Purified Water and Foot Health
Your overall health starts with the body’s most abundant molecule, water. Certain conditions such as osteoporosis, arthritis, obesity from hypothyroidism, and diabetes affect your foot health directly or as a secondary condition. This article proposes that in order to improve your overall health, you need to start drinking purified water and that water found in many municipal water systems still leave harmful substances that affect your overall health. This article provides an introduction to some of the harmful substances left in your tap water and describes how they affect your health. Also presented are the various filter options that help to eliminate these substances and finally, resources where you can learn more about household products that will make your water safe.
The main substances found in Tap Water that affect overall health include:
- Fluoride
- Chlorine
- Other contaminants (PCBs, THMs, heavy metals)
The Fluoride Problem
In 1973, British Columbia was considering mandatory fluoridation. They gave the job of researching and reporting the topic to Richard Foulkes, MD. Foulkes then wrote a 1900 page report and he recommended that legislation be passed to make fluoride mandatory in Canada. Based on that work, Canada began to fluoridate.
Then something happened. Little by little, Foulkes found out that the statistics that his researchers had based their findings on were largely falsified. It took Foulkes several years to uncover the truth, but by 1992, he shocked the country by backing down from his original recommendation:
“I now hold a different view. …the fluoridation of community water supplies can no longer be held to be either safe or effective in the reduction of dental caries….Therefore, the practice should be abandoned.”- Foulkes, 1992
Foulkes is not some tree-hugger from Santa Cruz. He is one of Canada’s top scientific researchers. Many cities in Canada listened and stopped fluoridating.
Another pro-fluoride Canadian scientist, Dr. Hardy Limeback, changed his tune when he learned that 30-60% of Canadian children now have visible signs of overexposure to fluoride, something called “dental fluorosis”. In a Toronto Star interview with Michael Downey, Limeback said:
“Children under three should never use fluoridated toothpaste. Or drink fluoridated water.”
Such research also prompted the Canadian Dental Association in 1992 to keep fluoride supplements from children of three and under. But attacking fluoride supplement pills is just a smokescreen to protect fluoridation of drinking water.
Most research has found all the above ill effects at concentrations even less than the standard 1 PPM which exists in most city water. It’s not the supplements that are killing us; it’s the fluoridated water.
Fluoridation In Other Countries
If fluoridation is as safe and effective as the American Dental Association says it is, why don’t other countries do it?
The U.S. is nowhere near the top of any health list which compares other countries of the world. So what are the healthy countries doing?
If fluoride is so great, why have the following countries either never fluoridated or else stopped when they found out how bad it was?:
- West Germany
- The Netherlands
- France
- Belgium
- Finland
- Sweden
- Norway
- Denmark
- Japan
- Italy
- Scotland
Only about 2% of the population of Europe is subjected to fluoridated water.
Problems Caused by Fluoride in the Water
Osteoporosis and Arthritis: Scientists at EPA in Washington have declared that there is every reason to believe that the increasing numbers of people with carpal-tunnel syndrome and arthritis-like pains are due to the mass fluoridation of drinking water. On July 9, 1998 the Manchester Guardian reported news of fluoride poisoned water in Central India, from untested wells drilled in the 1980s, causing severe arthritic damage to tens of millions of people — a national disaster. Fluoride is the most bone seeking element known to mankind. The US Public Health Service has stated that fluoride makes the bones more brittle and dental enamel more porous.
Hip fractures: Drinking fluoridated water will double the number of hip fractures for both older men and women. Extremely low levels of water fluoridation 0.1 ppm still produced statistically significant increased hip fractures. (Bordeaux Study JAMA 1994). According to Dr. J. William Hirzy (vice-president of the NFFE LOCAL 2050, the union representing all scientists at the EPA, Washington, D.C.) there have been 5 epidemiological studies done since 1990, in three different countries, all showing a higher increase in hip fractures in fluoridated communities. Some studies have indicated a 87% higher risk of hip fractures to the elderly in areas where water fluoridation was even below 1.5 ppm.
Cancer: Fluoride was found to be an equivocal carcinogen by the National Cancer Institute Toxicological Program. Further studies by the New Jersey Department of Health have now confirmed a 6.9 fold increase in bone cancer in young males. Earlier studies had found a 5% increase in all types of cancers in fluoridated communities. In 1981, Dean Burk, for many decades Chief Chemist at the US National Cancer Institute, testified at congressional hearings, reporting that at least 40,000 cancer deaths in 1981 were attributable to fluoride. 40,000 cases that could have been prevented simply by NOT putting industry waste into the public water supply. Burk stated that fluoride causes more cancer, and causes it faster, than any other chemical.
Infertility: Infertilityin women was found to increase with water fluoridation. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientists reported a close correlation between decreasing total fertility rates in women between ages of 10 and 49, and increasing fluoride levels. They also reported that a review of all of the animal studies done to date shows that fluoride adversely affects fertility in most animal species.
Brain damage: Fluorides lower the intelligence capacity of humans, with children, again, especially susceptible to early fluoride toxicity. IQ levels were significantly lower than children not exposed to fluorides in all age groups listed. (Li,X.S.,Zhi,J.L.,Gao,R.O.,”Effects of Fluoride Exposure on the Intelligence of Children”, Fluoride;28:182-189, 1995) Further studies proving the neurotoxicity of fluoride in rats have also been conducted by Dr. Phyllis Mullinex. In 1995 Mullenix and co-workers showed that rats given fluoride in drinking water at levels that give rise to plasma levels fluoride concentrations in humans, suffer neurotoxic effects that vary according to when the rats were given the fluoiride - as adult animals, as young animals, or thorugh the placenta before birth. Those exposed before birth were born hyperactive and remained so throughout their lives. Thoses exposed as young animals displayed depressed activity. In 1998 Guan et al. gave similar doses as used by the Mullenix group and found that several key chemicals in the brain - those that form the membrane of brain cells, were substantially depleted in rats given fluoride, as compared to those who did not receive fluoride. Partly based on these findings, the union representing all EPA scientists in Washington have now filed a grievance demanding fluoride-free bottled water for their offices. (Note: this also explains a recent University of South Florida study relating fluoride intake during pregnancy to the yearly 1% increase in learning disabilities found in children…) Studies proving that fluorides transfer through the placenta are well known. (Meanwhile, Dr.Weil, Internet’s Health Guru, advocates fluoride supplements for pregnant woman in his book “8 Weeks To Optimum Health”…)
Alzheimer Disease: There are also several studies linking aluminum with fluoride, showing that the bioavailability of aluminum is increased in the presence of fluorides, causing aluminum in the brain to double in treated animals. According to an October 28, 1992 Wall Street Journal Article about a study conducted by Varnier JA, et al.: “Rats fed the highest doses developed irregular mincing steps characteristic of senile animals…. Post mortem examination of the rat brains disclosed ’substantial cell loss in structures associated with dementia — the neo-cortex and hippocampus’.” (Note: Alzheimer’s Disease, first diagnosed by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1907, is now the #4 killer for every person over 60 in the US. Every 2nd person over 70 will develop Alzheimer’s.) Environmental fluoride is implicated in this.
Thyroid disorder: It is only in the last two decades during which endocrinology has progressed so rapidly, that now over 150 symptoms and associations can be identified in hypothyroidism. Almost all correlate with known symptoms of fluoride poisoning. Most of the double-blind test results of fluoride poisoning found in Moolenburgh’s study on water containing 1ppm of fluoride - which led to the ban of fluoridation in Holland - are now recognized symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Other Contaminants in Tap Water
Chlorine
The experimental use of chlorine began in the 1890’s to combat water-borne diseases such as cholera and typhoid. It quickly gained wide acceptance because of low cost and high efficiency in killing just about everything hazardous in the water. Chlorine allowed population centers to spring up and thrive without any epidemic outbreaks.
