Every living organism needs water in order to function properly. 70% of our body mass is water and we need it to digest food and to expel waste. Water also contains many of the nutrients that make us healthy and keep us alive. However, the tap water, even in first-world countries like the UK, is treated with a large number of chemicals in order to kill bacteria and other microorganisms. In addition, it may contain other undesirable contaminants like toxic metal salts, hormones and pesticides. Those chemicals are carcinogenic and can alter human DNA, cause brain damage, Alzheimer’s and dementia and can have a negative impact on the immune system.
Always try drink filtered water. A mains filter is always ideal because it picks up almost all the chemicals and metals, but at the very least use a filter jug. It will pick up most of the heavy metals in the water.
Typical tap water content:
- Chlorine
- Fluorine compounds
- Trihalomethanes (THMs)
- Salts of: arsenic, radium, aluminium, copper, lead, mercury, cadmium, barium
- Hormones
- Nitrates
- Pesticides