Summer’s here, and with the heat, that means the masses are
drinking bottled water in large quantities.
But what do you really know about bottled water? Is it just a
convenience thing, or is it any better than the water coming out of
your kitchen faucet?
Let’s take a look at these bottled water facts…
- You Might Actually Be Drinking Tap Water
Here’s an example for you. Dasani is a popular brand of bottled
water. It is a Coca-Cola product. Dasani bottled water is nothing
more than purified tap water that’s had minerals added back in to
it. So you’re basically drinking the tap water from the cities
where the Coca-Cola bottling plants are. The fact is, about 25% of
all bottled water is taken from municipal water sources.
- Bottled Water Isn’t Always Pure
If you scan the labels of different bottled water brands, you’ll
see words like “pure,” “natural,” and “pristine” over and over
again. A Cornell University marketing class even found that people
had the perception that bottled water was cleaner and had less
bacteria. But that isn’t necessarily true. A study by the Natural
Resources Defense Council found that 22% of the bottled water
brands tested contained chemical contaminants at levels above the
strict state health limits.
- The Plastic Bottle Leaks Chemicals Into The Water
The longer bottled water is stored in a hot environment, the more
you’ll find small amounts of chemicals leaching from certain
plastic bottles into the water. The jury is still out on the health
risks of this, but it’s probably best for you to not store your
bottled water in your garage or a hot environment.
- The Demand For Oil Isn’t Just For Cars and Travel
Most water bottles are composed of a plastic called polyethylene
terephthalate (PET). To make PET, you need crude oil. Specifically,
17 million barrels of oil are used every year in the production of
PET water bottles. What’s worse is that 86% of the 30 billion PET
water bottles sold each year are tossed in the trash instead of
being recycled, according to the Container Recycling Institute.
That’s a lot of waste.
Here are some suggestions when it comes to water.
- Buy a really good filter and put it on your faucet in your
kitchen. - Buy several really nice water bottles that you can use when you
are on the go. - Fill up a few of your water bottles with your purified water
from your kitchen faucet. - When you’re leaving the house, grab a cold water bottle, put a
few ice cubes in it, and off you go!
If you do this, you’ll have BETTER water and you’ll be using fewer
plastic water bottles…a win-win.
Have a great day and I’ll talk to you soon,
Dr. Justin Trosclair dc
Source: Men’s Health