This blog is in collaboration with our friends at bigberkeywaterfilters.com. Dr. V does not receive any commission from Big Berkley Water Filters.

CLEAN water is literally the source of life; it’s one of the most important actions to take to sustain your health. Since your body is about 75% water, daily ingestion of clean water is vital to life. Water flushes impurities from your system, helps maintain body temperature, keeps your brain hydrated, and regulates the digestive process. Essential #2 is Reduce Your Toxic Exposure, and drinking purified water is a simple and highly effective way to reduce your toxic exposure. 

What’s actually in my tap water?

It doesn’t matter where in the world you live, DO NOT DRINK TAP WATER! The Environmental Working Group (EWG) provides a fascinating and interactive map of chemicals in tap water across the USA. In my Flordia neighborhood, one of the nasty chemicals in my tap water is chromium-6. It can cause lung cancer, liver damage, reproductive problems, and developmental harm.

For a detailed report, you can type your zip code into EWG’s water database and find out exactly what is in your tap water—it’s horrifying! Please take a moment to see what is in YOUR tap water!

Tap water is a chemical cocktail.

Besides all the damaging toxins that tap water hides (chlorine, bromide, Trihalomethanes, fluoride perchlorate, etc.) that affect your hormones and nervous system, synthetic estrogen also sneaks its way into your glass. Troubled Water is a fascinating read about just how dangerous our faucet water is in the U.S..  For example, more than 10 million birth control doses (found in synthetic estrogen and other hormonal substances) are dumped into U.S. wastewater supplies daily. This may affect your hormonal balance and lead to certain breast cancers.

Never drink from plastic water bottles!

You never know where your plastic and throwaway water bottles lived before you bought them. They could have sat in the hot sun outside a grocery store for months, releasing toxic, cancer-causing BPA’s into your “purified water.” This is because the heat breaks down the chemicals in the plastic and releases the toxins straight into your water. I always suggest bringing a BPA-free or glass water bottle with you whenever you are out in the world. This way, you can stay hydrated with non-toxic water. 

Each drop matters.

We all know it is essential to stay hydrated, so we don’t get dizzy, constipated, and just feel dry inside. However, there is a lot more to it! Here are a few more reasons why staying hydrated helps you live a healthy breast lifestyle:

• Digestion. Hydration is key for the proper digestion of food and for maintaining the intricate balance of pH levels. It is also vital for the healthy balance of gut flora. Dehydration is a key component of many gut-related issues, such as constipation, heartburn, IBS, diverticulitis, and ulcers. 
• Circulation. Your blood is 90% water and carries oxygen, nutrients, and immune system cells throughout the body. Several studies have also found that chronic dehydration can lead to the thickening of the blood, increasing blood pressure and clotting. 
• Metabolism. Water is essential for metabolism because it helps the body burn energy in the most efficient way possible. Cell hydration is necessary for cells to maintain glucose transport and insulin sensitivity, a main factor in losing weight. When you are dehydrated, that means your cells are thirsty, too. 
• Detoxification. Water is vital for flushing waste out of the body. It keeps things moving through the lymph system, the liver, the kidneys, and the pancreas. It is needed for sweating through the skin as well.
• Muscles. Joints, cartilage, and muscles all need water to stay hydrated. Dehydration can lead to joint pain and stiffness since there is less lubrication for shock-absorbing and movement. 
• Skin. If you want to prevent wrinkles and have soft, smooth skin as you age—drink enough water daily! Water is essential for collagen production, vitamin C synthesis, and other mechanisms that create, recycle and strengthen skin.

How to make clean water.

There are several types of water filtration, including:

• Reverse osmosis: This technique eliminates dissolved molecules from water. In this method, water is forced through a semipermeable membrane under pressure to eliminate contaminants.
• Activated carbon filters: This type uses activated carbon to remove impurities from water. Activated carbon filters effectively remove many impurities, including chemicals and heavy metals.
• UV water purification: This type uses ultraviolet light to kill bacteria and viruses, making it safe for human consumption.
• Home-filtered water systems: For example, the Royal Berkey Water Filter removes pathogenic bacteria, cysts, and parasites entirely and extracts harmful chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, VOCs, organic solvents, radon 222, and trihalomethanes. It also reduces nitrites and heavy metals such as lead and mercury. This system is so powerful it can remove food coloring from water without removing the beneficial minerals your body needs. 
• Water distillation: This process removes impurities from water by using heat to evaporate the water, leaving the impurities behind. The water vapor is then condensed back into a liquid, which is pure and free of impurities. There are many different water distillation systems, but they all work on the same principle. This is not a preferred long-term drinking water as it is “dead” water and tends to be on the acidic side. 
• Boiling water: This is a simple and effective way to make water contaminated with bacteria, viruses or parasites, safer to drink. However, boiling water does not remove dissolved impurities from water, such as heavy metals and chemicals; it only kills harmful bacteria and viruses that may be present in the water. Boiling water for at least one minute will make it safe to drink.

Drinking enough water is vital to life. Just make sure you drink purified water, not accidentally gulp harmful chemicals such as fluoride and carcinogens! A Royal Berkey Water Filter is an excellent and economical way to ensure your drinking water is clean and safe. They are one of the original Berkey dealers and the only company that is certified and holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

With more than 500 Berkey articles written over the past decade, they are the internet’s go-to Berkey resource and strive to answer every potential Berkey question. We also have spent countless hours researching and authoring another 400+ scientifically-backed articles highlighting the dangers of chemicals and contaminants found in our water and how the Berkey can help remove them. If you are looking for a water purifying system, I recommend you take a look at their website.