Water And Health

There is a surprising connection between the quality of our water and healthful longevity. There are many health benefits of increasing the amount and quality of the water we drink. All over the world and throughout time‚ wherever you find the healthiest, most contaminant-free water... you find the healthiest‚ most vibrant civilizations.

Once we understand that our body is over 70% water and that water controls virtually every aspect of our health‚ we can begin to understand its true importance. Not just the water we drink‚ but the water that we shower in... cook with... prepare juices‚ teas and coffee with... all affect our health significantly. Water is the foundation of our body, and like any structure... if the foundation is of poor quality, strength and longevity will not be achieved.

Your Body Is A Water Machine

The human body is a water machine‚ designed primarily to run on water and minerals. Every life giving and healing process that happens inside our body... happens with water. In just the last decade medical science has begun to focus more on the tremendous healing ability our body has and how much that ability depends on water. Our body instinctively knows how and strives to sustain youthful longevity‚ and in its every effort... water is the key.

The human body is made up of over 70% water. Our blood is more than 80%‚ our brain ... over 75%‚ and the human liver is an amazing 96% water!

The function of every cell in our body is controlled by electrical signals sent through our nervous system from the brain. Our nerves‚ in reality‚ are an elaborate system of tiny waterways. If the fluid inside our nerves thickens due to dehydration‚ or is contaminated with synthetic chemicals or toxic heavy metals like lead‚ the vital signals can get distorted. Many experts now believe that the distortion of these signals may be the root cause of many degenerative diseases and neurological illnesses like Attention Deficit Disorder‚ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome‚ anxiety‚ depression and even Alzheimer‘s disease.

Considering the major role that water plays in the function of our brain and nervous system‚ its purity is possibly the most basic and essential key to healthy longevity. Proper digestion and nutrient absorption depend on a healthy intake of water. In order for our body to get the nutritional value from our foods and supplements‚ we must consume plenty of good water. Since sugars and carbohydrates are absorbed more rapidly‚ even a slight degree of dehydration can cause us to get the caloric intake without the nutrition from the foods we eat.

Our energy level is greatly affected by the amount of water we drink. It has been medically proven that just a 5% drop in body fluids will cause a 25% to 30% loss of energy in the average person... a 15% drop in body fluids causes death! Water is what our liver uses to metabolize fat into useable energy. It is estimated that over 80% of our population suffers energy loss due to minor dehydration. An increased intake of healthy water will help metabolize and shed stored fat... resulting in more energy and less fat.

Detoxification is probably the single most important component to long term health... and one that relies almost exclusively on an adequate intake of good water. Water is our body‘s only means of flushing out toxins‚ the key to disease prevention. In our industrialized‚ chemical society‚ we are exposed to literally hundreds of harmful substances daily. Our air‚ our foods and everything we touch... contain traces of harmful chemicals. Unfortunately we can‘t keep toxins from getting into our body‚ but we can help our body to get rid of them by drinking plenty of healthy water. The more water we drink... the more we allow our body to purify itself. Almost all degenerative disease is the result of toxins building up in our body.

The quality of the water we drink is equally as important as the amount. If water already contains chlorine and other chemicals‚ it has less of an ability to carry toxins out of our body. If we consume water that contains traces of synthetic chemicals‚ then we force our liver and kidneys to be the filter... ultimately damaging or destroying two of our most vital organs. With an abundant intake of clean‚ healthy water we allow our body to perform all the healing processes that it is naturally capable of.

Prevention And Healing

So many common ailments and illnesses can be prevented and possibly even cured with an increased intake of healthy water. Headaches‚ hypertension‚ back pain‚ arthritis‚ ulcers‚ asthma‚ morning sickness and fatigue can all benefit and in many cases be prevented by regulating the body‘s natural fluid levels. Recently there has been a dramatic swing in medical theory and a long overdue realization about "healing."

The best way to prevent‚ treat‚ and in many cases cure illness is to give our body the right tools and let it go to work. With the proper intake of healthy water‚ the right minerals and nutrients‚ our body can overcome almost anything.

Recent studies have confirmed that many of the medications our society has become dependent on‚ primarily antibiotics and pain relievers‚ often do more harm than good. Antibiotics can be extremely damaging to the liver and have an adverse effect on our natural immune system. The more often we turn to synthetic medicines to overcome infections‚ the weaker our natural defenses become and the more likely we are to have repeated incidences of infection. An increased intake of water and the proper immune enhancing nutrients‚ combined with a little patience and common sense are by far the best defense against most infections. Allowing our body to overcome minor infections with fever‚ fluids and rest increases our natural resistance and makes us less susceptible to these intruders in the future. Truly the best offense is a good "defense."

