Water is Life

You are very right to be filtering your water, here are yet two more reasons. Many municipalities have switched from disinfecting the water with chlorine, to chloramines. Depending on what your municipality does you are at risk either way. Chlorine is a known carcinogen, but this quote is from the Water Conditioning and Purification magazine Jan 2004 issue really stunned me. "Free chlorine is the primary cause of ateriosclerosis in humans. The chlorine causes fat to form the cholesterol deposits known as plaque that can lead to clogged arteries, heart attacks and strokes."

This is from Water Quality Products magazine April 2004 issue or www.wqpmag.com
Chloramines result in lead levels rising. Chloramines reduce lead IV in scale deposits, which convert to lead II and then leaches into the pipes. Washington D.C. switched to chloramines disinfecting and it was reported that 3700 children had elevated blood-lead levels.

A by product of chlorinating water that has organics in it is tryhalomethanes (THM). Virtually all chlorinated water has THM in it. Some studies have linked THM's to bladder and colorectal cancers. Some chlorination by products are linked to heart, lung, kidney, liver and central nervous system damage. Other studies have linked THM to reproductive problems including miscarriage. Pregnant women should discuss this with their Doctors. Although governments acknowledge these known carcinogen results, they advise the risk is still less than the risks from water borne diseases such as typhoid, cholera, diptheria or dysentry. THM's are removed by the activated carbon in the filter.

From a WQA press release:
1 glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of dieters studied in a U Washington study. Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue. Pregnant women, when their babies are growing amniotic fluid often go through the night without taking extra water and end up with morning sickness (similar to hangover and for the same reason- dehydration). Asthma is a direct result of histamine production. Dehydration stimulates histamine production to produce mucus to keep lungs and airways moist. The same histamine production happens when allergies are reacted to. It has been demonstrated in many animal studies that an increase in water intake will reduce histamine levels and over a 2 to 3 week period restore normal hydration to lung tissue and reduce mucous build up.

Preliminary research shows that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers. Our bodies need the fluid in our discs and around our joints. The movement of the joints causes a suction that pulls water from the bone marrow to the joint cavity, if there is available water. An increased intake of water and gentle rhythmic movements of the joints can ease, and in many cases overcome minor arthritic pain. Back pain is often a result of deficiency in body fluid levels. The discs in our back are little hydraulic shock absorbers. They are made up of an outer shell filled with fluid, primarily water. A properly hydrated disc will properly absorb shocks.
A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math and difficulty focussing on a computer screen or printed page. Our brain are 75% water and when it detects a shortage of available fluids it implements a water rationing process by producing histamines, causing pain and fatigue. This process is meant to slow us down and conserve water. Histamines are released as a warning signal that something is wrong. 2 cups of water and a 20 minute break will overcome most common headaches.

Drinking 5 glasses of water a day decreases the risk of colon cancer 45%, risk of breast cancer by 79% and bladder cancer by 50%. Hypertension is very often a result of the body adjusting to blood volume loss. The most common cause of lower blood volume is dehydration. Since our blood is more than 80% water its total volume is heavily affected by the level of available water in our body. When the body detects a loss of blood volume, it closes off less active capillary beds in order to maintain proper blood flow in more active areas. These vessel closings cause a rise in tension inside the muscle mass that we've come to know as "hypertension". Water flushes toxins from your body. Drinking enough lessens the burden on your kidneys and liver by diluting their toxic load. Water supports the body's lymphatic system which produces antibodies and carries waste fluids from cells. Water is essential for proper digestion and absorption of nutrients. Even the levels of oxygen in the bloodstream are higher when the body is well hydrated."
Water lubricates your muscles and can help reduce cramping and fatigue during workouts.

Dehydration of athletes impacts endurance, aerobic capacity and strength. A mild case of dehydration can result in a 20% decrease in physical performance. The risk of getting a stuffy nose, sore throat or flu can be massively reduced by simply drinking enough water.
Dr. David Lewis carried out researching the correlation between water drinking and these illnesses. He stresses it is important to keep hydrated so the lining of the nose is moist. "The first line of defence is the mucous membrane in the nose" he said. "This acts like a sticky paper to trap things like dust, dirt and bacteria and prevent them from getting to the lungs. If you are dehydrated the mucous membrane will dry out and when this happens it is half as effective stopping the potentially harmful particles from entering the system". He also advised that the reason water is so crucial for well being is because it is required for every function of the body.

His researchers found people who drink just three glasses of water a day are five times more likely to get a blocked nose or sore throat than those who drink the recommended eight glasses. People who drink two-and-a-half glasses or less are nearly four times more likely to get flu, and three times more likely to suffer from constipation than those who drink three glasses or more.