As you know, drinking water is essential to our overall wellness. It improves physical strength, especially during activities like exercise. It also increases your energy levels and productivity. When we don’t drink enough water, we become vulnerable to dehydration, which impairs our ability to make intelligent decisions. Dehydration also causes mood swings and our bodies to overheat.
Water makes up around sixty percent of our physical makeup. The majority of us consume drinking water without care. The question is, should we?
Many people are unaware of the contaminants found in water. This is because they’re often invisible and tasteless. Here are some common contaminants and how to get rid of them for cleaner, healthier drinking water.
Nitrates
Tap water contains a fair share of nitrates, which is an ion present in commercial products like fertilizers and liquid waste from septic and plumbing tanks. If you live outside of a major city, the likelihood of nitrates being in the water increases.
It may not seem like a big deal, but there are side effects to consuming too much nitrate. For instance, babies exposed to even small amounts of nitrates are at a higher risk of developing methemoglobinemia, commonly referred to as baby blue disease. This condition makes it difficult for their bodies to carry oxygen, which can be fatal.
Arsenic
Arsenic is a colorless, naturally occurring metallic compound. It ends up in drinking water through mineral deposits or by coming in contact with waste containing arsenic. Drinking water with arsenic leads to a number of health conditions, including skin thickening and discoloration, numbness, and digestive tract problems. In severe cases, consuming arsenic leads to skin cancer. Testing your water for arsenic is the only way to determine if it’s present.
Aluminum
Due to its high presence in our planet’s air, water, and soil, it’s easy to see how aluminum ends up in our drinking water. Unfortunately, higher concentrations of aluminum in tap water lead to health conditions like dementia, kidney disease, anemia, and damage to the nervous system.
Fluoride
Of all of the contaminants found in drinking water, fluoride may be the most talked about. When it comes to fluoride, there are mixed views on whether drinking it is healthy or dangerous. While some health experts sing its praises for minimizing tooth erosion, some believe it actually damages teeth by weakening the enamel.
In addition to oral issues, fluoride weakens the skeletal system, making your bones susceptible to fracture. Consuming fluoride can also lead to poorer cognitive function, acne, heart failure, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, and fertility issues.
Ultimately, waiting for the people who provide our drinking water to change it is unrealistic. To avoid the previously mentioned health conditions, it’s a good idea to filter your drinking water. There are many ways to filter drinking water, including:
Methods of Filtering Your Drinking Water
If you’re looking for an affordable filter that eliminates compounds like arsenic and fluoride, give activated alumina a try. This system must be installed underneath your sink so it can absorb harmful toxins and improve your drinking water.
Water distillation is a filtration method that involves heating water until it turns to steam before cooling it down. It’s an effective method if you don’t need drinking water right away. This purification method takes hours, so it’s best to start the process sooner than later.
One of the most efficient ways to purify your drinking water is using a reverse osmosis system. Using your existing water pressure, this method forces your tap water through a series of filtering membranes to eliminate toxins. Some systems allow you to use each set of reverse osmosis filters for up to two years.
Our bodies rely on water to maintain proper function. Realizing the presence of contaminants in our drinking water can be scary, especially for those of us in rural communities. Ignoring these contaminants are dangerous and create a series of potentially fatal health conditions.
Improve your family’s physical and mental wellness by giving them quality drinking water. The best way to improve your drinking water is through filtration. Of the many popular water filtration methods, many experts recommend reverse osmosis. This method removes the most impurities, leaving your water in its purest possible form.
