Do water filters effectively filter fluoridated water supplies

by Jason Stone

Tap water is dangerous, in fact very toxic to the body. Chlorine and fluoride are two very harmful chemicals for the body. Unfortunately bottled water is our only option but that too can be a misleading because not all bottled water is equal.

The bottled water industry has become a very lucrative business for some, in America an estimated $8 Billion a year industry . Aquafina is owned by Pepsi Corporation and Dasani is owned by Coca-Cola. It is no surprise these two are the most popular of the bottled water brands. Unfortunately you are getting no more than filtered water from the faucet when you buy these brands. The same way you can filter your water through a Brita filter is exactly what Coca-Cola and Pepsi have decided to market and make millions off the American public. Can you believe Coca-Cola and Pepsi add calcium chloride, containing bromate (a cancer causing trace chemical) for "taste profile". The water is being altered for taste. Hmmm... I wonder if the beverage industry is looking for another addiction to profit from.

Below I have listed waters I would stay away from and ones I recommend.

STAY AWAY

1. Dasani

2. Aquafina

3. Arrowhead

GOOD

1. Deep Rock

2. Eldorado Springs

3. Zephyr-hills

GREAT

1. ESSENTIA WATER

2. ASPEN PURE

3. FIJI

I have noticed I feel more hydrated drinking half the amount from a brand like Essentia or Fiji compared to Dasani or Aquafina which actually caused me to become more thirsty.

Learn more about this author, Jason Stone.

Manifold Filter System Double Filter IFQ2 Series

Manifold Filter System Double Filter IFQ2 Series

Drinking Water Filters That Truly Give You Clean Water

By Richard D. Garcia

A large percentage of households use some form of drinking water filters these days. Whether it is a standard pitcher filter, a countertop filtering system, an under counter filtering system, or a whole house filter, people are finally starting to see the importance of clean water. Today I will explain why these filters are so important and help you see the differences in the types of filters available.

First, we will discuss why drinking water filters are necessary. Note that I did not use the word recommended. It is my firm belief that filters are truly necessary to maintain our health these days, and I will explain why.

The EPA acknowledges that tap water is one of the top environmental health risks to US citizens. The Ralph Nader Research Group found over 2,100 known carcinogens in US tap water. A recent probe found trace amounts of pharmaceutical drugs ranging from sedatives to sex hormones in tap water. And in my opinion the biggest reason of all, there are trace levels of antibiotics in our water.

You have likely heard of MRSA by now. The latest in a group of diseases known as "superbugs", MRSA or medication resistant staph infections are spreading like wildfire and it is now known that the antibiotics in our water are one of the top three reasons we are becoming immune to antibiotics. In most people, MRSA is extremely dangerous and life threatening. In children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised, such as people with AIDS or who have just undergone surgery, the infections are even more lethal.

Scientists have been warning for some time now that if we continue to harbor low levels of antibiotics in our blood, we will eventually be completely unable to use the drugs. This leads to even more dangerous superbugs. It may sound like the plot of a bad B movie, but this is a very stark and harsh truth and all the reason you should need to purchase a drinking water filter.

Now, onto the types of drinking water filters. First are the pitcher style filters. While highly effective at getting out things such as lead, rust, and sediment, these filters are almost useless at removing chemicals and drugs from our drinking water. They are also the most expensive filters on the market per gallon.

Next are reverse osmosis filters. These filters use a semi porous membrane to remove sediment and minerals, and must rely on a carbon block filter to remove other contaminants from water. These filters are not entirely effective and also remove valuable trace minerals that your body needs from your drinking water, such as potassium and magnesium.

Third, we have distillation systems. This is another ineffective drinking water filter. It works by putting water over a heating coil, so that the water evaporates and condenses in an upper chamber while sediment and minerals stay behind. Unfortunately, synthetic chemicals such as drugs and pesticides have lower boiling points than water, which means that they rise into the upper chamber as well and remain in your drinking water. While you get the benefit of lead and rust removal, you also get the double whammy of retaining chemicals and losing minerals.

