Common Questions and Important Facts about our Drinking Water |
Eleven Amazing Secrets for Health and Wellness - from the book: Your Body's Many Cries for Water
How much water should you drink a day?
What are the benefits of drinking water?
How is our drinking water treated?
What are these pathogenic organisms in our water and will they make me sick?
Where do pathogenic organisms come from & how do they get into our water?
Are pathogenic organisms always removed by our treatment plants?
What else can be done to protect our water?
What are the symptoms & recovery periods from Bacteria & Cyst infections?
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| Eleven Amazing Secrets for Health and Wellness |
| "You're not sick; you're thirsty. Don't treat thirst with medication." - Dr. F. Batmanghelidj MD
Dr F Batmanghelidj MD is the auther of 'Your Body's Many Cries for Water'
1. Water prevents and helps to cure heartburn
Heartburn is a signal of water shortage in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. It is a major thirst signal of the human body. The use of antacids or tablet medications in the treatment of this pain does not correct dehydration, and the body continues to suffer as a result of its water shortage.
Not recognizing heartburn as a sign of dehydration and treating it with antacids and pill medications will, in time, produce inflammation of the stomach and duodenum, hiatal hernia, ulceration, and eventually cancers in the gastrointestinal tract, including the liver and pancreas.
2. Water prevents and helps to cure arthritis.
Rheumatoid joint pain - arthritis - is a signal of water shortage in the painful joint. It can affect the young as well as the old. The use of pain-killers does not cure the problem, but exposes the person to further damage from pain medications. Intake of water and small amounts of salt will cure this problem.
3. Water prevents and helps to cure back pain.
Low back pain and ankylosing arthritis of the spine are signs of water shortage in the spinal column and discs - the water cushions that support the weight of the body. These conditions should be treated with increased water intake - not a commercial treatment, but a very effective one.
Not recognizing arthritis and low back pain as signs of dehydration in the joint cavities and treating them with pain-killers, manipulation, acupuncture, and eventually surgery will, in time, produce osteoarthritis when the cartilage cells in the joints have eventually all died. It will produce deformity of the spine. It will produce crippling deformities of the limbs. Pain medications have their own life-threatening complications.
4. Water prevents and helps to cure angina.
Heart pain - angina - is a sign of water shortage in the heart/lung axis. It should be treated with increased water intake until the patient is free of pain and independent of medications. Medical supervision is prudent. However, increased water intake is angina's cure.
5. Water prevents and helps to cure migraines.
Migraine headache is a sign of water need by the brain and the eyes. It will totally clear up if dehydration is prevented from establishing in the body. The type of dehydration that causes migraine might eventually cause inflammation of the back of the eye and possibly loss of eye sight.
6. Water prevents and helps to cure colitis.
Colitis pain is a signal of water shortage in the large gut. It is associated with constipation because the large intestine constricts to squeeze the last drop of water from the excrements - thus the lack of water lubrication.
Not recognizing colitis pain as a sign of dehydration will cause persistent constipation. Later in life, it will cause fecal impacting: it can cause diverticulitis, hemorrhoids and polyps, and appreciably increases the possibility of developing cancer of the colon and rectum.
7. Water and salt prevent and helps to cure asthma.
Asthma, which also affects 14 million children and kills several thousand of them every year, is a complication of dehydration in the body. It is caused by the drought management programs of the body. In asthma free passage of air is obstructed so that water does not leave the body in the form of vapor - the winter steam. Increased water intake will prevent asthma attacks. Asthmatics need also to take more salt to break the mucus plugs in the lungs that obstruct the free flow of air in and out of the air sacs.
Not recognizing asthma as the indicator of dehydration in the body of a growing child not only will sentence many thousands of children to die every year, but will permit irreversible genetic damage to establish in the remaining 14 million asthmatic children.
8. Water prevents and helps to cure high blood pressure.
Hypertension is a state of adaptation of the body to a generalized drought, when there is not enough water to fill all the blood vessels that diffuse water into vital cells. As part of the mechanism of reverse osmosis, when water from the blood serum is filtered and injected into important cells through minute holes in their membranes, extra pressure is needed for the "injection process." Just as we inject I.V. "water" in hospitals, so the body injects water into tens of trillions of cells all at the same time. Water and some salt intake will bring blood pressure back to normal!
Not recognizing hypertension as one of the major indicators of dehydration in the human body, and treating it with diuretics that further dehydrate the body will, in time, cause blockage by cholesterol of the heart arteries and the arteries that go to the brain. It will cause heart attacks and small or massive strokes that paralyze. It will eventually cause kidney disease. It will cause brain damage and neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease.
