A full-body shower cap may be the only way to prevent an unfiltered shower from introducing health-destroying toxins into your body through the thirsty pores of your skin. With all the reported pollutants in our tap water, everything from chlorine, toxins from landfill and sewage runoff, lead, arsenic, asbestos, benzene, cyanide, mercury, aluminum, traces of pharma-drugs, pesticides, leakage from gasoline storage tanks and PCBs, it's wise to get informed and take precautions. The good news is that you can affordably create pure, clean bathing and drinking water for yourself.

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Toxins In Your Tap 10/09/2011 | By Melissa C. Navia

With chronic illness on the rise, people are desperately trying to stem the onslaught, all the while drinking and bathing in the most damaging problem of all.

Water is everything, declared Thales of Miletus, a pre-Socratic philosopher in the 6th century BC. Then, as now, it was not incredibly difficult to come to the conclusion that water was, in one way or another, involved in every aspect of daily life. But Thales took the assumption one step further and declared it the origin of all mater. While scientists will argue the full extent of such a statement, there is certainly truth in it: Water is fundamental. With it, nations flourish; without it, people die. And just as important in our lives as the presence of water, and perhaps even because of it, is the quality of water. Simple logic tells us this, but modern health care would have us believe otherwise. Convinced that abundance is sufficient, many have taken water for granted, carelessly turning a blind eye to the toxicity and disease that its clear, pristine appearance belies.

“Water has become the repository for all the waste that we’re trying to dump out of our lives,” says Dr. Garry D’Brant, a chiropractor, clinical nutritionist, certified traditional naturopath, and psychotherapist who specializes in weight loss, adrenal exhaustion, and detoxification. “It’s brimming with the chemicals and pathogens we want nothing to do with, yet we drink it, bathe in it, and wash our food in it every day without making the connection.” The irony is almost understandable. Our bodies demand water; our cells need to be hydrated. Regardless of a noticeably off-taste or a faint film of particles, when we need refreshment, we turn to the closest source of water and ask questions later. The idea that toxic buildup in our bodies impedes healthy function, prevents nutrients from properly being absorbed, and weakens the immune system is the last thought on a parched athlete’s mind. Thirst trumps trepidation.

Pinpointing the exact number of toxins in the average glass of water would be impossible, but experts have a disturbingly good idea. “Research indicates that there could be up to 500 different types of toxic chemicals in our water supply at any given time,” says Dr. Louis Vastola, a chiropractic doctor who specializes in chronic illnesses, detoxification, and functional medicine. “Heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, jet fuel. It’s all in there.” Indeed, the sheer amount pales only in comparison to the staggering variety. Pesticides, arsenic, lead, fluoride, ammonia, radioactive waste, parasites, household cleaning chemicals, and gasoline additives are all relatively common these days in residential water systems. Increasingly common toxins include MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether), a volatile, flammable, and colorless liquid almost exclusively used as a fuel additive in motor gasoline, and perchlorate, a chemical found in both fertilizers and explosives. But that’s only just scratching the surface. Every time we come in contact with water, we absorb many toxins that the government cannot even regulate because scientists have yet to know they exist.

Like heads of the Hydra in Greek mythology, toxic chemicals have a reputation for unsavory multiplication. Try to get rid of one, and you find yourself with twice as many. Take, for example, chlorine. Despite the fact that it has been definitively linked to cancer and heart disease, among other illnesses, chlorine remains the government’s disinfectant of choice for contaminated water. The irony is that it creates far more toxins than it eliminates, specifically trihalomethanes (THMs), new chemicals created when chlorine reacts with naturally occurring organic matter in water. Suspected of heart, lung, kidney, and liver damage, birth defects, and increased risk of bladder and colorectal cancer, THMs have no redeeming qualities. So you might ask, does the government know about this little chemistry experiment playing out at your expense? Of course it does. It has gone ahead and started adding ammonia to water to reduce the THM fiasco, in turn creating chloramines, toxic byproducts that interfere with the endocrine system and normal hormonal function. Suddenly, the funny taste of chlorine is the least of its faults.

