Did you know that when you ingest or are injected with prescription drugs, your body doesn’t necessarily use everything? Excess drugs are excreted as waste material.
That’s good news for your body since pharmaceuticals can be very hard on your system, it’s not good news for the ecosystem since these residues work their way into our waterways and water processing plants - and ultimately into our water supply. What does this mean for the relationship between water and your body?
Things You Need to Know about Municipal Water
Tap water has been unsafe for a very long time. Tap water may contain toxic chemicals, some known carcinogens, added to make it "safe" for drinking. Three of the poisons that can be found in faucet water are chlorine, fluoride, and arsenic, a Category 1 carcinogen (cancer causing agent).
The newest acknowledgment of prescription drugs in waterways is one more toxin added to an already contaminated water supply and prescription medications are not easily filtered.
The drugs are not present in large quantities but they are a contaminant. This means you may be ingesting them continuously over a period of years and we don’t yet know what the long-term effects of such intake will be.
Studies are showing that the effects are already manifesting in fish (male fish producing female egg yolk proteins) and even earthworms and zooplankton. Antibiotics, for example, are less and less effective as treatments for ailments in humans, due to excessive prescribing practices. Bacteria have the ability to adapt to the antibiotics. Antibiotics in open water give bacteria more time to mutate.
How pervasive is the concern?
In America, traces of drugs are found in nearly every source of drinking water, including:
- Bottled drinking water – many bottlers do not test water for drugs right now and many just repackage tap water.
- Well-water – people dig these under the mistaken belief that this is a safe way to collect the most healthful drinking water.
- Home filtration systems – most don’t filter everything and they can get contaminated with drug residue.
- Aquifers which are deep underground water systems – they supply us with 40% of our drinking water in the United States and are also becoming effected in rural areas.
The business of prescription & over-the-counter medications
Prescription drugs are a major business in this country. Medical professionals have a history of pushing chemicals before natural, alternative treatments. These chemicals are designed to inhibit one function or another in the body and supposedly treat the symptoms of disease instead of the root cause.
One medication often leads to the necessity of taking another one. Don’t take my word for it; read the possible side effects that come with your medications. Side effects, like diarrhea, constipation, bloating, itchiness, and more, may cause you to return to the doctor for another prescription drug or suggestion for over-the-counter relief. This cycle is almost self-perpetuating.
What’s being done to fix the concern?
Not everyone is in denial about the true safety of municipal water. There are those who persist in trying to help the environment. For example, Benjamin H. Grumbles, assistant administrator for water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has stated that his group takes the threat seriously.
Water suppliers are searching for ways to filter the impurities from the water. New screening methods must be developed to find the different chemicals. As states become more aware of the concern; they are implementing rules and guidelines to affect change. Several states are now requiring that testing be done and the appropriate filtration practices be implemented. Testing is being done to determine which method is the most effective.
Reverse osmosis is being studied, along with carbon filtration and other means of cleaning water. It may be that a combination of techniques and pre and post filtering may get the most done.
What Can You Do?
First, drink purified bottled water or distilled water. If you’re not drinking purified water, start. It’s the safest and healthiest thing that you can do for your body, since water sustains your body’s life force. Your body has enough work to do and doesn’t need to be hindered.
Our bodies already have a first line of defense, our immune systems. Take care of your body and search for natural methods to replace the need for prescription medication. Remember, there are alternatives. If you do drink distilled water be sure to add a small amount of organic raw apple cider vinegar to replace the minerals lost during the distillation process.
Next, consider the water that comes into your home. I recommend a high-tech, water purifier system or even a high-quality filter pitcher that filters toxins from the water.
†Results may vary. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician.