9. Water prevents and helps to cure early adult-onset diabetes.
Adult-onset diabetes is another adaptive state to severe dehydration of the human body. To have adequate water in circulation and for the brain's priority water needs, the release of insulin is inhibited to prevent insulin from pushing water into all body cells. In diabetes, only some cells get survival rations of water. Water and some salt will reverse adult-onset diabetes in its early stages.
Not recognizing adult-onset diabetes as a complication of dehydration will, in time, cause massive damage to the blood vessels all over the body. It will cause eventual loss of the toes, feet and legs from gangrene. It will cause eye damage, even blindness.
10. Water lowers blood cholesterol.
High cholesterol levels are an indicator of early drought management by the body. Cholesterol is a clay-like material that is poured in the gaps of some cell membranes to safeguard them against losing their vital water content to the osmotically more powerful blood circulating in their vicinity. Cholesterol, apart from being used to manufacture nerve cell membranes and hormones, is also used as a "shield" against water taxation of other vital cells that would normally exchange water through their cell membranes.
11. Water cures depression, loss of libido, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy.
These conditions are caused by prolonged chronic dehydration. They will clear up once the body becomes well and regularly hydrated. In these conditions, exercising one's muscles should be part of the treatment program.
"I have seen water completely reverse conditions such as: Asthma. Angina. Hypertension. Migraine headaches. Arthritis pain. Back pain. Colitis pain and chronic constipation. Heartburn and hiatal hernia. Depression. Chronic fatigue syndrome. High cholesterol. Morning sickness. Overweight problems. Even heart problems needing bypass surgery." - quotations & extracts above from Dr F. Batmanghelidj's book - 'Your Body's Many Cries for Water' |
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| How much water should you drink a day? |
The generally agreed figure is 2 litres of water per day however you will require more if you are doing physical work i.e. digging the garden, jogging or working out at the gym (but less if you have renal problems). |
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| What are the benefits of drinking water? |
A large proportion of our bodies are made up of water (almost 2/3rds). It is vital that we replace the water that we lose from our bodies in order to remain healthy. |
- Blood is 83% water
- Muscles are 75% water
- The brain is 74% water
- Bone is 22% water
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We need to drink the correct amount of water each day to allow our bodies to operate efficiently.
Our bodies need water to:
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- Help digestion and absorption of food
- Help convert food to energy
- Carry nutrients and oxygen to cells
- Protect organs
- Lubricate joints
- Help blood circulation
- Regulate body temperature
- Remove toxins and waste
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Try and drink water when you rise and before you go to sleep and carry a bottle with you during the day. |
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| How is our drinking water treated? |
Our two main defences against the dangerous pathogenic organisms in our drinking water supply are Chlorine and Filtration. Chlorine is a Pesticide and is added to our drinking water to kill living organisms.
Most of the time, Chlorine water treatment does a reasonably good job of controlling these organisms however Chlorinated water brings serious medical problems of it's own making and it should be removed before drinking.
Read about the danger of Chlorine in your drinking water...>>
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Unfortunately there are times when our drinking water does get infected with pathogenic organisms that can cause severe stomach upsets (diarrhoea and sickness) and occasionally, more severe medical complications. |
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| What are these pathogenic organisms in our water and will they make me sick? |
The pathogenic organisms found in our drinking water can be broken down into two types: |
Bacteria -
Protozoan Cysts - |
Bacteria are single-celled or non cellular organisms that reproduce by fission.
Protozoan Cysts are egg-like single-celled parasites in their dormant or larval stage. |
The most common illness caused by waterborne bacteria and cysts is gastrointestinal illness. This is where bacteria or cysts infect the intestine / bowel and cause severe diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps etc. There are other forms of bacterial infection possible such as Streptococcus which infects the throat.
(see common infections, symptoms and recovery times below) |
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| Where do pathogenic organisms come from & how do they get into our water? |
Both Bacteria and Protozoan Cysts can be found in the faeces of infected animals and are found in cattle and pig slurry. Runoffs from farmyard feedlots during heavy rain can carry these organisms into our streams, lakes, rivers and reservoirs. Spreading slurry on farmlands as fertilizer can also cause similar problems, as rainfall can carry these organisms into our watercourses. Bacteria and Protozoan Cysts can also be found in the faeces of infected humans. High rainfall can cause sewage overflow which can again, contaminate our watercourses. |
There is evidence that sewage effluents are sometimes deliberately discharged into our rivers used for drinking water and there have been a number of drinking water-related outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis, some of which have attracted considerable media attention. These outbreaks have involved thousands of cases of upset stomach with severe diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting. |
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| Are pathogenic organisms always removed by our treatment plants? |
Protozoan Cysts such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia Lamblia are very resilient to Chlorine treatment. Some forms of E.Coli and Faecal Coliform Bacteria have also started to develop a tolerance, and are becoming increasingly resilient to the Chlorine in our treatment plants |
It has been reported that most waterborne outbreaks occur after heavy rainfall when it is difficult for our treatment plants to cope. The UK Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has reported that their "investigations of outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis have shown that they are invariably related to inadequate provision or poor operation of water treatment."
