You want to drink WHAT?

You want to drink WHAT? CHIP Alumni February 21, 2006 By: Dr. Christine Simpson

Principle no. 1: • The original diet given 6,000 years ago contains EVERYTHING the human body needs for daily life, and is also designed for optimal health (as born out today by medical science). This includes: • what we eat, AND • what we drink……..water and vegetable or fruit juices.

Principle no. 2: • These foods should be prepared simply, and “as grown” for optimal health. • In selecting our food in today’s society, we must choose those natural foods from what is AVAILABLE.

In other words, ask yourself: 1) What is BEST for me to eat or drink? • Ie. “is it wholesome and unharmful?” • NOT “but what’s wrong with it?” 2) What are my modern day options? • Natural • Refined, “purified” • supplemental

When it comes to beverages: A) Unnatural, Harmful * alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks B) Natural, Beneficial * water, fruit or vegetable juices

Unnatural, Harmful • Alcohol and its detrimental effects: 1) gastrointestinal problems: • cirrhosis of the liver, reflux disease, hepatitis, pancreatitis 2) immune system: • eg. a moderate drinker exposed to HIV has a greater likelihood of becoming HIV positive. • affect the B-lymphocytes, causing an increased susceptibility to bacterial and viral infections, such as Klebsiella pneumonia

Alcohol….. 3) cancer risk: increases the chance of metastasis breast cancer, esophageal, mouth and throat cancers, colon ca. cirrhosis of the liver, which is the biggest cause of liver cancer 4) high blood pressure, stroke, elevated triglycerides, impaired sexual function, chronic fatigue, osteoporosis, gout, anemia, arrhythmias, sudden death, cardiomyopathy, malnutrition, aggravation of menstrual cramps, etc.

Alcohol….. 5) decreased mental performance: judgment, foresight, moral reasoning, with even small amounts (eg. just a single drink); cerebral atrophy, peripheral neuropathy, psychosis, seizures 6) depression, accidents, social violence and abuse, destruction of the family, fetal alcohol syndrome, etc.

? Beneficial effects of alcohol? A) the French paradox: it is actually the flavinoids in the grape juice which cause the blood to be less “sticky”, hence promoting fewer heart attacks. B) the World Health Organization says: “Light drinking is unlikely to lower heart disease risk in people who are already taking other lifestyle precautions like exercising regularly, not smoking and eating less fat. The publicity given to the use of moderate amounts of alcohol for heart disease prevention is not the result of rigorous scientific research, but is to a large extent inspired by commercial purposes. The less you drink, the better.”

Alcohol is….. A depressant, A sedative, A hypnotic!

Unnatural, Harmful cont’d: Caffeine, a stimulant: undermines the frontal lobe, the center of reasoning and judgment, leading to impaired decision-making capabilities; produces dependence and causes withdrawal reactions; can cause or worsen psychiatric illnesses, eg. depression; interferes with sleep; co-carcinogen: cancers of the kidney, bladder, breast, colon, pancreas, ovaries, etc.; elevates blood pressure; contributes to the development of osteoporosis; can cause palpitations and precipitate heart arrhythmias; causes or worsens heartburn/reflux; can worsen menstrual cramps or PMS; diuretic, leading to chronic dehydration; can trigger the onset of migraine headaches.

Unnatural, Harmful cont’d: Non-Caffeinated Soda Drinks: • contain tannins, that increase acid production which can impair healing of the stomach lining and promote ulcers; • can elevate triglycerides; • dental cavities, obesity, lowered immune system, oxidizes LDL, worsens PMS, decreases cognitive functioning especially in children (association with attention deficit disorder), contribute to osteoporosis through the carbonation alone, etc.

Sodas….. The average American drinks 52 gallons of soft drinks per year!! This is the highest source of refined sugar in the American diet.

Natural, Beneficial • Juices: NOTE: pure, no additives or refinement Fruit and vegetable juices should be considered a food, not a beverage. Pure vegetable or fruit juices may play a role in some individual’s lives, but in general, it is better to consume the whole fruit or vegetable….. Why? To gain the benefit of the fiber; To prevent the over consumption of fructose, a semi-refined sugar in fruits; To maintain calorie control.

When to drink beverages: 1) Water should be drunk at least 30 minutes before meals, or at least 60 minutes afterwards: • prevents dilution of the digestive juices, which can cause prolonged digestion or indigestion; • helps prevent snacking, because the stomach is full 2) Avoid drinking juices between meals. • can stimulate cavity formation; • lead to greater caloric intake over the course of the day and a tendency towards obesity.

