I recently attended a health fair and met a woman who sold water filters. She really got me thinking about what is in all the water I drink. I down at least half my body weight in ounces of water each day so what's in it should have concerned me long before this. Better late to the party than not at all, I suppose. When I got home from the health fair, I researched the benefits of filtered water as well as whether or not bottled water might serve as an alternative. After spending a couple days reading many articles, I concluded there are some definite health benefits to filtered water:
1. Better taste - Filters remove chlorine used to kill bacterial contaminants. Chlorine both smells and tastes bad, so obviously filtered water is more pleasant to the palate!
2. Improved Gastrointestinal Health - Filters remove other toxins and contaminants in drinking water such as aluminum. This enhances GI function, allowing for easier, more regular bowel movements!
3. Reduces Carcinogens - Filters remove DBPs, disinfection by-products, the result of the combination of chlorine and natural organic substances. The combination of the two are far more harmful than chlorine alone. DBPs have been known to cause a range of cancers such as rectal, colon and bladder. A recent study done in Hartford, Connecticut found women with breast cancer had 50% to 60% higher levels of chlorine by-products in breast tissue than cancer free women.
4. Eliminates Fluoride - I know this one is a slippery slope...some people still believe in the benefits of fluoride and Californians have no choice but to consume it if they drink tap water. For all the dental benefits it may have, it is also known to cause cellular damage that increases aging. I live part time in California, and my own take on this is I prefer to brush, floss and take my chances with my teeth in exchange for fewer wrinkles!
Once I established consuming tap water has serious health consequences, I questioned whether bottled water might be a better option than investing in a water filter. I was surprised to discover that much of the bottled water sold in the United States comes directly from municipal water supplies treated the same way most tap water is - with chlorine! That combined with the fact that the plastic bottles just aren't environmentally friendly, made this option easy to eliminate!
It took about a week from the time of the health fair to the full installation of our under-sink water filter! We went with an iSpring RCC7AK High Capacity Under Sink 6-Stage Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filtration System with Alkaline Remineralization - WQA Gold Seal Certified (NSF/ANSI 58)
We went with this model because it comes with the Alkaline Remineralization filter that restores healthy minerals and a natural alkaline balance, also producing a more natural taste that comes from the presence of the right balance of these minerals. It is also very inexpensive at about $210, and relatively easy to install if you have basic DIY skills. My 22 year old son installed the filter in just a few hours and was happy to find this very useful tutorial video that the manufacturer provided to help ease the process:
It's been a month since the installation. I have noticed a marked difference in my <ahem> "gastrointestinal health"... I wish to be delicate here so I will not expound. Suffice it to say, things are moving right along. I believe in addition to afore mentioned benefits to GI health, the filtered water has allowed the probiotics in my daily protein shakes to live and do their duty rather than parish from the chlorinated water with which I used to mix them.
Needless to say I believe this purchase was well worth the investment and if it also buys me fewer wrinkles, I am an even bigger fan! Cheers to your health!
