Why is filtered water better

While some believe filter water will improve health, this is not the case, he said. Water filtration systems often trap low concentrations of carbon and other chemicals not removed by treatment plants.

One thing filter water users need to be mindful for is switching out their filters in their pitchers. Chlorine is another sticking point for some. Bottled water: Companies that create bottled water technically do not follow federal, provincial or municipal guidelines, but as product-makers, most ensure their product is high-quality, Gehr said.

Bottled water also goes through a purification process. This includes disinfecting the water and sometimes adding minerals. In Canada, Nestle Pure Life is natural spring water. But not all people living in Canada have access to safe drinking water. The chief of Eabametoong First Nation added tests of water quality showed high levels of chemicals that are byproducts of treatment materials like chlorine interacting with naturally occurring compounds.

The community continues to be on a boil water advisory for almost two decades. The Council of Canadians added there are more than drinking water advisories in First Nations across the country. Another concern is around bottled water and waste.

Last month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada was looking into a ban of single-use plastics by Gehr added in some cases, bottled water is often more convenient for people on the go — travelling or camping, for example.

But he, too, added Canadians need to be aware the cost and resources it takes to bottle water. What better benefit of filtered water could there be than saving the planet?! Another common contaminant in tap water supplies is heavy metals. Quantities of mercury, lead, arsenic and dioxins, to name but a few, have all been found present in water supplies across the UK. Despite the fact that these are only found in small concentrations, the true extent of the implications of consuming them through water remain unclear.

Lead, for example, is known to be extremely harmful and has been linked to a range of health problems in humans. A Clinical Biochemistry study found a link between postnatal lead toxicity and the development of autism. Other studies have also linked lead exposure to prostate problems in men and reproductive issues for both men and women.

The key improvements a water filter can make to your drinking water quality are not limited to simply removing contaminants. Depending on the quality of the filter, your water can be enhanced to the point where you actually receive a much higher level of hydration than you would from standard tap water.

Alkaline filters can enhance the mineral content of your tap water along with improving its pH level meaning a far superior level of hydration than basic tap water. Water with an enhanced mineral content can also aid in improving your digestion. As stated above proper hydration you can gain from a water filter makes it easier for your body to transport minerals and nutrients throughout your body.

Gaining this optimal level of nutrients not only makes you feel better but also helps digest soluble fibre making the whole digestion process much simpler. While this improvement may not be possible with all standard water filters, alkaline water filters have been found to reduce the condition known as acid reflux or heartburn. As alkaline water alters the pH level of drinking water, it can help to neutralise the acidic build-up that causes that uncomfortable burning sensation in your oesophagus.

One of the most underrated tips for maintaining healthy, clear skin is drinking plenty of water. Water with an improved mineral content has a direct effect on hydrating your skin by flushing toxins out of your body more effectively.

The absence of chlorine in your drinking water will also aid your pursuit of healthier skin because chlorine is known to deplete the natural oils of your hair and skin. Drinking water is also reputed to be effective in reducing your appetite. How can water be anti-oxidant I hear you ask. ORP is the ability of one liquid substance to reduce the oxidation levels of another. A Phox filter lowers the ORP level of your water, giving it anti-oxidant properties.

There are few things in life held in higher esteem than a good cuppa. We all have a very particular way that we enjoy tea and anyone who makes it had better know how we like it before they reach for the kettle! In areas where the water is particularly hard or where limescale is a big problem, a water filter makes all the difference when it comes time for a cuppa. As we touched upon in reason 12, a countertop water filter can help you to remove limescale from your drinking water.

On the contrary, analysis on German mineral water, stored in PET, glass and TetraPak bottles, demonstrate a significantly elevated estrogenic activity in 12 of 20 brands Ref. In an updated study, bioanalytical techniques and in vivo experiments with molluskan model are used to determine the estrogenicity of bottled water. The estrogenic activity of bottled water form PET containers is approximately twice compared to products from glass bottles Ref. Furthermore 29 glass and plastic bottles sold to consumers in Southern Spain were tested by the University of Granada.

All of the water samples analyzed showed hormonal activity Endocrine-disrupting chemicals EDCs. Estrogens at pollutant levels have been linked with breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. Estrogens also perturb fish physiology and can affect reproductive development in both domestic and wild animals. Screening of estrogen-like activity of mineral water stored in PET bottles.

Pinto B, Reali D. Int J Hyg Environ Health. Endocrine disruptors in bottled mineral water: total estrogenic burden and migration from plastic bottles.

