Chemicals in Your Water Bottle: Should You Worry?
By Sara Butler
Most people worry about what’s in their water, but it turns out they should also be worrying about what’s in the bottle the water comes in! It’s great that you’re concerned with drinking enough water to stay healthy but you may be doing yourself a disservice if you’re not securitizing the kind of bottle you’re drinking all that health-giving water from. Here is a quick rundown of the things you need to be on the lookout for.
BPA
You’ve probably seen labels on reusable plastic containers and cups that say “BPA Free.” This is a chemical that can be in some plastics that, once ingested, can mimic estrogen in the human body. This can lead to several hormone changes in the body that cause issues such as early onset puberty in girls, obesity, sperm reduction, and reproductive cancer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, due to plastic water bottles, about 90 percent of people already have BPA in their bloodstream. You have to be on the lookout for bottles that don’t proclaim to be free from BPA.
Aluminum
If you shouldn’t use plastic, then how about aluminum water bottles? Well, those may not be so great, either. A rock solid connection has not been made between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease, but some studies have found aluminum plays a role in the disease. No one is sure how much of a role but aluminum has been found in significant amounts in the brains of people who have died of Alzheimer’s. That’s enough information to say that you should probably limit your exposure to the metal where possible.
What You Should Drink From
Stainless steel is a good bet but you must make sure it’s not lined with plastic or you run into the whole BPA dilemma again. Glass bottles are also a good alternative as long as you can keep from dropping them. These days, glass water bottles are sold with special sleeves to help prevent them from breaking when dropped. It may be a good idea to invest in one of those bad boys for all your on-the-go water drinking needs.
There will always be things to be on the lookout for when it comes to your health. Just remember that knowledge is power and now that you know better, you can do better for yourself and your long term health.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Wichita, Kans.