Finally, we have what I believe to be the safest drinking water filters available. Multi-stage water filtration systems remove drugs, lead, chemicals, and rust without removing vital trace minerals. Best of all, these systems produce water efficiently and for only around ten cents per gallon, making them the most cost efficient as well.

If it seems like I am biased when it comes to recommending a drinking water filter, it is because I am. I simply can not advocate a system that can leave harmful substances in the water that people drink. I simply believe that people should use what works, especially when it is inexpensive to purchase and cost efficient to use. I urge you to look into these multi-stage units as soon as possible. The health of your family truly depends on it.


Richard D. Garcia, a U.S. Navy veteran, lives in the desert southwest of the U.S. where the water supply is at a premium. Due to the low quality of that water, Richard has researched extensively the best ways to filter municipal water. Visit his web site, http://www.safe-clean-pure-water.com where he recommends Aquasana products because of their best value, high performance, lifetime warranty, and 100% money-back guarantee.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_D._Garcia

A Guide to Choosing Drinking Water Filters

By Julie Perry

Consumers need some guidance when they are selecting drinking water filters.

Since, there is little regulation concerning what a drinking water filter should and should not do, there are some pretty bad products on the market.

For example, one popular drinking water filter only removes chlorine and odor.

While that's an important issue for taste, it's not an important health issue.

Chlorine has very low toxicity to humans and exposure to it is considered a minor health risk.

On the other hand, scientific researchers consider exposure to the byproducts created during chlorination a significant health risk.

Those byproducts are referred to as THMs or trihalomethanes and only a few drinking water filters remove them.

The popular ones that you see in department stores and advertisements do not remove THMs.

For example, performance data sheets reveal that PUR, Brita and Ever-Pure remove only chlorine, lead and cysts.

The risk of exposure to THMs has primarily to do with its carcinogenic nature.

Studies have shown that people who drink waters containing the chemical have an increased risk of bladder and rectal cancer, as well as other types of the disease.

Several studies have shown that trihalomethanes enter our bodies through the skin during a shower and are also inhaled, as they are vaporized when heated or boiled. Exposure, then, can occur in the shower or in the kitchen, when unfiltered water is used for cooking. Inhalation seems to greatly contribute to the cancer risk.

So, not only do you need a drinking water filter that removes THMs. You also need a device for your showerhead that does the same thing. The contaminants can only be removed by an adsorptive block.

Interestingly, the most expensive whole house purifiers on the market do nothing to remove the contaminant. Reverse osmosis is often mentioned in a comparison of drinking water filters. Reverse osmosis does nothing to remove chlorine or THMs, even though the units cost thousands of dollars.

MTBE is another compound that is NOT removed by a reverse osmosis, a PUR or a Brita drinking water filter. In fact, there are only two drinking water filters on the market that WILL remove it.

MTBE is a common groundwater contaminant, today.

It was used primarily as a gasoline additive to prevent "knocking".

Only years later did we learn that the compound seeps out of underground storage tanks and eventually comes flowing through our tap.

The health consequence of frequent low level exposure is unknown. It may be a carcinogen. It might not be. But, when you consider all of the other cancer causing chemicals that we are definitely exposed to on a daily basis, you might want to limit your exposure whenever possible.

You can get a drinking water filter that removes MTBE, pesticides, herbicides, cysts, lead and chlorine, as well as byproducts of chlorination and industrial processes, without having to spend thousands or even hundreds of dollars. You just have to know which drinking water filters to pick.

Hopefully, this information will help you make a healthy choice.


Julie Perry graduated with a Diploma in Applied Science and is a fully qualified Naturopath. On her web site http://www.healthysafewater.com you will find out a practical and simple way to always have fresh, healthy water throughout your home. Learn what to look for when choosing drinking water filters.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_Perry