Pain medications and analgesic medicines also work in contrast to the way our body heals itself. In a very informative book called "Your Body‘s Many Cries For Water" (very highly recommended)‚ studies by medical experts explain how most of the pain sensations we experience are the result of moderate or acute dehydration.

Headaches... Our brain is over 75% water and when it detects a shortage of available fluids it implements a water rationing process by producing histamines‚ causing pain and fatigue. This natural process is meant to slow us down and conserve water. Histamines are released as a warning signal that something is wrong. When we take antihistamines or analgesic medicines like acetaminophen or ibuprofen we simply turn off the signal and often allow the problem to progress. Two cups of water and a 20 minute break will overcome most common headaches.

Back pain is often the result of a deficiency in body fluid levels. The discs in our back are really little hydraulic shock absorbers. These discs are made up of an outer shell‚ filled with fluid‚ primarily water. A properly hydrated disk creates a cushion that absorbs the shock of physical activity and supports the weight of the upper body. These discs are self hydrating as long as there are adequate fluid levels and regular movement. Movement that compresses and releases pressure on the disc creates a suction that allows water to be pulled inside the disc‚ keeping it fully hydrated. When a disc is fully hydrated‚ the shell of the disc supports 25% of the weight load and the fluid supports 75%. When these discs become dehydrated‚ the shell has to support a larger portion of the load causing pain‚ swelling and can possibly lead to more serious problems.

Passive activities like standing or sitting at a desk without regular movement‚ allow constant pressure on the discs which slowly forces water out. Without sufficient fluid levels‚ the pressure on the disc increases and results in pain and stiffness. Simply by maintaining a constant and adequate intake of water combined with regular movement such as bending forward and backwards with your head and upper body allowing the discs to hydrate‚ you can prevent and stop most minor back and neck pain. Try it‚ you‘ll be amazed how easy and effective these natural solutions are.

Hypertension is very often a result of the body adjusting to blood volume loss. The most common cause of lower blood volume is dehydration. Since our blood is more than 83% water its total volume is heavily affected by the level of available water in our body. When the body detects a loss of blood volume‚ it closes off less active capillary beds in order to maintain proper blood flow to the more active areas. These vessel closings cause a rise in tension inside the muscle mass which we‘ve come to know as "hypertension." More water allows proper blood volumes and less tension.

Arthritis pain and stiffness is now understood to be initially a result of increased friction and swelling in the bone joints. Water is what our body uses to lubricate these joints. When our water levels are reduced there is increased friction between the cartilage surfaces resulting in swelling‚ stiffness and pain. The movement of the joints causes a suction that pulls water from the bone marrow to the joint cavity if there is available water. An increased intake of water and gentle rhythmic movements of the joints can ease‚ and in many cases‚ overcome minor arthritic pain. A more detailed explanation of this natural treatment can be studied in "The Body‘s Many Cries For Water" or a recent publication by three very highly respected medical doctors called "The Water We Drink."

Asthma‚ which affects over 12 million children in North America alone and causes the deaths of several thousand each year‚ is a direct result of increased histamine production. Dehydration initiates exaggerated histamine production as a water regulating control. It is well known that asthmatics have excessive levels of histamines in their lung tissue causing constriction of the bronchial passages and increased mucus build up. Water is used in the lungs to keep the tissue moist‚ but each time we exhale‚ we expel moisture from our lungs. Under normal hydrated conditions the moisture is rapidly replaced. If we are in a dehydrated state then the tissue inside the lungs begins to coat with mucus to prevent drying. It has been demonstrated in many animal studies that an increase in water intake will reduce histamine levels and over a 2 to 3 week period restore normal hydration to lung tissue and reduce mucus build up. Once this occurs‚ the bronchial passages begin to open and normal breathing is restored. The same histamine related effects apply to allergies‚ and again‚ significant benefits can result from an increased intake of healthy water.

Morning sickness‚ something thought of as normal‚ is a direct result of dehydration. The fetus lives in a world of water which the body prioritizes above all other needs. Throughout the night‚ which is the longest period without water intake‚ the uterus draws water from the mothers system to maintain its internal fluid levels and those of the fetus. In the morning the mother awakens in a state of dehydration‚ nausea‚ and fatigue‚ hence the term "morning sickness."

