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.
If you have high cholesterol, the American Heart Association's low-cholesterol,... Read More
People are obsessed with dieting and weight loss! Don't believe... Read More
Most recipes end with instructions to "serve immediately." You could... Read More
You can eat whole flax seeds but you need to... Read More
Did you know that the food you eat could be... Read More
DeathDeath. Why it happens? Why do we die? Why do... Read More
Zingiber officinale has been held in the highest regard by... Read More
America's focus on nutritious eating began to receive national attention... Read More
Spring in New York City is a really magical time.... Read More
While oxygen is the key to human survival, it is... Read More
If you have a business trip tomorrow morning, you've probably... Read More
I would like to dispel some of the myths and... Read More
The natural antioxidants in Oat Bran can significantly reduce blood... Read More
Our bodies need cholesterol. We use cholesterol to produce vitamin... Read More
Every person on earth has experienced pain at one time... Read More
When you take your food next time, take care of... Read More
Are You Half The Man Your Father Was?It is a... Read More
Arthritis - if you suffer from this illness, I don't... Read More
Here's something you probably don't know. The fruit and vegetables... Read More
Because all of us have been brought up eating junk... Read More
Like the Sun, Moon, and Earth, there are three kinds... Read More
What I am also going to point out is the... Read More
THE RISKWhen you consume food that's high in acid or... Read More
Before the thirties, people knew the importance of mineral. Their... Read More
Approximately 30 years ago, food manufacturers were competing against the... Read More
cleaning help near Bannockburn ..You must add some fresh cherries, which are now in... Read More
You would probably think that I was writing a lot... Read More
Calcium helps reduce constipationUsing calcium and magnesium in the right... Read More
Hi Readers,My message today is simple short and perhaps blunt... Read More
I don't understand people sometimes. You know, there is a... Read More
Niacin, also called nicotinic acid, is a member of the... Read More
There seems to be fairly poor tracking by any formal... Read More
Images of "protein powder" containers with accomplished bodybuilders on their... Read More
Our bodies are truly incredible machines. What makes cells healthy?... Read More
Modern life can be stressful. There are so many concerns... Read More
Diet nutrition physiqueToday, learning about diet nutrition physique isn't all... Read More
Instead of Butter: Use top quality, cold pressed, extra virgin... Read More
Before we get to honey we have a question from... Read More
Dr. Arthur Agatston, the cardiologist who developed South Beach Diet... Read More
Essential Fatty Acids are oils, omega-3 and omega-6, that you... Read More
Numerous reports have recently appeared in both the lay and... Read More
THE RISKWhen you consume food that's high in acid or... Read More
When I hear the word fat I usually think of... Read More
The adrenal or "stress glands" are small, triangular shaped glands... Read More
People who consume too much alcohol have good chance of... Read More
(ARA) - By now you probably think you've heard all... Read More
Media coverage of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has incited... Read More
Because all of us have been brought up eating junk... Read More
Fire ElementAccording to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) there are five... Read More
The dangers of processed foods and diets Why is that... Read More
Nutrition |