Adding fluoride to water began in the United States as early as 1801, but was not implemented as a nationwide policy until the mid 1950s.
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The motivation then is the same as now – by adding no more than 4 or 5 milligrams per liter of water, dental cavities in children were found to be greatly reduced.
Chlorination of water began in the late 19th century in England and Germany. Within 10 years, the practice spread to the more industrialized and urban sectors of the northeastern United States.
The reason for chlorinating public drinking water supplies is to eliminate disease-causing pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and protozoan.
| Best Water Filter | Best Water Filter | Why We Like It |
|---|---|---|
 | 1. ZeroWater 10 Cup Pitcher | It produces the only filtered water to fit the FDA definition of purified bottled water. |
 | 2. AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis System | Its reverse osmosis technology that produces a quart of water every four minutes and does not require an in-depth installation. |
 | 3. APEC Top Tier 5-Stage Ultra Safe Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System | The under-the-sink installation provides the most effective home water filtration system available. |
What’s the problem?
While the World Health Organization still generally approves of added chlorine and fluoride, many other groups have eschewed the practice. The European Commission finds no advantage to fluoridation, especially when compared to topical use in toothpastes.
The FDA and its international counterparts have declared fluoride in water as a drug, as it does not affect the purity of the water. Therefore, as many scholars and politicians have argued, by ‘drugging’ public water supplies, governments and water agencies are effectively administering it without consent, an unethical practice in virtually all developed countries. This is the primary basis upon which virtually all (97%) of Western European water supplies remain un-fluoridated.
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Fluoride in water does not mean healthier teeth
Additionally, studies in Canada, Germany, and Finland indicate that when fluoridation of public drinking water was ended, tooth decay did not go up. This indicates that there is not a correlation between fluoride in drinking water and a reduction of tooth decay. With regular usage of fluoride toothpaste, there is essentially no reason to fluoridate public drinking water supplies.
Is chlorine carcinogenic?
According to the United States Council of Environmental Quality, there is a 93% increase in cancer risk to those who drink chlorinated water, compared to those who do not. The harmful pathogens in drinking water supplies can generally be filtered out using benign methods such as silver filtration (common in many Latin American countries), indicating that it is possible to purify drinking water without potentially harmful chlorination.
So what can we do?
Well, there are a few options. You could just continue drinking potentially harmful chemically treated water, or make a change. While bottled spring and mineral water is amply available, switching to regular use of these options comes with its own potential problems. The cost, the environmental impact, and the shadowy production and sourcing policies of bottled water do not make it a particularly conscientious solution.
As is often the case for procuring healthy alternatives to problematic food and drink, home remedies may be the best options. From involved reverse osmosis systems to simple filtering pitchers, there are many options for ridding your tap water of harmful additives.
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ZeroWater 10 Cup Pitcher
The ZeroWater 10 Cup Pitcher appears to be similar to many other water filtering pitchers, though its functionality is much more effective than its competition. This filter is the only National Sanitation Foundation approved for reduction of all harmful additives, included fluoride and chlorine as well as many others, such as lead and chromium.
The patented ion exchange system with 5 stage filtration technology makes this filter the only available filter providing absolute 000 parts per million on the total dissolved solids meter, a unit of measuring the amount of various elemental additives. It produces the only filtered water to fit the FDA definition of purified bottled water.
AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis System
One of the downsides of filtering pitchers is the limited capacity. If you need to provide safe drinking water for a whole dinner party, you’ll be frantically refilling the pitcher and stuck waiting for it to filter your tap water. This is when a more advanced reverse osmosis system can be beneficial. Enter the AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis System.
This important advance in reverse osmosis technology is singular in that it is the first system of its kind to not require an in-depth installation in your plumbing. It creates certifiably purified water, with only 3 minutes of set up. This system effectively removes 74 different registered contaminants, including fluoride and chlorine. It uses natural water pressure to create a quart every 4 minutes, rather than the gallon-a-day protocol of other machines. Find this system at Amazon.
APEC Top Tier 5-Stage Ultra Safe Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System
The APEC Top Tier 5-Stage Ultra Safe Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System is the industry standard of bona fide, under-the-sink workhorse filtration devices. Although this filtration system is a more involved system that does require installation, it will provide the most effective home water filtration system available.
The APEC system removes up to 99% of all contaminants, including harmful metals, protozoan, bacteria, and other elements. The heavy-duty construction guarantees years of noiseless, trouble-free filtration. The APEC team of WQA-certified technicians offers lifetime support, meaning you can troubleshoot your system for the entirety of its lifespan. Although you will need some tools and some plumbing know-how (or be willing to enlist the help of a plumber or knowledgeable friend), the efficacy and durability of this system makes it all worthwhile. See this system at Amazon.
No excuses for contaminated water
With so many different systems of effective water filtration on the market, there is no reason not to protect yourself and your family against the dangers of fluoride, chlorine, and other nasty additives. Invest in your health by investing in a water filtration system today!
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Water Filter FAQ:
What does reverse osmosis remove from water?
Reverse osmosis (RO) is effective at removing lots of things from water. The reverse osmosis system is a process that reverses the natural flow of water in osmosis this causes the water to pass through a concentrated solution, a dilute solution and then a semi-permeable membrane.
With the filters small pore size, it can be effective at removing protozoa, bacteria, and viruses. There is, of course, a chance for bacteria and viruses to get through if they are smaller than the pores in the semi-permeable membrane.
It is also effective at removing common contaminants like chloride, copper, and lead. And it can also help reduce contaminants like fluoride, nitrate, arsenic, and sulfate.
RO is so good at removing things it can also remove some of the beneficial nutrients and minerals we find in water like calcium
How long can you store Reverse Osmosis water in a container?
Reverse Osmosis water removes nutrients, contaminants, and minerals. It is considered pure water with nothing to really cause it to “go bad”. Properly stored and maintained and it can last for several years.
Part of proper storage is to make sure you keep it in a container that can hold up to an extended duration of time as well. Glass containers that are also free from impurities are the best. Other types of containers can leach contaminants into the water over time.
It is also possible that sometimes fungi or algae may pass through the filter causing growth. To prevent this from happening it is good to store your RO water in a dark place for it to survive the long haul.
If the filter takes out everything, do I need to remineralize my water?
You do not need to remineralize your reverse osmosis drinking water. Although the RO process takes away a lot of the minerals, vitamins, and contaminants, there is no need to remineralize it because water isn’t really for getting your nutrients.
Although magnesium and calcium are removed through RO, they are good nutrients to have in your water. It still is not necessary to remineralize your water because both calcium and magnesium are found primarily in the food you eat.
Can’t I just boil my water instead of buying a filter?
You may have heard about boil notices or even been a part of one. Sometimes they are necessary when your water company finds concerns in their testing. Sometimes it is necessary after events, like flooding.
Although boiling water is recommended after an event to ensure safe drinking water, boiling only does makes the water safe against microorganisms. When you boil your tap water before use you are killing bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.
Boiling water does not remove contaminants such as fluoride or chlorine. To remove contaminants you will want to filter through a water filter with a micron small enough to catch fluoride or chlorine and others like lead.