A common hang-over produces the same symptoms and has essentially the same cause‚ dehydration... only with a much less noble purpose. Alcohol is a very strong diuretic and causes the body to excrete water‚ often leading to advanced dehydration. Both of these common ailments can be prevented by drinking plenty of water before and throughout the night.

"While water is not an absolute cure-all‚ we must recognize it as the base and primary ingredient to every preventive and healing process inside our body. We are truly a magnificent creation capable of preventing and curing even the worst of disease and illness. Understanding how our body works is the first step towards achieving optimum health. Once we have this understanding‚ our actions begin to work in harmony with our body‘s natural instincts‚ creating the perfect internal environment."
- Charles Strand‚ Water Quality Specialist/ Editor

Contamination And Health

"U.S. drinking water contains more than 2100 toxic chemicals that can cause cancer."
Ralph Nader Research Institute


The following report summarizes factual information on tap water quality and its' affect on human health.

Our hope is that you will take a moment and review this valuable information and consider the alternatives. Increased awareness of this serious issue can only benefit us all. We also hope that you will review the product information offered on Aquasana Pure Water Systems, the highest rated home water filtration products in America. After reading this page you can tour the rest of our site for additional topics of interest or visit our "Factory Direct" product catalog for great savings on Aquasana purchases. Once you have all the facts, the decision is easy.Thank you!

The causes of tap water contamination are many, ranging from agricultural runoff to improper use of household chemicals and everything in between. Few of us realize the extent or impact of these low level synthetic chemicals in the water we use. While the standard use in our society of over 80‚000 different synthetic chemicals has offered added convenience and productivity in our lives‚ it has also come at a tremendous price... drastic increases in degenerative disease.

In the early 1900s‚ before chlorine‚ pesticides‚ herbicides and the tens of thousands of other chemicals that we are exposed to every day‚ the average American had a 1 in 50 chance of getting cancer‚ today 1 in 3 can expect to get cancer in their lifetime‚ 1 in every 2 males.

Our use of man-made chemicals has become so extreme that we can now find traces of these low level SOCs (synthetic organic chemicals) in virtually every public water supply around the world. A recent report by the Ralph Nader Study Group‚ after reviewing over 10‚000 documents acquired through the Freedom Of Information Act‚ confirmed that "U.S. drinking water contains more than 2100 toxic chemicals that can cause cancer."

We've learned that any chemical we use in our society, will eventually wind up in our water supplies. There is no "new" water! Our planet re-uses the same water over and over. And as our use of SOCs increases, so does the toxicity of our water. Earth's natural filtration process is not effective at removing these toxic SOCs... nor is municipal water treatment. Industry, agriculture and individuals... all contribute to the problem. Many of the contaminants found in water can be traced back to improper or excessive use of ordinary compounds like lawn chemicals‚ gasoline, drycleaning solvents and cleaning products.

Once we realize that everything that goes down the drain‚ on our lawns‚ on our agricultural fields or into the environment by any means... eventually winds up in the water we drink‚ we begin to see just how vunerable our water supplies really are.

Our municipal water treatment facilities do not remove SOCs and typically only consist of sand bed filtration and disinfection‚ much like a standard swimming pool filter. For the most part‚ today‘s water treatment facilities are much the same as they were at the turn of the century, filter out the visable particles and add bleach!

"Drinking water plants are old and out of date‚ and water supplies are increasingly threatened by and contaminated by chemicals and microorganisms." Natural Resources Defense Council.

"The way we guarantee safe drinking water is broken and needs to be fixed." Carol Browner‚ U.S. EPA Chief.

One of America‘s leading authorities on water contamination‚ Dr. David Ozonoff of the Boston University Of Public Health states‚ "the risk of disease associated with public drinking water has passed from the theoretical to the real."

Many illnesses that in the past could not be linked to a probable cause have now been linked to toxins in our drinking water.
"While levels of these carcenogens (SOCs) in drinking water are low, it is precisely these low levels that carcenogenists belive to be responsible for the majority of human cancers in the U.S."
U.S. Council On Environmental Quality


The use of pesticides and herbicides has become so excessive that they are now commonly found in household tap water and bottled water with alarming frequency.

A 1998 study of 29 major U.S. cities by the Environmental Working Group found that all 29 cities had traces of at least one weed killer in the drinking water. The report titled "Weed Killers By The Glass" went on to say that "Millions of Americans are routinely exposed to one or more pesticides in a single glass of tap water."

These first ever "tap water testings" found two or more pesticides in the drinking water of 27 of the 29 cities‚ three or more in 24 cities‚ four or more in 21 cities‚ five or more in 18 cities‚ six or more in 13 cities and seven or more pesticides in the tap water of 5 major U.S. cities. In Fort Wayne‚ Indiana‚ nine different pesticides were found in a single glass of tap water!

As a startling side note‚ it was reported that in these 29 cities‚ 45‚000 infants drank formula mixed with tap water containing weed killers and that "over half of these infants were swallowing 4 to 9 chemicals in every bottle!"

The tragic health effects of consuming these highly toxic chemicals are magnified many times over for small children because their systems are more sensitive and still developing. Small children also consume a much larger volume of fluids per pound of body weight and therefore get a bigger dose‚ yet none of these factors are considered when the EPA‘s maximum contaminant levels are set. The National Academy of Sciences issued a report in 1993 on this subject and stated "children are not little adults and their bodies are less developed and simply incapable of detoxifying certain harmful compounds."

Another major flaw in the estimated risks of chemicals in our drinking water is the false assumption that only that one chemical is being consumed. The regulations are set based on what is assumed safe for a 175 pound adult drinking water with only one chemical present and does not take into account the combined toxicity of two or more chemicals.

In a 1995 Science Advisory Report to the EPA‚ it was stated that "when two or more of these contaminants combine in our water the potency may be increased by as much as 1000 times!"

It has been shown that areas with the highest levels of these SOCs in their water supplies also have the highest incidence of cancer.

Jacquelyn Warren of the Natural Resources Defense Council commented on this subject‚ "The one thing we know for sure about toxins in our drinking water is that the more we look the more we find."

Answers To Your Water Questions

Question: Is bottled water or filtered water better?

Answer: While much bottled water is of good quality, there are little or no regulations or means of ensuring bottled water quality... it is a self-policed industry for the most part. In contrast, the home water treatment industry is very heavily regulated. Manufacturers must do extensive testing and reporting to prove their products effectiveness at providing quality water. Manufacturers are required to supply "Performance Data Sheets" demonstrating the products ability to remove certain contaminants; bottled water companies are not required to demonstrate their waters quality. See Bottled Water, Is It Better?

Question: What is TDS?

Answer: Total Dissolved Solids, the total measurement by weight of all solids that are dissolved in water. The dissolved solids in water are primarily calcium and magnesium and would not be a measurement of contamination. Tests which measure the conductivity of water (often used by companies selling reverse osmosis and distillation system ) only give a rough estimate of dissolved solids, mostly minerals, and do not show water quality. Implying that these tests show water quality is highly misleading and should be considered unethical.

Question: Is Chlorine harmful?

Answer: Chlorine was first added to a community water system in 1908 in Chicago and was instrumental in eliminating many types of water-borne disease such as Cholera and Typhoid fever. Prior to chlorination, many major cities had death tolls of 1 in 1000 people from Typhoid alone. Chlorine has been used to disinfect municipal water for over 80 years and has had some positive effects on public health. In the 1970's it was discovered that chlorine, when added to water, forms Trihalomethanes (chlorinated by-products) by combining with certain naturally occurring organic matter such as vegetation and algae. In 1992 the American Journal of Public Health published a report that showed a 15% to 35% increase in certain types of cancer for people who consume chlorinated water. This report also stated that much of these effects were due to showering in chlorinated water. The National Cancer Institute estimates cancer risks for people who consume chlorinated water to be up to 93% higher than for people who do not. The effects of drinking chlorinated water have been debated for decades. However, most experts now agree that there are some significant risks related to consuming chlorine and chlorinated by-products in drinking water.
Chlorine and Cancer

Question: Why do some areas test negative for chlorine?

Answer: Virtually all city water systems contain some level of chlorine. The level will vary based on outdoor temperature, the season, distance from water utility and current usage. While chlorine may sometimes be undetectable on a certain day with a standard OTO test kit, that level can change dramatically day to day. Also some cities use ammonia at certain times as a disinfectant in order to reduce chlorination by products. Without chlorine the dangers of water borne disease would be too significant. An undetectable chlorine level, on a certain day, does not eliminate the need for an effective home filtration system.

Question: What do you do if you have water contaminated by radioactive matter?

Answer: Move! Radioactive water is not very common in this country and is a more serious problem than should be dealt with by a home water filtration system. Many people confuse the contaminant "Radon" with radioactivity when in fact they are quite different. Radon is produced from decaying Uranium ore and can be effectively removed by carbon filtration.

Question: What are VOCs?

Answer: Volatile Organic Chemicals are synthetic compounds that turn into vapor at relatively low temperatures. VOCs typically vaporize at a much lower temperature than water. Most synthetic chemicals found in water, such as pesticides and herbicides, are VOCs.