The problem with chlorine is that it is a known poison and the safety of drinking this poison over the long-term (i.e. your lifetime) is highly uncertain. Also, chlorine reacts with water-borne decaying organic matter like leaves, bark, sediment, etc. to create a family of chemicals called trihalomethanes and other highly toxic substances. Trihalomethanes, or THM’s, include chemicals such as chloroform, bromoform and dichlorobromethane, all of which are extremely carcinogenic even in minute amounts.
Chloramine
Chloramine is another substance used now in many larger municipalities (e.g. Los Angeles). In systems where the level of chlorine is at the highest acceptable level but need still more disinfection, the utility company will then add a chlorine/ammonia compound. Chloramine is represented as totally safe but with the disclaimer to not give chloramine-treated water to your animals or use it in your fish tanks (it kills fish)!
Bacteria
If you are on a municipal system with chlorination or chloramine, theoretically you are protected against bacteria. However, if the level of chlorination isn’t high enough from the municipal source to your tap, bacteria can re-infect the water anywhere along the distribution system. The piping system — whether it’s the mains or your house plumbing — has bacterial growth in it happening all the time.
Lead
Lead is a cumulative toxin that stays in the tissue permanently, especially in brain tissue. It also affects a person in relation to their body weight. Therefore, an exposed adult can fend off the toxic effects for some time but in children, brain and developmental damage occur quickly and permanently.
Asbestos
Asbestos is another potential carcinogen that can come either from water with naturally occurring asbestos (such as in areas that have a lot of serpentine rock) or from asbestos-lined water pipes. Thousands of miles of these pipes were laid throughout the U.S. in the 1950’s and have yet to be replaced. Asbestos is so small that it is unfeasible to remove it at the water treatment plant. To build such a removal facility is prohibitively expensive and would clog up the plant within five years of being in operation.
Chemical Pollution
Chemicals are, for the most part, odorless, colorless and tasteless, therefore undetectable. Chlorine is the most predominant chemical in our water. Some of the most dangerous chemicals are present only in trace amounts (parts per billion) but highly toxic even at these minute levels. Sources are usually industrial or commercial, like leaking underground storage tanks for gasoline or industrial solvents such as TCE (trichloroethane). These leaking toxins end up in the groundwater or in the municipal supply through breaks or cracks in the main water pipes. The biggest family of these toxics are VOC’s or volatile organic contaminants, including various plastics, gasolines and petroleum products.
Next is the herbicidal group such as dioxin (2-4D) and lindane, used as a defoliant in modern logging operation and found in many wild and rural areas.
Cysts
This last group includes microscopic worms, parasites and protozoa. The biggest offenders are giardia and cryptosporidia which cause major diarrhea, dehydration, intestinal disorders and even death in people with compromised immune systems. Water experts estimate that over 63% of water problems in the Unites States today are directly caused by giardia and cryptosporidia.
Bottled Water / Filtration Systems
Bottled water in some cases can be of high quality, but its cost makes it a less-than-ideal solution. There is also a potential problem with the cloudy plastic (PVC) containers from your grocery store as they transfer far too many chemicals into the water. Therefore let’s look at filters for a better solution.
“Buy a filter or be a filter.” That’s one company’s slogan.
Today there is enough grassroots consciousness about the dangers of tap water that cheap carbon filters are now available in any hardware store which attach easily to the kitchen faucet. It is likely that such filters get rid of most of the chlorine - for a while.
But to really get the resistant biologicals, the fluoride, heavy metals, and other contaminants, the customer may consider one of the high-end drinking water filters. These cost between $200 and $400 and come in models for both over and under the sink.
Names like Alpine, MultiPure, and Spectrapure are among the dozens of brand names that have come along during the past 20 years. Multipure seems to be out front at this time. Everyone claims to be the best, of course, but we can find some important similarities in their advertising. When you begin to compare the better water filters, you notice common concerns:
Chlorine, THMs, chloriform, chloramines, cryptosporidium and giardia lamblia, cysts, fluoride, minerals, pesticides and toxic chemicals, heavy metals, MTBEs, nitrates.
