Health experts are pretty clear about the need for humans to hydrate with plain, old-fashioned water. Did you know that where this water comes from may be just as important as the need to drink it in the first place?
Surprisingly, water that is packaged and stored in plastic bottles may have a greater number of hidden health dangers than you'd expect.
Toxins From Plastic Bottles May Leech Into The Water
As drinking water sits in its plastic container, it is exposed to a number of chemicals which are part of the plastic? These include both BPA (which are often now removed from major plastics) and BPS which poses a less-publicized danger. These chemicals and others can cause inflammation, hormone imbalance, toxicity, changes to how bodies will store fat, and even cancer.
Plastic Bottles May Be Adding To Microplastics Ingestion
At any given moment there are enormous amounts of microplastics in the environment. Humans and other animals ingest these plastics without realizing it. In fact, it is believed the average American consumes between 39,000 and 52,000 of these small particles every year.
Experts believe that a person's plastic consumption changes based on the food choices they make and those who consume food with less plastic packaging will also consume fewer microplastics. They theorize that, for example, a person who drinks only tap water may consume as few as 4,000 microplastics compared to a much higher rate for someone consuming only bottled water. That's a big difference!
Alternatives To Bottled Water
If you're looking to find an alternative to bottled water, there are a lot of options out there. You can start with a reliable source for tap water and then a home filter so that you can be sure it is as pure as possible. Then find a glass water bottle with a rubber sleeve to protect it from breakage or a metal water bottle. The metal bottles break less easily and often keep water cooler for longer. If you care for these properly they can help you to source clean water without the possibility of plastic contamination. That's a relatively easy change with a huge health benefit.