Question: Do people on private wells need to use shower filters?

Answer: There are many health and cosmetic benefits to removing chemicals and compounds from shower water, even on non-chlorinated private wells. Virtually all ground water contains traces of some chemical or chemicals that can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled. Also the Aquasana shower filter system helps balance the waters pH, which is also a very noticeable cosmetic benefit.

Question: What is the best container for storing filtered water?

Answer: Glass is always best, however if glass is not practical, then a high grade polycarbonate material is best. Clear plastic bottles and pitchers with a #1 in the recycle triangle on the bottom, like the bottles used by Evian and the higher quality bottled waters, are the best option for water storage since they have been shown to release the lowest levels of plastic component chemicals into water. Translucent, colored or bottles with a number other than 1 on the bottom should be avoided because there is the possibility of higher levels of chemicals leeching into the water from the plastic.

Question: Do water treatment products require FDA approval?

Answer: No. However, the certifications which apply to the Aquasana products require proof that all wet component materials meet FDA requirements for food grade materials. The performance claims of the Aquasana 4000 system have been validated and certified by the California Department of Health Services and include toxicology extraction tests to show no harmful release of any substance into the filtered water.

Question: Are whole house systems (P.O.E.- point-of-entry) better than counter-top filters (P.O.U.- point-of-use)?

Answer: P.O.U. systems are by far the best way to ensure the highest quality water since many water-borne contaminants come from the plumbing in your house, especially lead and vinyl chloride from the piping. By filtering water at the point-of-use you remove contaminants just prior to consumption, eliminating the chance of recontamination. Point-of-entry systems offer certain benefits but do not replace the benefits of point-of-use filtration.

Question: What are the benefits of magnetic water treatment?

Answer: While there are manufacturers that make beneficial claims for magnetic water treatment, there are no credible studies or documentation that magnetics offer any measurable benefits for drinking water, consumers should beware of undocumented claims.

Question: How do you know if there are contaminants in your water?

Answer: All public water systems contain some level of one or more unhealthful chemicals. Regulations only require periodic testing of about 90 chemicals. There are now more than 75,000 chemicals used in our society with over 1000 new ones being developed each year. Contaminant levels fluctuate throughout the year making it impossible to know the actual level of contamination in a central water system. So far over 2100 toxic chemicals have been detected in America's water systems. The risk is high; the cost for a sure solution is low, 9 cents per gallon with Aquasana.
See What's in my water?

Question: Are some people more sensitive to chemicals in drinking water and shower water than others?

Answer: Definitely, small children and the elderly are especially more affected by contaminants in water due to a reduced capacity to deal with toxins and an under-developed or less tolerant immune system.

Question: If my municipal water company's Annual Water Quality Report shows that it meets all EPA guidelines, does that mean its safe?

Answer: On October 1st 1999 a new federal law went into effect that requires water utilities to send each customer a detailed report showing what is in their water, appropriately called "The Right To Know Amendment." The most important thing to remember is that no matter how insistent these reports are that "contaminants in your water do not necessarily pose a health risk", any level of contamination in our drinking water does in fact represent a danger to our health. Of the over 75,000 toxic chemicals used in our society, the EPA has only set standards (MCLs) for about 90, and those 90 Maximum Contaminant Levels are not necessarily set on "health effects." The EPA considers limited health studies based on consumption of one certain chemical by a 175 lb. adult when setting these standards. No consideration is given to the effects on small children or the combined effects of two or more contaminants, which some studies show are magnified by as much as 1000 times. Water utilities are only required to test for the 90 contaminants that the EPA has set standards for.

Nobody knows how many toxic chemicals may actually be in tap water. According to the Ralph Nader Research Group, after reviewing thousands of pages of EPA documents acquired through the Freedom of Information Act, more than 2100 toxic chemicals have already been detected in U.S. water supplies. Virtually all public water systems have some level of contamination. The water utilities are usually quick to point out that the chemicals found in their water are "below EPA's Maximum Levels", and in most cases they are. The fact is that even the smallest trace of a toxic chemical causes damage and science is just now starting to realize to what extent. In a recent report from the National Cancer Institute to the Surgeon General it was stated that "No level of exposure to a chemical carcinogen should be considered toxicologically insignificant to humans," and we are learning the hard way the truth of this statement.

If you have any questions not answered in this section please refer to our Products page or contact us at Filter4Life@pa.net.

Click now to see our entire line of Water Filters