Water Purifier Health Benefits

Many people invest in a home water purifier to improve the taste of their tap water or eliminate water-based odors. Water filters also offer many health benefits, and filtering your water at home is more eco-friendly than buying expensive bottled water.

Here are a few of the many water purifier benefits:

Reduce cancer risk. U.S. drinking water contains more than 2,100 carcinogenic (cancer-causing chemicals). Several of these chemicals are by-products of the chlorination process. Water treatment plans use chlorine to kill germs, but the chlorine reacts with other chemicals to form carcinogenic chlorine by-products. Other man-made chemicals like pesticides and pharmaceutical drugs also end up in the water supply. Only 100 years ago, the average American had a 1 in 50 chance of getting cancer. Now, because of the prevalence of toxic chemicals in our environment, Americans have a 1 in 3 chance of getting cancer.

Better than bottled water. Bottled water is not only up to 1,000 times more expensive than filtered water, but it's often no cleaner than regular tap water. In fact, there are no government standards that require bottled water to be any better than tap water. The General Accountability office stated that the "FDA does not have the specific statutory authority to require bottlers to use certified laboratories for water quality tests or to report test results, even if violations of the standards are found." A Natural Resources Defense Council report found "while much tap water is indeed risky, having compared available data, we conclude that there is no assurance that bottled water is any safer than tap water." The other problem with bottled water is the plastic itself! Plastic bottles contribute to massive environmental pollution, and synthetic chemicals in the plastic often leach into the water. Have you ever noticed how bottled water tastes funny after sitting in the sun? That's because the sun causes petroleum-based chemicals in the plastic to be released into the water.

Healthy hydration. Your body is 72% water and many common health problems are associated with dehydration, or not drinking enough pure water. Asthma, fatigue, headaches, high blood pressure, back pain, and arthritis may be improved with healthy hydration. Water detoxifies the body by washing away harmful chemicals. When you drink purified water, you enhance the detoxification process.

Safer showers. Those chlorine by-products are even more dangerous in the shower because they vaporize and become airbo
e, where they may be inhaled. U.S. News & World Report reported, "Ironically, even the chlorine widely used to disinfect water produces carcinogenic traces. Studies indicate that the suspect chemicals can also be inhaled and absorbed through the skin during showering and bathing." New Scientist confirmed, "Taking showers is a health risk . . . Showers, and to a lesser extent baths, lead to a greater exposure to toxic chemicals than does drinking water. The chemicals evaporate out of the water and are inhaled. They can also spread through the house and be inhaled by others." The concentration of these chemicals may be so high that they can irritate the lungs and trigger asthma attacks. To eliminate these toxic chemicals from your shower water, invest in a shower filter or a whole house water filter. Shower filters not only eliminate dangerous and irritating chemicals, but they also soothe dry skin and revitalize hair.