“People are being misled to believe that water is safe because it meets government standards,” says Dr. Roy Speiser, a water quality specialist and health care practitioner with 35 years of experience in the field of environmental health. “If your county water report says the amount of a certain chemical is ‘negligible’, whether that’s the truth or not, consider what ‘negligible’ translates to over months and years.” Bioaccumulation, referring to the consistent absorption of a toxic substance at insignificant amounts over an extended period of time, accurately describes the worsening problem in our bodies. Chemicals are just piling up, polluting the interstitial space between our cells and forcing us to expend precious energy on the maintenance of what has become a chronic problem.

The notion that there can be a “safe” percentage of toxins in your water is a myth.
Would you take a drop of dishwashing detergent every day for the rest of your life if you thought it wouldn’t kill you? Of course not! Yet as absurd as it sounds, that’s technically what we’re doing when we knowingly choose to continue drinking polluted water.

“Water filtration is essential,” insists Dr. Speiser. “The more we continue to drink unfiltered water, the sicker we become, no matter what precautions we take in every other area of our life. Filtration is a measure both preventative and necessary. If you want to avoid illness, you cannot drink toxic water; if you are sick and want to get better, you cannot drink toxic water.” Conclusion: You cannot drink toxic water if you endeavor to be a healthy person free of disease and underlying risk factors. Dr. D’Brant and Dr. Vastola could not agree more. “A patient won’t be able to undergo a thorough detoxification regimen if he or she is drinking unfiltered water,” explains Dr. Vastola. “While I am trying to restore healthy probiotics, like serotonin, the chlorine, fluoride, and ammonia in toxic water kill them off again, rendering the person’s progress futile.” It only makes sense that true healing is dependent on the purity of the single most important carrying agent in our lives.

Entry-level water filtration systems, like the kind you attach to a kitchen sink, are a semblance of a start, but really not the answer. They are capable of targeting only a diminutive fraction of the toxins in your water and need to be refilled about once every two weeks to remain even the slightest bit effective. The real flaw, though, is that they only address your drinking water. “Consider that the water we take in a 10-minute shower is greater than the amount we drink all day,” points out Dr. D’Brant. “Removing toxins at the sink while continuing to bathe and wash your clothes in contaminated water is counter-productive.” Exposure to THMs can occur just as easily through drinking water as it can from washing dishes, showering, and even just flushing your toilet.

“A high-quality, multi-barrier filtration system will cost you significantly less over the long-term,” Dr. Vastola says. “It can be tailored to your specific needs, including the size of your house, the quality of your health, and your overall budget.” A recent organ donor patient on immunosuppressant drugs may opt for a different filtration solution than a relatively healthy family of four.  “Choosing the right system starts with a comprehensive questionnaire and a meticulous examination of the toxins present in your water,” explains Dr. Speiser. “We then work together to find the ideal solution.” The consultation also includes a complete analysis of your local water report to ascertain what toxins may need to be selectively removed. Long Island, with its history of heavy farming and government testing facilities, is known for the prevalence of certain chemicals in greater concentrations than other areas of the country.

For those hesitant about the price tag, know that the options are many. Customized filters made of ceramic, stainless steel tanks for chemically sensitive clients, specialized equipment for specific toxins like iron, and virtual reverse osmosis cartridges that weed out impurities are all viable components of an effective filtration system. Detox My Water, a company that focuses on high-end, medical grade systems, and earned the sponsorship of our three doctors, will be at the NAVEL Expo explaining the merits of its home installations. “The Detox My Water filter features a pore size so small that it efficiently blocks 99.9% of pathogens,” say Dr. Speiser. “It’s uniquely cleanable, too, a feature that increases its lifespan and makes maintenance much easier on the homeowner.” Quality filtration also effectively removes chlorine, along with the bad taste and odor, and is integral to reducing you and your family’s chances of contracting waterborne diseases.

Water has become a commodity in many ways, a business of smoke and mirrors where the truth is seldom what it appears. But that has not changed our dependence on it. The nature of the water we drink today is a remarkably accurate indicator of our future health, and judging by the toxins in our tap water, the outlook looks bleak and shadowed by illness. Filtration offers to reverse what negligence has been amassing for decades. It is up to us, in the same way we are accountable for what we eat, how much we exercise, and who we socialize with, to be responsible for the irreplaceable lifeline that is our water.

Dr. Garry D’Brant, Dr. Louis Vastola, and Dr. Roy Speiser will be speaking at the NAVEL Expo about the importance of water filtration in our lives.