Top Myths: About Water
#1 Bottled water is always “pure”!
Not so much! Only 25 to 40 % of bottled water comes from a natural source, the rest, is, you guessed it, from our municipal water, yes CITY water!!! Essentially, they buy water from the city, and filter it, package it, and then sell it back to you. Oh, and sometimes they add minerals back into the water!
#2 Don’t drink tap water, bottles of plastic water is better!
Let’s face it, It depends on where you live! In developing countries, where they aren’t so good at municipal water standards or your body is not used to their sorts of bacteria, YES! But in Europe and North America, not so much. The taste may be atrocious, but it won’t kill you!
The exception to this rule is if your tap water comes from a rural, private well or lake or river. It is advisable to have your water tested on a regular schedule.
#3 They make plastic bottles safe to drink.
Plastic has bpa, which leaches into our system and interacts with our hormones and genes in micro small particles that accumulate in our systems. And even if they take out all the BPA, do you really want small microns of plastic particles interfering and swimming around in your body? Also, they say do not freeze or microwave plastic no matter what, now that should set off some red flags for you!
- All bottled water is required to have an expiry date! Do you know why? Because stagnant water collects bacteria! All bottled water standing for more than a day starts to build bacteria, it’s why hospitals and schools have switched to filtered water, zero bacteria count!
#4 Bottled water Is a small industry
Uhmmm, no! — already a more than $10 billion industry — it’s the fastest-growing beverage
category!
#5: Distilled water is the ‘purest’ water
Lets get this straight, unless you are a dentist for example, that needs to use distilled water with all minerals and salts removed, you do not need or want to drink distilled water — First, it tastes flat; it's the sodium, calcium, magnesium, and chlorides that give water its flavor. The "off" taste of tap water is usally exessive chlorine; second, it leaches out those minerals from your body if you drink distilled water, and thirdly, why spend the money on something that tastes bad and is bad for you?
#6: BOTTLED WATER WITH VITAMINS, MINERALS, OR PROTEIN IS MORE HEALTHY THAN REGULAR WATER.
Not really, think of the all the stuff they add as chemicals! "Vitamins, color, herbs, protein, and all the other additions to the water are processed additives," Marion Nestle, Ph.D., professor of nutrition studies at New York University says this is more about marketing to your fears rather than anything else. Remember, these additives are a scant serving of what you actually need on a daily basis and, they will not supplement what you really need to be healthy.
Enhanced waters usually contain sugars and artificial flavorings to sweeten the deal. Ask yourself, do you need artificial anything as a health drink?
#7: YOU NEED EIGHT 8-OUNCE GLASSES OF WATER EACH DAY.
This one is tricky because we are all built differently, and some of us workout more, some of you may be pregnant, or you might drink tea all day! Rule of thumb, drink drink drink, until your pee is clear! If it’s bright yellow you are dehydrated.
#8: AFTER AN INTENSE WORKOUT, Sports Drinks are best.
For less intense workouts, regular water is fine. Actually for any workout that isn’t training for a marathon or something of that nature water is fine, but if you are really going for it, something that replaces your electrolytes is the key! Some like Gatorade for the replacement of sodium and potassium, but any old sports drink will do after your Marathon or Hike up Kilimanjaro!
#9: WATER BOTTLES ARE EASY ON THE ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE THEY CAN BE RECYCLED.
How do you figure? DO you know the energy it takes just to make a plastic bottle from petrolium, then the energy it takes to truck it, to recycle it, marketing it? In the U.S. alone, demand for plastic bottles requires enough oil to keep 100,000 cars on the road for a year, says Janet Larsen of the Earth Policy Institute. The truth is that only about 86 % of plastic gets recycled, the rest is ending up in landfills or our rivers and oceans.
You can’t stop them from selling Plastic Bottled water: False!!
- Cities and Colleges, 22 so far, have started to Ban Plastic Bottled Water: University of Vermont and San Fransisco for example.
#10 Sparkling Bubbly water leaches out the good minerals from your body and erodes your tooth enamel:
False! It’s just bubbles with water, ‘carbonated water will not hurt your teeth or bones’ says Jane Lear . “Carbonated water is water in which carbon dioxide gas has been dissolved, thus creating tiny bubbles. It’s what gives soft drinks their almost irresistible effervescence.”
Glossary of Waters!!
Club soda is also regular water to which carbon dioxide has been added, but it also contains added minerals such as potassium bicarbonate or potassium sulfate (they add a slight minerally flavor) and sodium. Club soda and seltzer can be used interchangeably in drinks.
Mineral waters come from underground springs and contain naturally occurring minerals. Unlike a still, or flat, mineral water like Evian, sparkling mineral waters such as San Pellegrino and Perrier come from naturally carbonated springs.
Tonic water is carbonated water that contains quinine, which comes from the bark of the South American cinchona tree (aka “fever tree”) and was the first effective protection against malaria. Present-day tonic waters contain less quinine and their bitterness is balanced with high-fructose corn syrup as well as proprietary botanical blends that may include citrus zests, lemongrass, and/or spices.
References:
http://rsp.berkeley.edu/?page_id=534
WebMD Feature from "Marie Claire" Magazine By Anndee Hochman
http://www.thisland.illinois.edu/57ways/57ways_40.html
http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/07/31/carbonated-water-not-bad-you
Jane Lear
http://rsp.berkeley.edu/