Don't Drink the Water
I’ve recently reached that conclusion that my apartment is slowly poisoning me.
Well, I think it’s the water.
The water in our apartment is not good. In fact, it’s horrible.
It comes out white and cloudy and tastes sharp and metallic. It almost seems to burn your throat as you drink it.
Taking a too hot, too long shower leaves my skin red, blotchy, and dry. But even worse is what I think it’s doing to my insides.
Before moving to my apartment in Baltimore County, I had impeccable digestion. Rarely a stomachache. Now I’m plagued with constant GI issues.
My boyfriend, Alex, has also suffered his fair shares of digestive issues since we moved to the apartment, including three bouts of heartburn so intense he ended up in the ER.
Why do I think it’s the water?
Chlorine.
Alex and I both grew up in rural Harford County and drank well water. At my house, the well is spring-fed. It tastes great and is a natural source of minerals and, yes, some bacteria.
“We had to treat the well a few times to get it to pass inspection,” my father told me. The well was dug in 1992 when he built our house.
“But we don’t use any chlorine or disinfectants in the water, just a spun fiber filter that reduces sand, rust, soil, and silt.”
Baltimore County water, on the other hand, is chlorinated to reduce bacteria and prevent waterborne illness. And judging by the water in my apartment, it is chlorinated heavily.
Disinfecting water is important, and it saves many lives each year. But it also has a more sinister side — like killing the good bacteria in our guts.
Now, there haven’t been any definitive studies proving that chlorinated water kills good gut microbes. At least none that I was able to find.
But common sense tells me that if it’s killing the bacteria in our water, it’s certainly not doing the bacteria in our gut any good.
Jeff Leach, the leading researcher of the American Gut Project, also believes there is a connection between chlorinated water and the reduced microbial diversity in American guts.
“In short, nobody has done the research,” he told Mother Jones in 2014, “but we are certain that there is an impact.”
There are other issues with municipal water to be concerned with as well, like chlorine byproducts, fluoride, and even residues of prescription drugs and antibiotics.
Just out of curiosity, I’m sending a sample of our apartment water out to get tested. I want to know just how bad it really is.
And until then, I just don’t trust the water.
First, Alex and I got a ZeroWater filter. It made the water taste a lot better, that’s for sure. But ZeroWater filters take everything out of the water, including beneficial minerals, so we stopped using that.
Right now, we’re resorting to buying gallons of spring water, and whenever I take a trip home, I fill up empty gallons from my parents’ well. I hate that we’re using so much plastic, though, so I’ve been researching what other sorts of water filters are out there that we could use.
And I think I’ve found one.
In fact, if all goes as planned, I’ll be able to share it with you next week.
But until then, I’d like to know:
What sorts of concerns about water do you have? Do you use a filter or buy bottled water?
Do you drink only fancy mineral or high-pH water? Are you concerned about the chlorine in your water?
Let me know! livingwelldaily@lfb.org
Until next time,
Jasmine LeMaster
View More Free Articles
A New Reason to Ditch Processed Junk
If you’ve ever walked the inside aisles of your local grocery store and thought, “This is all just junk,” your instincts were spot on. A new study published in the journal Thorax just added another red flag to the list of dangers linked to ultra-processed food—a 41 percent higher risk of lung cancer. That’s right....
When Being Winded on Stairs Is Serious (And When It Isn’t)
I had an athlete visit me recently because he experienced shortness of breath while climbing stairs. He is in great shape, so he was worried about what it might mean. “Doc,” he said, “I run five miles three times a week. Why am I huffing and puffing after two flights of stairs?” His concern is...
Study EXPOSES Hidden Danger Lurking in Your Car
We think of our homes and cars as safe havens. But according to a startling new study, they may be flooding your lungs with microscopic plastic particles—every single day. Researchers in France recently found that adults inhale an average of 68,000 microplastic particles daily from indoor air alone. To put that in perspective, that’s about...
Mailbag: Is Modern Food Making You Snore?
“What can cause snoring, and is there a way to correct this issue?” —Seeking Silence Hi Seeking, Snoring happens when the soft tissues in your throat relax and vibrate as air passes through during sleep. While several factors can cause snoring—from sleep position to nasal congestion—I want to share one trigger that might surprise you....
Simple Food Swap SLASHES Dementia Risk 28%
Let’s be honest… who would jump at the chance to cut their dementia risk by 28 percent. And no, you don’t need to run marathons, survive on broccoli, or learn to play the zither (whatever that is) to make it happen. All it takes is one easy swap—something that’s probably already in your refrigerator. Researchers...
This SMART Floss Exposes Hidden Health Danger
Scientists have created dental floss that doesn’t just clean between your teeth—it also tracks your stress while you’re flossing. Now, I know what you’re thinking… “Great—now even flossing is going to stress me out by telling me how stressed I am.” But this fascinating new tool from Tufts University could be a game-changer for understanding...
Is This "Safe" Sweetener Damaging Your Brain?
The headlines are alarming… “Popular Sugar Substitute Linked to Brain Cell Damage” and “Erythritol Could Damage Critical Brain Barrier” are just two of the dozens I’ve spotted recently. But before you toss every sugar-free product in your pantry, let’s take a closer look at what this study actually shows—and what it doesn’t. The latest research...
This Summer Threat Could SPIKE Your Blood Sugar
Picture this… It’s another scorching hot summer day. You crank up the air conditioning while watching the weather forecast, which predicts yet another “record-breaking” heat wave. It’s starting to feel like just another miserably uncomfortable summer. But what you might not realize is that—if you have diabetes—those rising temps could do far more damage to...
Move Over Yogurt—5 Foods That Pack MORE Probiotics
Let’s talk about your gut. The microbiome is the collection of trillions of bacteria and other tiny organisms that live in and on your body—especially in your gut—and help keep you healthy. I’ve written often about how vital it is to maintain a healthy microbiome. And you might have dutifully added yogurt to your shopping...
Is Your Heart Older Than YOU?
Maybe you feel young for your age. Good energy, decent sleep, eating your veggies. But what if I told you your heart might be a decade older than the rest of you? That’s exactly what researchers at Northwestern University found in a new study published in JAMA Cardiology. The average American woman’s heart is about...