WATER AND OUR HEALTH

The Principle of HYDRATION is one of our 21 Principles of HEALTHY LIVING. Dehydration is a CONTRIBUTING FACTOR to many disease conditions. Just as water is needed for health, bad water or contaminated water can also cause certain diseases. There are water-borne diseases and water-related diseases. This is the reason that we must ensure that our source of water is clean and safe.

COMMON SOURCES OF WATER

• Rain water
• Municipal water
• Well water
• Borehole water
• Rivers/Streams/Lakes
• Spring water

WATER CHLORINATION & FLUORIDATION; ARE THEY SAFE?

The fluoridation and chlorination of public or municipal water have raised many health concerns among health enthusiasts. Even though we have been assured that fluoride in water has a beneficial effect on public health, especially for our teeth and bones, yet there have been studies that have indicated quite the opposite. The same applies to water chlorination. Fluoride has been linked to bone fractures, fluorosis, thyroid problems, and a couple of other health challenges. Both fluorine and chlorine are Halogens. They belong to Group 7 in the periodic Table. Both of them can compete with iodine in the body, thus leading to thyroid disorders. Therefore, I will generally advise that we stay away from fluoridated and chlorinated water. Some of the water purification products out there are chlorine-based and should also be avoided by all means for good reasons. A few of the popular water purification machines on the market today are nothing more than chlorine dispensing machines. I will rather boil my water to kill the germs than to contaminate or poison my water with chlorine.

WATER CONTAINERS:

Water containers are another source of concern. Plastic can leach into our water and contaminate it. So, it’s better to store our water in glass bottles. If we must use plastics, then it must be BPA-free plastic. BPA is the abbreviation for Bisphenol-A. It is present in most plastic products out there and it can leach into water. BPA is a hormone disruptor and some even suggest it is carcinogenic (i.e cancer-causing). Dioxin is another toxin that can leach from plastic into its water content. The more we re-use plastic bottles, the weaker the chemical bonding among the molecules become and the more migration (i.e. the leaching of toxic plastic molecules into the content of the plastic bottle) takes place. Therefore, plastic must not be re-used, rather recycled. One of the significant changes that we must all make in our homes is to replace all plastic bottles in the refrigerator with glass bottles.

PROPERTIES OF HEALTH GIVING WATER

Water that will benefit our health significantly must possess certain qualities. First, it must be pure. It must be mineral-rich, alkaline, and structured. This creates what is often referred to as ‘wet’ water as opposed to ‘dry’ water. ‘Wet’; water hydrates the body much better.

There are different ways to purify, mineralize, alkalize, and structure your water. Investing in a Water Purifier and Water Revitalizer is a great investment in your family’s health. Please visit www.havilahhealth.org to view these products. They are available in Nigeria at Havilah Health Haven Ltd, Suite 42, Block A, 1^st Floor, ALAUSA SHOPPING MALL, Radio Bus-Stop, Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.