Natural, Beneficial cont’d: • Water: • the best beverage!! • studies still support the consumption of 6-8 glasses per day; • more energy, less fatigue; • better sleep patterns; • higher mental concentration capacity; • less infectious illnesses; • better skin tone and quality; • less risk for heart disease, stroke, HTN and obesity; • less risk for bladder cancer, kidney or gallbladder stones; • less chance of developing or improvement in arthritis;

What type of water should we drink? • Things to keep in mind: • The majority of dangerous contaminants that are liable to be in the your drinking water are typically present in minute amounts, so therefore tend to contribute to health problems after YEARS of exposure. • Those who need to be most concerned • Served by a small treatment plant • Living in agricultural regions • Using water from a shallow well

Examples of contaminants: • Nitrates/nitrites • Other inorganics: dissolved gases, metals • Disinfection byproducts • Pesticides • Biologics (E. Coli, Giardia, etc.) • Trihalomethanes: results from the use of chlorination

Right from the beginning: • The simplest and most economical long-term solution to reduce the majority of contaminants and biologics to safe levels is a NSF certified, high-quality, solid block activated carbon (SBAC) filtration system with a sub-micron pore size – installed in your home.

Summary of treatment methods: • A) boiling • Use only in an emergency • Kills pathogens (live organisms) • May drive out some of the dissolved gases • Does NOT eliminate chemicals, metals, pesticides, solvents, etc. • Energy is needed to boil water!

Treatment Methods cont’d: • B) Distillation: • Causes water to vaporize, then recondenses the pure steam back into water (carbon filter is also used). • Produces very pure water. • Removes pathogens • Takes time, uses electricity • One of the more expensive methods (initial cost, plus the ongoing electrical energy expense)

Treatment Methods cont’d: • C) Reverse Osmosis: • Forces water molecules through a membrane that has extremely tiny pores. • With a quality carbon filter, the purity of the water approaches that of distillation. • Pathogens generally removed as well. • Produce more water per day than distillers, and less expensive to operate and maintain. • Creates a lot of waste water (2-4 gal per 1 gal pure water). • Should always have an activated carbon filter as well. • Significant amount of maintenance required.

Treatment Methods cont’d: • D) Ultraviolet Light: • Water exposed to UV rays • No known toxic byproducts produced • Removes some organics, leaves no taste • Destroys pathogens • Does not take out large amounts of organics • Not effective against any inorganics

Treatment Methods cont’d: • E) Deionized water: • Demineralizes the water with cation and anion exchange • Reduces the “hardness” of water • Does not remove uncharged particles from the water

Treatment Methods cont’d: • F) Ozonation: • Causes the formation of ozone from O2 with the use of energy. • Ozone is the most powerful and rapid acting oxidizer man can produce, and will oxidize all bacteria, mold and yeast spores, organic material and viruses. • Primarily a disinfectant. • Also oxidizes metals so that they can be precipitated and then filtered out of solution. • Can create undesirable byproducts • Requires significant electricity

What about bottled water? • Bottled water is regulated by the FDA, which requires regular sample submission. • The concentration of contaminants must be less than the “allowable levels”, which in essence are the same as the required by water treatment plants.

Furthermore….. • The bottled water industry also regulates itself: • International Bottled Water Association, IBWA • Inspected annually, unannounced by the National Sanitation Foundation (independent) • The NSF Bottled Water Certification Program is an annual, voluntary certification process that includes extensive product evaluation and auditing. • “NSF certified” means that not only do the products perform as tested, the product advertisements are also evaluated for accuracy and truthfulness.

Is it worth it? • Advantages: • Emergency source in the case of power failure • Convenient for drinking water outside of the home • May taste better, as minerals are usually added back to bottled water • MOST will contain fewer contaminants than untreated tap water

Furthermore….. Disadvantages: • Cost: 10 gallons a week = $250-750/year • The average family of 4 needs at least 15-20 gallons/week • Filling your own bottle with distilled water, etc. costs less than $20 / month! • Inconvenient in the home: moving/storing large jugs • environmental impact is significant

If filling your own bottles: • Be faithful in maintaining the hygiene of your bottled water: • Store in a refrigerator • Wipe the seal with a clean cloth after each use • Avoid any type of build-up in the cap. • Make sure your bottle is well-cleaned and rinsed before refilling.

So, to invest in an in-home, installed water treatment package: • Know what contaminants are possibly present in your water • Top three methods: • Distillation • Reverse osmosis • SBAC (solid-block activated carbon filter with sub-micron pores) • Bottled water

Recommended: • SBAC: • 1) reliably remove the contaminants • 2) lowest operating and maintenance costs its 30-40 year lifespan; $2/week • 3) easiest to use and requires the least maintenance But remember: most people using regulated municipal water will have fairly clean, biologically safe water with known contaminant levels and a low risk of accidental contamination. Drinking adequate amounts of this water is STILL much better for you than drinking no water at all!!!

Questions?Comments?Thoughts?

You want to drink WHAT?