Wagner M, Oehlmann J. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. Endocrine disruptors in bottled mineral water: estrogenic activity in the E-Screen. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. Screening of hormone-like activities in bottled waters available in Southern Spain using receptor-specific bioassays. Environmental impact of estrogens on human, animal and plant life: A critical review, The bottles contained an average of In one bottle 10, plastic particles per 1 liter.

For microplastic debris around microns in size, about the diameter of a human hair, bottled water samples contained nearly twice as many pieces of microplastic per liter Bottled and tap water may contain microbial contaminants. Verdict: Generally mineral water is safe to drink, containing minerals with proven health benefits.

We were warned to drink tap water in some places during short visits as sensitive tummies might take time to adopt to the local bacteria culture but that was it. Since then a growing interest in health, new research about water contaminants e.

People are right to be concerned and increased awareness for a fluid that we consume liters of everyday is great. What is not good is that too many people have given up healthy tap water for bottled water due to these concerns. In reality, water regulation and treatment technologies have vastly improved during this period and tap water quality is very likely better today.

Examples of recent improvements include stringent regulation, filtering and monitoring of nitrates in germany. Source: USDA. Tap water can be a clinically significant source of magnesium, another mineral essential to the human body. Magnesium supports blood cell turnover and the immune system. We also compared well known mineral water brands to tap water in Barcelona and concluded that the tap water in Barcelona has higher mineral content than almost all mineral water. This is generally true for cities with hard water.

Most water providers offer frequently updated water quality reports online including minerals, contaminants and other substances. In Europe a good starting point can be EU water directives per country. Drinking water is delivered via 7 million kilometers of pipes across Europe.

Euractiv 2 May Blufield Research 16 Sep In , the American Academy of Pediatrics issued, Prevention of Childhood Lead Toxicity, outlining the scope of child lead exposure, its health impacts, and management guidance. The report asserts that there is no safe level of lead in blood.

Is lead still a problem in Europe? Dec Published reports have revealed increased risk of colorectal cancers in people exposed to chlorinated drinking water or chemical derivatives of chlorination. There is also inconclusive evidence from observational studies that disinfection by-products DBPs in drinking water are associated with colorectal cancer.

This meta-analysis of the best available epidemiological evidence indicates that long term consumption of chlorinated drinking water is associated with bladder cancer, particularly in men.

A Committee Opinion on Lead Screening During Pregnancy and Lactation by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists outlines the available evidence related to lead exposure and maternal-fetal health. While the opinion does not recommend routine blood-lead testing for all pregnant women, it recommends steps for pregnant and lactating women whose blood levels exceed certain thresholds.

This review showed that various meta-analyses and pooled analyses have found statistically significant excess risk for some indicator of exposure to chlorinated water or trihalomethanes and bladder and colorectal cancer, small for gestational age, stillbirth, all congenital anomalies combined and ventricular septal defects, but no statistical significant excess risk for many other congenital anomalies.

The excess risk was generally small, but robust, with little sensitivity to the results of individual studies or evidence of publication bias. Over the past 10 years there have been frequent alerts about pharmaceuticals and in particular birth control pills. Although the risk of birth control pills in particular has been debunked there are other pharmaceutical residues to be concerned about.

On the other hand recent studies have concluded that esterogen from tap water most like poses a small risk compared to other sources such as milk with x. Read more about microplastics in bottled water and tap water.

Source: OrbMedia September Verdict: Public tap water is generally safe to drink. Some tap water also has the same amount of minerals as the most mineral rich bottled water. However, just like with mineral water there are risks due to well known contaminants such as lead, chlorine bi-products and new ones like microplastics and pharmaceuticals.

Home water filters are nothing new but recent advancements have made the filtering process better, the filters easier to install and use, reduced cost and vastly improved sustainability. This means that having a water filter installed at home is now feasible for any household in Europe.

So is filtered water healthier and what are the benefits of filtered water? The choice of water filter will impact the quality of the water a lot. In some cases the filtered water might be worse than tap water due to bacteria growth on the filter or removal of all minerals. Choose a filter that suits your needs in terms of installation, contaminant removal, volume filtered and cost. Generally the best value for money and sufficient filtration for Europe is a faucet filter with a carbon block also referred to as PAC Filter or Charcoal Filter.

Read more in our water filter comparison. As outlined in this document both tap water and bottled water is facing major challenges with contamination and aging infrastructure. Some of these problems such as microplastics will take decades to solve. Therefore point of use filters that removes or vastly reduces such contaminants can reduce the risk of contamination and thus improve the health of individual households.

Some filters such as reverse osmosis remove all good and bad content of the water. This means that there are no minerals left after the filter process.