DWI Consumer Information page containing the quote above
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| What else can be done to protect our water? |
It is clear that although our water supply is generally very good, there are times when we cannot guarantee that our families will be safe from the upset stomachs (diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting) and other serious complications that these organisms can cause. (see common infections, symptoms and recovery times below) |
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Fortunately, there is a simple solution to this problem. You can protect your family from the pathogenic
organisms in our drinking water by installing a Ceramic Water Filter System to remove Bacteria & Cysts
at the point of use - in your kitchen. The System 2 fits neatly under-sink and protects you all year round. |
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Chlorine
Herbicides/Pesticides
Benzene/Petrol
Solvents
Trihalomethanes
Oestrogen
PFOS/ PCBs/PAHs
Sand, Silt & Rust |
A Carbon Block Water Filter System that removes chemicals, metals, turbidity & odour from your water to produce crystal clear, clean tasting drinking water.
Chlorine, Herbicides, Pesticides, Oestrogen, Benzene, Lead, PFOS & other chemicals in your water can cause Cancer, Strokes, Miscarriage, Stillbirth & Birth Defects.
Read more about the dangers of Chlorine>>
What the Experts say about Chlorine >>
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Price £48.00
UK P&P £5.00
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As System 1 PLUS... Salmonella
E.Coli
Streptococcus
Faecal Coliform
Enterococci
Cryptosporidium
Giardia Lamblia
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A Ceramic Water Filter System that removes Bacteria & Cysts and other harmful pathogenic organisms that can upset your stomach & endanger your family's health with diarrhoea & sickness infections
plus.....
A Carbon Block Water Filter System that removes chemicals, metals, turbidity & odour from your water to produce crystal clear, clean tasting drinking water.
Find out more about the benefits of drinking water >> |
Price £68.00
UK P&P £7.15
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- Our Carbon Water Filters remove over 99% of Chlorine from your water -
- Our Ceramic Filters remove over 99.99% of Bacteria / Cysts from your water -
- The cost of protecting your family with a Carbon Filter System is less than 8p per day! -
- Our Systems can easily be installed in less than 1 hour - |
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Ontap Water Filters remove over 99.99% of all Bacteria and Protozoan Cysts from your water |
| Take a look at the Ceramic Filter System for removing Bacteria & Cysts |
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| Here are some Google searches for extra reading: Click here to bookmark this page first |
Please tell a friend about the dangers of Bacteria and Protozoan Cysts in your water.
Click Take a look at Ontap Water Filters to send this page link to a friend! |
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| Symptoms & Recovery Periods from Bacteria & Cyst Infections |
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Salmonella |
Incubation |
Normally develops in about 1-2 days. |
Recovery |
Normally lasts for about 5-9 days |
Symptoms |
Severe diarrhoea (sometimes bloody), abdominal cramps, fever, dehydration |
Treatment |
Simple cases are not generally treated with antibiotics as recovery is quicker without it. More severe cases may use a range of antibiotics. |
Complications |
Salmonella can cause chronic illness and even death, especially in the immuno-compromised e.g. those receiving chemotherapy or AIDS patients and children with sickle cell disease.
Some children get very sick, with high fevers, headaches, confusion, and sometimes even seizures.
Complications occur when the Salmonella bacteria make their way into the bloodstream (bacteremia). Once in the blood stream, the bacteria can enter any organ system throughout the body, causing disease. Other infections which can be caused by Salmonella include:
- Bone infections (osteomyelitis)
- Joint infections (arthritis)
- Infection of the sac containing the heart (pericarditis)
- Infection of brain/spinal cord tissue covering (meningitis)
- Infection of the liver (hepatitis)
- Lung infections (pneumonia)
- Enteric fever (typhoid fever)
- Infection of aneurysms
- Infections of existing tumours or cysts.
