Considering that over 70% of the human body is made up of water, it should come as no surprise that drinking enough filtered tap water is incredibly important to our health. Unfortunately, there are many chemicals found in tap water, and many of them are harmful. For most of us, the days of drinking healthy mineral water from a well or running stream are long past. Today, most of us rely on tap water filtered by local water plants.
Among the many chemicals found in tap water, some that are intentionally added, such as fluoride, which prevents tooth decay, or chlorine, which kills bacteria and prevents the spread of water-borne diseases such as typhoid and cholera. Most chemicals found in tap water, however, end up there accidentally, and are not filtered out by water treatment plants.
There are currently over 2,100 toxic, cancer-causing chemicals found in tap water, including lead, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and household cleaning chemicals. Although there many only be trace elements of these chemicals, they build up in the body over time, especially when one considers most of us drink tap water every day from birth to old age.
Mineral water also contains immune-enhancing minerals and nutrients that the body needs. Drinking a large amount of purified mineral water helps keep you healthier longer. This is not to say drinking enough water will cure cancer or AIDS or regrow a finger.
Rather, the health benefits of drinking filtered tap water are much more subtle, preventing and healing the chronic, everyday illnesses such as back pain, muscle pain, and morning sickness that don't kill us, but rather slow us down and sap our enjoyment of life.
The ways in which drinking enough filtered tap water can help maintain a healthy body are too numerous to mention in this brief article, so we'll just focus on two of the most common ailments that affect people: back pain and arthritis.
Did you know that back pain is often intensified or even caused by dehydration. The spine consists of alternating blocks of bone and cartilage discs. The discs essentially act as a combination of cushion and shock absorber, and are comprised of flexible tissue filled with pockets of fluid (mostly water).
When the body isn't getting enough water, these discs "deflate", allowing the bones to press against each other, causing back pain and stiffness. Drinking enough filtered tap water will keep these discs hydrated and cushioning your spine as best they can.
Arthritis pain and stiffness is caused by bones in the joints rubbing against each other, which in turn causes swelling in the surrounding tissue. Much like the spine, your body uses flexible joint cartilage between the bones as a cushion, and that cushion is lubricated with water.
When your body is not getting enough water, the cushion is less lubricated, which causes more friction between the bones and leads to pain, stiffness, and swelling. Drinking enough filtered tap water regularly can reduce, and in some cases even end, arthritic pain.
One should drink at least 64 ounces of water a day (next time you go to a convenience store, look a the size of the 64-oz soft drink cup to get an idea of how much water that is), but the more, the better. Some doctors are even suggesting twice that amount. Finally, it's not enough just to drink water. You also need to drink the right kind of water. Filtered tap water is the best, as it removes 99% of the harmful chemicals found in tap water. These chemicals are even found in bottled drinking water.
So know you know. All the chemicals found in tap water should be filtered out. Even those put in by the public water systems such as chlorine and floride can create health problems. Filters designed to provide filtered tap water are easy to install and are very economical. Don't even think of using bottled water when you can have filtered water from your own tap at a fraction of the price.
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