Killing microbials is not a big deal since most of that’s been done by chlorine. Most contaminants are removed by the better filters. The problem when choosing a filter seems to come down to four main concerns: fluoride, minerals, THMs, and nitrates.
It is difficult to find one filter that does everything: many reverse osmosis filters take out fluoride, but also the healthy minerals. Many of the high-end carbon filters will not remove fluoride or nitrates, but leave the healthy minerals.
Fluoride is obviously an important one. Find out if the filter you are about to buy removes fluoride, and what percentage. After what we’ve learned about fluoride, we should expect a filter to remove it, wouldn’t you say? Problem is: the demand.
Due to fluoride advocate propaganda, most Americans don’t even realize fluoride is bad for them, and therefore don’t think about it when considering a water filter.
NSF is a third-party non-profit testing agency that has been rating water filters for the past 50 years. Always ask - is it NSF-certified? For what? Don’t be fooled if they say ‘NSF-tested.’ There’s a big difference between “tested” and “certified”.
Minerals in water pose an area of some controversy. You’ve got the hard water/soft water debate. Hard water has more minerals in it, which obviously is better for the bones and teeth, and probably for the heart as well.
Most naturopaths and holistic nutritionists don’t like distilled water because they say it leaches minerals from the bones and teeth. In general, that seems logical, although some expert say it doesn’t make any difference unless the person is extremely malnourished.
The truth is, no formal studies comparing distilled with mineral water have been done, so it’s all pretty theoretical. But thinking about the Hunzas and their 120-year lifespan that was attributed to the glacial mineral waters they drank, one can see the value of minerals in drinking water.
A high-end water filter should take this discussion into consideration and give reasons about the importance or unimportance of filtering out certain minerals.
The Filter Choice
It comes down to this choice: reverse osmosis or carbon block. With reverse osmosis you can remove fluoride but you also remove many minerals, and wasting about 4-9 gallons to get one gallon of pure water. With high-end carbon filters, you can get rid of most of the harmful substances and still retain important minerals.
You will find the best price on the internet for high quality REVERSE OSMOSIS filtration systems at this site Here.
If, on the other hand, you wish to go for a more affordable carbon block type filter, you can find the best price on the internet on the high quality Aquasana filters below, both the AQ-4000 and the EQ-300 will reduce fluoride by 40-60%:
Conclusion
The human body is over 70% water. To think that contaminants in our drinking water have little or no bearing on our short term and long term health picture is to ignore reality. Federal, state and local authorities will strive to do their best to insure that we get the best water possible but they can’t undo all of the damage to our water sources over decades of ignorance and abuse.
It’s up to us to take personal responsibility to safeguard the water we use to drink and prepare our food. That responsibility starts at each household’s kitchen tap. Removing all contaminants at the kitchen or bathroom taps just before consuming the water is the most logical, efficient and economical solution to drinking water purification. In this manner, only the drinking water is filtered (rather than all the household water). Also, there is no possibility for re-contamination (i.e. in a holding tank) after purifying the water.
Many of the less expensive purifiers that are sold on the market still leave harmful chemicals, such as fluoride in the water. The links above contain products that will remove most or all unwanted chemicals in your water. Remember, good foot health starts with a healthy body!
Update: 3/10/2008
After reading the news article at Yahoo news: AP probe finds drugs in drinking water, another reason to get a reverse osmosis system comes to light.
The article points out, “One technology, reverse osmosis, removes virtually all pharmaceutical contaminants but is very expensive for large-scale use and leaves several gallons of polluted water for every one that is made drinkable. “
Other information found in the long, informative article talks about the potential effects of long-term exposure to small doses of antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers, sex hormones, testosterone, estrogen, etc.
Again, you will find the best price on the internet for high quality REVERSE OSMOSIS filtration systems at this site Here.