- Reiter's Syndrome which causes irritated eyes, painful joints and pain with urination
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E.Coli O157:H7 |
Incubation |
Normally develops in about 1-3 days. |
Recovery |
Normally lasts for about 5-10 days |
Symptoms |
Severe and very bloody diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, fever, dehydration |
Treatment |
No treatment is required. Anti-diarrhoea medication may delay the elimination of the organism from the digestive tract, and therefore may not be recommended.
Rehydration with electrolyte solutions may be necessary if dehydration from diarrhoea occurs. |
Complications
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Most people recover well however, about 5–10% of individuals, usually at the extremes of age, mostly in children under 5, develop HUS (Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome), and ultimately, kidney failure. One-third of the children diagnosed with HUS do not recover completely and will eventually need a dialysis.
Neurological symptoms can also occur as part of HUS and consist of seizures, paralysis, and coma.
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Faecal Coliform |
Incubation |
Normally develops in about 2-4 days. |
Recovery |
Normally lasts for about 5-10 days |
Symptoms |
Severe diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, jaundice, stomach ache, headache, weight loss, dehydration |
Treatment |
There is no special treatment, except drinking a lot of water and watching for complications. |
Complications |
Coliform can cause chronic illness in some patients, especially the very young, the elderly, the immuno-compromised e.g. those receiving chemotherapy or AIDS patients. |
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Streptococcus |
Incubation |
Normally develops in about 2-4 days. |
Recovery |
If untreated, uncomplicated cases can last for 10-21 days.
Untreated conditions with purulent discharges can last for weeks or months. Penicillin can normally reduce the transmissibility to around 24 hours and recovery starts after about 4 days. |
Symptoms |
Adults with strep throat may have a red sore throat, a fever, headache and swollen neck glands, white patches on tonsils.
Adults don't usually have a cough or a runny nose.
Children with strep throat have a sore throat and may have tummy pain or a red rash with small spots. The rash is worse under the arms and in skin creases. They may also develop nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. |
Treatment |
Your doctor may give you or your child an antibiotic. Antibiotics kill bacteria, which helps strep throat go away a little faster. It can also prevent a few rare but serious conditions that people with strep throat might get. It is important to take all of the medicine your doctor gives you. |
Complications |
Untreated group A strep infection can result in rheumatic fever and post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN). Rheumatic fever develops about 18 days after a bout of strep throat and causes joint pain and heart disease. It can be followed months later by Sydenham's chorea, a disorder where the muscles of the torso and arms and legs are marked with dancing and jerky movements. PSGN is an inflammation of the kidneys that may follow an untreated strep throat but more often comes after a strep skin infection.
It can also cause scarlet fever. |
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Cryptosporidium |
Incubation |
Normally develops in about 2-10 days (average 7 days). |
Recovery |
For people with healthy immune systems, approx 1-2 weeks. |
Symptoms |
Severe and very bloody diarrhoea, foul-smelling stools, abdominal cramps, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, flatulence, weight loss, fever, dehydration, belching, heartburn, headache. |
Treatment |
Until recently, there was no cure for Cryptosporidiosis however there is now a new drug, nitazoxanide, that has been approved for treatment of diarrhoea caused by Cryptosporidium in people with healthy immune systems. |
Complications |
Recovery is dependant on the body's immune system. The condition can be serious for and even fatal to, the very young, the elderly,
Cryptosporidiosis in immuno-compromised people often results in high mortality." e.g. those receiving chemotherapy or AIDS patients.
Young children and pregnant women may be more susceptible to the dehydration resulting from diarrhoea and should drink plenty of fluids while ill. |
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Giardia Lamblia |
Incubation |
Normally develops in about 1-2 weeks (average 7 days). |
Recovery |
In otherwise healthy persons, symptoms of Giardiasis may last 2 to 6 weeks. Occasionally, symptoms last longer. |
Symptoms |
Severe and bloody diarrhoea, nausea, flatulence, abdominal cramps, fever, weight loss, dehydration, headaches, fatigue, jaundice. |
Treatment |
Your doctor may treat the whole family for Giardasis as it is so contagious. |
Complications |
Giardiasis can cause chronic illness in some patients, especially in the immuno-compromised e.g. those receiving chemotherapy or AIDS patients.
Young children and pregnant women may be more susceptible to dehydration resulting from diarrhoea and should, drink plenty of fluids while ill. |
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| Ontap Water Filters remove over 99.99% of all Bacteria and Protozoan Cysts from your water |
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| Take a look at the Ceramic Filter System for removing Bacteria & Cysts |
Take a look at the Quick Guide for a quick description of all our Water Filter Systems |
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