What are you drinking? Toxins in our water supply

In March 2008, a report on CNN gave us the disturbing news that drinking water in many communities was contaminated with an array of prescription medications. This concerns us because we recognize that drinking pure water is an Essential of health. In light of this disturbing report, how are we to protect ourselves and nurture our wellness? Where can we find safe water?

Source of the problem
How did our water supply become contaminated? One way this can happen is by people flushing unused prescriptions down the toilet. These drugs end up in wastewater treatment plants, where they may percolate down into the water table over time. However, unused drugs are a minor source of watershed contamination. A major source of contamination comes from the medications people actually take.

Medications must be metabolized by the liver and other detoxification organs in order to be used by the patient. These drugs are then excreted through the urine. They are then available to percolate down into the water supply which may have an impact on our health. Common drugs that are detected in our water include antibiotics, birth control hormones and antidepressants.

Protecting ourselves – and getting clean water
There are many opinions about just how hazardous these drugs are to our health. Certainly, the amounts are very, very small compared to prescription strength medications. Just as certain, humans were never meant to drink drug-contaminated water. We need pure water for nutrient transport and detoxification. How we get that pure, clean water is surprisingly simple.

* Insulation
Our digestive system is remarkably sensitive to contamination. It is a barrier that protects us from toxins when it is functioning properly. We can insulate ourselves from medications in the water supply by increasing the efficiency of our digestion. Eating foods and using supplements containing special short-chain fibers will increase the ability of our system to “barrier protect” us from water contaminants. A major problem with short-chain fiber is that it is found in foods with a bitter taste – chicory and Jerusalem artichokes are good examples. The solution to this problem is found in supplements such as a Digestive Enzyme Complex.

Another special protective supplement is Non-Acidic Vitamin C Crystals. Even a small amount, such as a teaspoon in a quart of water, will increase protection from waterborne toxins. Other foods and supplements that reduce stress and improve digestion will also help insulate us from toxins.

* Isolation
Isolation from drugs in the water is a bit more difficult. Tap water is a problem and bottled water is no solution (it is usually taken from municipal tap-water sources anyway). Bottled water taken from sources specified as pristine and uncontaminated are a good alternative; be wary and use common sense in selecting these products. For a better alternative water please check out Kangen water and its wonderful health benefits at www.balanced-vitality.com

One effective way of removing medications from the water is by using inexpensive carbon block or carbon granular filters. More expensive reverse osmosis and distillation units are less effective at removing drugs, though they are certainly more effective at removing other contaminants.

We need water to live, to deliver nutrients to our cells, and to detoxify our bodies. A tragedy of our times is that our water supply is contaminated with medical waste in the form of prescription drugs. Insulating ourselves with nutrients should be our primary concern. Isolating ourselves from water contamination is also very important.

With nutrients and nurturing we can often reduce the need for medications. And reducing the need for drugs in our bodies is the first step toward reducing the drugs in our water!

Friday Fun Facts

Fact #1:
Try it and C the difference.
A new study adds to the evidence that vitamin C supplements can lower concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), a central biomarker of inflammation that has been shown to be a powerful predictor of heart disease and diabetes. The study shows that for healthy, non-smoking adults with an elevated level of CRP, a daily dose of vitamin C lowered levels of the inflammation biomarker after two months compared with those who took a placebo.

However, participants who did not start out with elevated CRP levels saw no benefit from vitamin C supplementation. "This is an important distinction; treatment with vitamin C is ineffective in persons whose levels of CRP are less than 1 milligram per liter, but very effective for those with higher levels," said the lead researcher.

DFH provides vitamin C in many forms including, C+ Bio Fizz, Stellar C and Buffered vitamin C powder.

Source: Vitamin C treatment reduces elevated C-reactive protein.


Fact #2:
Is it feed a fever and starve a cold or feed a cold and starve a fever?
A University of Calgary scientist confirms that it is how our immune system responds, not the rhinovirus itself that causes cold symptoms. In the past, researchers have measured specific compounds made by the body that may protect against a cold or may be triggered by a cold virus. This is the first time anyone has conducted a comprehensive assessment of what happens when a rhinovirus infects a person. This is also the first time researchers have established that a recently discovered antiviral protein called viperin plays a role in our body’s defense against rhinovirus.

Source: Gene expression profiles during in vivo human rhinovirus infection: insights into the host response.


Fact #3:
Forever young.
A recent study has demonstrated that cell replication and metabolism is negatively impacted when human endothelial cells and fibroblasts are grown in a culture that is deficient in magnesium. The scientists go on to say, “we propose that broadly correcting nutritional intakes of Mg might contribute to healthier aging and the prevention of age-related diseases.”

Both DFH’s Magnesium Glycinate Chelate and Magnesium Malate Chelate, are from Albion Advanced Nutrition.

Source: A connection between magnesium deficiency and aging: new insights from cellular studies.


Fact #4:
…and younger and younger…
Supplementation with L-carnitine may restore natural losses of the nutrient that occur with age, according to a new study using rat models. Researchers report that supplementation with L-carnitine led to increases in the levels of L-carnitine in rat muscle cells, improving muscle capabilities as well as inducing positive changes in body composition in the old animals.

DFH has recently introduced its latest carnitine product, Carnitine Fumarate Synergy.

Source: L-carnitine supplementation and physical exercise restore age-associated decline in some mitochondrial functions in the rat.


Fact #5:
Croup may not be exclusively viral after all.
Children who suffer from several occurrences of croup should be evaluated for reflux disorders, says new research. Researchers noted many episodes of croup could be averted if it was determined that reflux was a component of the patient's diagnosis and proper preventive treatment could be prescribed.

To learn more about pediatric acid reflux, eczema and food allergies, click here to listen to Wednesday’s Clinical Rounds discussion with Connie Marci.

Source: Etiology of Pediatric Recurrent Croup. Presenters: Harlan R Muntz, MD; Ryan VanWoerkom, MD. Date: September 21, 2008, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm (all times CDT). Adapted from materials provided by American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery.