Bottled Water- Is It Really Healthy?

Water is the best thing you can drink, so many of us are drinking lots more of it. This is the good news. The bad news? The water we are drinking might not be so good for us.

These days, tap water is questionable. Not only is water not filtered to the same standards everywhere, but even filtered water often is not free of chemicals and pollutants entering our water supplies from different sources. Whether people are flushing away their unused prescription meds or industrial companies are dumping their waste materials into streams and large bodies of water, this stuff eventually finds its way into our drinking water. It's a good idea to have your tap water tested to see if there are dangerous levels of lead, benzopyrenes, chlorine, or other hazardous chemicals that could be affecting and even harming your family's health.

Once you figure out how healthy your tap water is, the next step is to try to improve it. Maybe all you need is a filtration system, or it's possible you could need much more help to fix a problem (old lead pipes that are affecting your water supply may need to be replaced). Your family bathes in, cooks with, and drinks what is coming out of your faucet...it should be as healthy as you can afford to make it. 

Another serious problem that is making news now is the safety of water bottles. We are learning that plastic shouldn't come into contact with out foods and beverages. Chemicals in plastic leach into the foods and drink and affect our body- plastic changes the hormones in our body so that cells can not communicate and function properly. This can lead to serious side effects. Sheryl Crow attributes her breast cancer to leaving water bottles out in the sun, so that the plastic's chemicals would find their way into the water and into her body. Bottled water often has a horrible, plasticky taste when warm, indicating that indeed the water was affected by the plastic it's contained in. 

Products for babies are now being made BPA-free, which is all fine and good, but what other chemicals are there that are in plastic and still finding their way into our bodies? Phthalates are another toxin we don't want inside us, but apparently reusing water bottles to save the environment causes phthalates to seep into the water.

Are there alternatives or solutions? In addition to making sure your tap water is as healthy as can be, it may be a good idea to buy a water bottle that is either stainless steel, glass, or of a plastic that is less likely to affect the beverages inside it. Have you ever noticed that plastic bottles have a recycle triangle underneath, with a number inside? That number is called the resin number, and it indicates the quality of the plastic. There is usually a word (such as "PET") printed also, but for easy memorization, try to remember that if the number is a 3, 6, or 7, you should avoid it. These bottles or containers not only tend to leach into water, but have been identified as being possibly carcinogenic. Unfortunately, many baby bottles and sports bottles have been known to use "7" plastic (shame on those companies!)

What numbers are attributed with the safest plastic? 1,  2 and 5 are made with fewer chemicals and are not identified as likely to leach into what is contained inside, so if you are going to use plastic, aim for these. It may be best to avoid plastic altogether though, if you really want to be on the safe side (though that isn't always practical). Some other tips: don't refill or re-use plastic bottles, don't use a damaged bottle, and if a bottle has been sitting out for a while (in the sun, by the stove, etc), or it's been a while since the water was bottled (check the date on the bottle), do not use it. Water that has been bottled even half a year previously already has doubled in toxicity levels. 

I have a SIGG stainless steel water bottle  bottle I use, and many companies make similar bottles that you can purchase and reuse, in beautiful designs or fun graphics (mine is Hello Kitty), in baby sizes and adult sizes. It's a one time investment for long term safety. I recently reviewed the  Zuvo Water Purator, which is a good idea for anyone who needs a relatively affordable way to clean out their water without being forced to resort to buying and storing large amounts of bottled water- it's less than $250 on Amazon, and you only have to replace the filter twice a year. Many areas of the US with crummy tap water would benefit from this, and it's really easy to use. There are other options as well...look into them, your family's health is worth it!