articles from Home-Water-Filter-Guide:
home-water-filter
-guide.com
Understanding how traces of contaminants in your drinking water can affect your health.
home-water-filter-guide.com
Compare the pros and cons of home water filtration systems.
Eating orange mean absorbing vitamin C to our body, is... Read More
Every day we are bombarded with information about food products... Read More
How many times have you tried to diet/lose weight in... Read More
My name is Mildred Shears. I'm retired and I live... Read More
In the brain, a typical protein can live for approximately... Read More
Media coverage of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has incited... Read More
One must always keep in mind that copper is not... Read More
One way to combat the boredom many people complain accompanies... Read More
Organic farming is the production of food using all natural... Read More
Hormonal changes during pregnancy, and quite normal fat gain often... Read More
Whenever possible, we should try to get our antioxidants and... Read More
Manganese is a metallic mineral that was discovered by a... Read More
Monosodium glutamate, commonly known as MSG, was thought of as... Read More
You are a mineral bodyEvery part of you is made... Read More
Constipation is the passing of dry, hard faeces fewer than... Read More
You may have heard that essential fats are an important... Read More
Your healthOrganically grown fruit and vegetables are not covered in... Read More
Many of us sprinkle oregano on our pizza and stews... Read More
While oxygen is the key to human survival, it is... Read More
So, what is new about this that you already don't... Read More
How well do you know about vitamin K? This vitamin... Read More
Soy, and most soy-based products, are nutritional powerhouses. Soybeans are... Read More
Water is a vitally important component of any valuable and... Read More
After WLS we must concentrate on eating nutrient rich food.... Read More
Do you notice your child putting off going to the... Read More
after renovation cleaning Highland Park ..Looking into statistics, we can see the average American consumes... Read More
Sugar intake is a real concern for people who've had... Read More
Diets concern especially Americans as they do have a "national... Read More
Vitamins & Minerals are essential to sustain life. Its what... Read More
Fats (triacylglycerols) ...Some basic terminology ...fat or fatty acid ...In... Read More
Your healthOrganically grown fruit and vegetables are not covered in... Read More
A hundred years ago, life was very different here on... Read More
Carbohydrates have gotten a lot of bad press in the... Read More
All carbohydrates are not the same. Generally it is assumed... Read More
Although you may have heard about soy and all of... Read More
When was the last time you consumed soda? Most likely,... Read More
Great news on the chocolate front! Chocolate is good for... Read More
Fire ElementAccording to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) there are five... Read More
Finally, a positive solution regarding America's difficult and costly campaign... Read More
Acid Reflux Disease, or GERD, is a common disease which... Read More
The best weight training and cardio workouts will do very... Read More
A flood of scientific evidence about fish oil points to... Read More
I would like to dispel some of the myths and... Read More
The research in support of dietary omega-3 fatty acids (such... Read More
Heart disease results when plaque builds up inside the arterial... Read More
Many people use sugar as medicine. Sugar tends to change... Read More
Cholesterol is an essential building block of every cell in... Read More
Essential Fatty Acids are oils, omega-3 and omega-6, that you... Read More
In a new study published by the American Heart Association,... Read More
The acai (ah-sigh-ee) berry has been around for thousands of... Read More
Nutrition |