I am highly passionate about water consumption, maybe because I understand the positive effect of water on the body, but today I will not be writing on the importance of water to the body because I already published a topic related to the scientific benefits of water in the body, you can get that information here, in case you missed it. Today, I will be writing on the downsides of consuming dirty/contaminated water.
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I was watching a video a few days ago where a local community lacked access to good water and they had to make do with the dirty source of water available for consumption, it was a very disturbing sight, but the truth is, it is not only water that looks dirty that cause disaster, there is some type of water that appears neat physically but contains some serious germs, there is a problem as soon as the water is untreated/contaminated.
There are moments when you may even have access to constant clean water in the comfort of your home until you have to go out for some outdoor activities and you exhaust the water you have carried for the trip, in cases like this one, the only option may be to source water from other available sources which may not be safe enough for consumption.
Our body is made up of about 60% of water and consuming water is essential for a healthful diet, consuming untreated water means consuming water that has not been treated clinically, water that has not been filtered or even boiled. Treating water eliminates infectious bacteria, parasites, and viruses.
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Not all finely packaged water is suitable for consumption, some manufacturers sell and market water that is not safe for consumption, they have the idea of selling natural water, natural water does not necessarily translate to mean, safe water. Some of these natural waters are often unprocessed, unfiltered, and untreated before going through the process of packaging.
Some water production companies add chemicals to the natural water packaged in bottles, the aim of adding these chemicals is to eradicate the parasites and bacteria that occur naturally in water. The pathogens present could cause diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach upset, as a result of not properly treating these packaged water, they may contain these pathogens.
There are so many people who believe in consuming raw water, raw water implies water that comes from direct natural sources, there is a perceived belief that the consumption of raw water can make them live longer and their digestion improved as well. Some raw water consumers come up with the argument that, it contains a larger amount of minerals and electrolytes than bottled water, some of the believed electrolytes it contains according to these beliefs are; copper, and calcium. silica, sodium, lithium, magnesium, and potassium.
There is also a claim that raw water is alkaline water, alkaline water acts as an antioxidant that reduces inflammatory cell damage from the oxidation process. Some of the people who believe in the consumption of raw water, believe greatly in the taste, it is believed that raw water tastes much better than raw water, but we know that difference in taste is on a more personal level. There are however more scientific published articles giving reasons why it is safer to consume treated water than it is to consume raw/untreated water.
There have been cases when bottled water has created an outbreak of illness, those cases occurred from the contamination of the supplies responsible for drinking water procedures, although these cases have been really few. However, in the case of raw water, even if the water appears really clean, there are different types of wildlife that would poop in the field and whenever rain falls or snow melts, the available pathogens in their feces end up in the water.
Cryptosporidium is a type of microorganism gotten from feces, these feces cause diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramping, and even increase the possibility of death.
Vibrio cholerae is also a type of aquatic microorganism, when ingested into the body, it can result in cholera, and acute diarrheal intestinal infection.
In order to ensure the safety of your water, you need to;
- Ensure that your tap water is properly tested.
- Read the consumer confidence report available on your packaged water.
- Always filter your tap water.
- Consume only bottled water that aligns with the Food and Drug Administration's federal standards.
- Properly boil your water.
Reasons why your water needs to be safe.
The level of the effect of bad water in the body is highly dependent on age, health and even physical conditions.
Gastrointestinal problems: There are two types of gastrointestinal disease, they are; structural and functional. It is characterized with;
- Unplanned weight loss.
- Vomiting and nausea.
- Diarrhea.
- Loss of appetite.
- Difficulty with swallowing.
- Absence of appetite
Stomach ache and pain: There are so many things that can lead to a stomach ache or stomach pain, it is an extreme feeling of discomfort around the stomach region. The pain could be, acute pain, progressive, or even chronic.
**Dehydration: It means giving out more money than you take in, becoming dehydrated is one of the symptoms of consuming bad water.
Death: After going through some series of sicknesses occurring from the consistent intake of terrible water, there may be a serious complication and eventually death.
Giardia lamblia
is a soil-based parasite that can also be found in water and food, it is diarrhea inducing disease and the disease is a common source of a waterborne outbreak in the United States.
https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/Pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=stu3124&
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320892#drinking-water-safety
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320892#takeaway
https://haguewaterofmd.com/effects-drinking-dirty-andor-contaminated-water/
https://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/what-raw-water-should-you-drink-it/