Water. We all drink it. Our bodies crave it. But is the water that we drink really safe? How do we know what is in the water that we drink? Do we risk our health by drinking water? If you have ever asked yourself these questions, keep reading. This report will give you a lot of useful information on water, so that you can make an informed decision on what you should put into your body.

Tap water versus bottled water has been an ongoing debate for many years. Many people feel that bottled water is safer than tap water. But if you do some research you will find that the results are divided on that also. Some studies will state that tap water is safer than bottled water and vice versa. The media has a way of twisting the truth to serve their purpose and their sponsors. So the only way to know for sure which is safer is to do your own investigating. But before you start your investigation, you should make yourself familiar with the different types of water sources that are available. The following is a breakdown of water sources.

Artesian water is ground water that is naturally under pressure and able to rise above the level of when it was first encountered.

Well water is water found deep within the ground and is tapped by drilling a hole. It can be subjected to run off contaminants from ground water.

Spring water is water that comes from an underground formation where the water naturally flows to the surface. There must be enough pressure to cause the spring water to flow from a natural orifice. Spring water must contain less than 500 ppm of total dissolved solids.

Mineral water is basically the same as spring water except that it contains more than 500 ppm of dissolved solids.

Purified water is any water that has been taken from any source and has been distilled, ionized  or put through a process of reverse osmosis.

Carbonated water is water that contains natural or added carbonation. Soda water, seltzer water and tonic waters are not considered bottle waters. They are classified as soft drinks.

So now that you have a basic education on water, you should do a search online for what is in the tap water for your city. There is a website that contains data from the majority of the U.S. cities. This data contains a breakdown of what is found in the tap water across the United States. Prepare to be shocked.

An Environmental Working Group analysis has discovered that there are 236 contaminants found in tap water nationwide. Over 140 of these contaminants have no enforceable safety limits. What  this means is that there is no government issued safety standard level for these contaminants. But we are still allowed to drink the tap water.

Some of the contaminants that have been found in tap water across the U. S. are acetone, arsenic, asbestos, benzene, cyanide, formaldehyde, lead and lithium to just name a very few. How safe can it be to ingest these chemicals?  What exactly does this mean to your health?

Of the 141 contaminants found in the nation’s water supply, 52 of these “legal” contaminants are linked to cancer. 41 of them are linked to reproductive toxicity, 36 are linked to developmental toxicity and 16 are linked to immune system damage. But the media still says that it is safe to drink the tap water. They go as far as to say that the increase of people drinking bottled water has contributed greatly to the global warming problem.

Bottled water should be researched carefully also. Some bottled water companies are selling nothing but tap water. You need to know exactly where the bottled water comes from and if there have been any contaminants found in your brand of bottled water. You can find statistics on this also by doing an Internet search. The results may surprise you.

Bottled water is considered a food product so it must be regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. In you live in Canada , bottled water is regulated under the Federal Food and Drugs Act. Bottled water companies must comply to these government agencies’ terms to be able to stay in operation. You can easily find a list of  bottled water that you can trust by doing a search on the Internet. Find a brand that is sold in your local grocery store and stick with that brand.

But what about the new oxygenated water? Does it really have any added health benefits? Studies on oxygenated water have shown that the hyper oxygenated water has no  more added benefits than regular bottled water. There is no real evidence that suggests that oxygen water enhances an athlete’s performance. But some athlete’s swear by the oxygenated water and will drink nothing else. Whether there is some merit to their claims or the water is just a powerful suggestion tool, the oxygenated water will not do any harm. So if an athlete feels that he or she needs the oxygenated water to perform to the best of their ability, by all means make it available to them.

A lot of people will prefer bottled water over tap water because of the taste. Tap water that has chemicals such as chlorine added to it will have a bad taste. Officials swear that the bad taste in your tap water is nothing that will be dangerous to your health, but do we believe them? Cases of cancer and other diseases are on the rise. There has to be a reason for the increase of these diseases. Tap water consumption may be one piece in the puzzle of why people are getting sicker.

The great thing about bottled water is you don’t have to deal with the taste  of any nasty chemicals. In fact, if you don’t like just plain water, you can buy flavored bottled water.  As long as the flavored bottle water is from a good source, it can be an excellent way to get kids and older adults to increase their water intake. There are low calorie drink additives especially made for bottled water that you can add for a variety of tastes if you desire.

So if you are trying to get healthier and are trying to increase your water intake choose your water carefully. You cannot improve your health by putting harmful chemicals into your body. Do some research and find the best bottled water on the market. It is probably a good idea to get a home water cooler and have water delivered to your home from a reputable and safe water dealer. You should use this water for your coffee and to cook all of your meals. 

Don’t believe everything that the media tells you. They have their own special interests. Do your own investigative research and become a water expert. Learning how to make your own informed decision about what you put into your body may just save your life!