‘Contaminated water kills more people each year than war and all forms of violence combined.’

THE First industrial Revolution (1760) and the Second (1870), when machines took over countless jobs originally performed by man, severely contaminated our water supplies because factories directly dumped untreated waste into rivers and streams, resulting in widespread water pollution.

While machines boosted productivity, these advances came with substantial ecological and societal costs. They have contributed significantly to countless diseases, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, metabolic, cancer, etc. Contaminated water kills more people each year than war and all forms of violence combined.

Today, the pollution continues. Our source of water is not bottomless; only less than one percent of the earth’s freshwater is accessible to us. Four billion people around the globe, out of our current 8.2 billion population, experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year, and 25 percent of them do not have access to clean drinking water.

We are blessed to live in a country, like the United States, the Philippines, and many others, to have almost unlimited clean water supply. But does this mean our drinking water is safe?

Las Vegas has one of the most contaminated waters in the United States. Its hard water contains lead, PFAS, arsenic, disinfectant byproducts, uranium, chromium, and two-non-toxic minerals causing hard water: calcium, and magnesium

I have tested Las Vegas tap water, under-sink filtered water, bottled water, distilled water, and Zero-filtered water, and found the following Total Dissolved Solids PPM counts: Tap water has 305 TDS level; Under-sink filtered water: 56; bottled water: 50; distilled water: 0; commercial Zero-filtered water: 0.

I also tested the water in our ancestral home in San Francisco del Monte, Quezon City, and discovered, to my surprise, that its city tap water (supplied by the city government’s water filtration plants) had a lower TDS level than the water in Munster, Indiana, and even a lot lower than the water in Las Vegas. The FDA considers bottled water with a TDS level of 50-150 PPM safe for drinking.

The other industry purifying method uses tap water that passes through multi-stage (at least 5), reversed osmosis filters plus UV-C light exposure, saving the beneficial minerals in it, and bottled for drinking.

The popular zero water filtration pitcher is a very convenient way to remove all total dissolved solid contaminants, practically like bottled distilled water.

Boiling tap water leaves sediments at the bottom of the pot and produces “almost distilled” water. This could be used in urgent temporary situations where no bottled water or filtered water is available. It may also be used safely for brewing beverages or for cooking.

The Zero Water filter does not get rid of bacteria, fungi, or parasites, which the city water filtration system removes anyway, so it is safe to use it for cooking, CPAP devices, cleaning wounds, iron, steamers, humidifiers, and other devices that require distilled water to prevent harmful calcium build-up. Bottled distilled water, manufactured through a condensation process is also free of bacteria, fungi, and parasites, besides removing those harmful chemicals.

Unhealthy to drink

However, distilled water and Zero-filtered water, are not healthy for daily drinking because they lack all the important minerals our body needs, like fluoride (for tooth health), especially for children. These beneficial minerals include calcium, magnesium, chloride, sodium, potassium, iron, zinc, and chloride. The harmful ones are pesticides, herbicides, chlorine, mercury, cadmium, benzene, asbestos, copper, particulates, copper, zinc, etc.

‘Absolute’ly untrue

While distilled water is ubiquitous in the Philippines, super cheap, and available even in tiny street stores in the most remote rural areas of the country, in the western world it is sold only in drug stores and big grocery stores. The brands Absolute (Asia Brewery) and Wilkins (Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines) are two popular brands of distilled water in the Philippines. Kroger’s Purified water manufactured in Ohio also tested 0 for TDS level, but was not labeled as distilled water.

Unfortunately, distilled water is advertised in many cities around the world as “cleanest or purest drinking water,” which is not true, a deceptive claim, and a public disservice, bordering on criminal false advertising practice endangering people’s health. The same thing is true with potentially harmful alkaline water; a healthy person does not need alkaline water!

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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a cardiac surgeon emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, health advocate, medical missionary, newspaper columnist, and chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He is a decorated recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995 presented by then Indiana Governor, US senator, and later presidential candidate Evan Bayh.  Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry S. Truman, President George HW Bush, pugilist Muhammad Ali, TV talk show host David Letterman, Astronaut Gus Grissom, educators, scientists, etc. (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com Email: [email protected]

Bad side effects

Drinking distilled water for daily beverages is unhealthy. Imbibing distilled water occasionally when regular bottled or clean tap water is not available is fine but not for regular daily consumption. Distilled water is more for machines.

Bad side effects of drinking distilled water daily among adults, and more especially for children and those who are not eating a balanced diet are: the bland and flat taste causes people to drink less; chronic drinkers of distilled water have a high risk of having electrolyte deficiency, imbalance, causing fatigue, muscle cramps, dizziness, organ failure, etc.; when distilled water is in contact with the air, it can absorb carbon monoxide, a poison, similar to the colorless, odorless gas from car exhaust that kills people in a closed garage.

A warning: Distilled water is not safe to drink every day.  Bottled water from reputable water bottling companies is our best option today, anywhere in the world.

Let’s take advantage of modern scientific data to help us live a healthier lifestyle, for maximal longevity possible.

The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people to live a healthier lifestyle, prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation, or treatment in our article is general medical information and not intended to be applicable to or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.