Of all the solvents known in the world, water is the most universal. In the water, everything is dissolved, and man is no exception. From the scientific point of view, every average adult on average contains only 40% of the "dry residue", and everything else ... water. It is believed that without the use of liquid you can live about one week. Only air and sleep are nicer to our body. Many substances necessary for health, mainly minerals and trace elements, are absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract only as aqueous solutions. The role of water, both in the preservation of health, and the development of ill health is obvious. The question arises - what kind of water is useful for the human body, and which is not. This we will try to find out in this article.
Is it possible to drink rain?
In nature, "pure" water, that is, H 2 O and nothing more, is only rainwater. But for some reason, from time immemorial, it was used to drink only as a last resort, that is, when there is a real opportunity to die of thirst. Obviously, this immutable truth is the result of centuries of research using the method of persistent cone stuffing. The folk wisdom developed in this way says: rain is good for plants and washing clothes, and for drinking - no.
Although there were several other opinions. For example, the famous Abu Ali Ibn Sina, or simply Avicenna, believed that "rainwater belongs to good water, especially that which falls in the summer from thunderclouds," but not "from clouds driven by stormy winds" / 1 /. Even in ecologically clean Middle Ages, the wise man recommended boiling water, collected in case of need after the rain, in order to avoid its "putrefaction". The greatest opportunity to quench one's thirst for a person for the benefit of the organism is the great Central Asian physician who considered natural springs where the water rushes outward, drawn by the "force inherent in itself." The water of the wells and underground canals was considered to be worse than the spring, and the one that "was paved with a passage in the lead pipes" was completely useless.
In the light of modern science, the purpose of which is to investigate and confirm, what is long ago known, it is easy to understand why water from heaven is not useful to the human body. First, water, which evaporates from the surface of the Earth, in the modern world is intensely polluted by transport and industry. The purity of the fifth ocean also leaves much to be desired. Over many megacities now constantly stands smog. Thus, instead of being cleared during the ascent to the sky, rainwater additionally receives the most unexpected impurities. It contains arsenic, lead, mercury, sulfur and nitrates. Rains with ammonia, carbon disulphide, pesticides and pesticides are falling over agricultural areas, and acid rains are coming over plants and factories / 2 /.
Secondly, natural distillation deprives rainwater of beneficial to the human body mineral additives. The heavenly water is strikingly different in composition from the terrestrial, so even after purification it is impossible to drink it for long - the metabolism is disturbed. The organism compensatively increases the concentration in the blood of the missing ions of chlorine, potassium and sodium, and then intensively removes them through the kidneys with urine. In addition, rain, distilled or desalinated water is unpleasant in taste and poorly quenches thirst / 3 /.
What is the water in the pipe?
To meet the growing needs of modern cities in water for drinking, open sources are usually used. These are rivers and lakes. After the stage-by-stage cleaning (coagulation, precipitation, filtration and finally chlorination), water enters the city water supply, and from there it goes to every house. Accordingly, the quality of water in the crane depends on many factors:
- Ecology of rivers and lakes serving as the beginning of water intake;
- Technological and sanitary condition of water supply stations;
- Properties of water pipes.
Well, now for the points. We have already found out that drinking rain is harmful to health. As for the river water, it probably will not come to anyone's mind. Indeed, even considering that in recent years, due to the global crisis, the ecological situation of open reservoirs has improved somewhat, it hardly affected the quality of tap water.
For the sanitary condition of the water supply system still meet the competent authorities. Another thing is the cleaning technology itself, which many consider long obsolete and outdated. Nevertheless, practically in all its parameters, tap water completely corresponds to hygienic norms. Only the content of chlorine sometimes exceeds the norm.
There is hardly a person who likes water with a specific chlorine smell and taste. But in view of the evidence of the harm that chlorination brings, they often forget about its usefulness. Due to the use of chlorine for disinfection of tap water, since 1904 the number of intestinal infections has sharply decreased, cholera and typhus epidemics have become a thing of the past. And even despite the research that began in the 70-80's. The last century, which proved the participation of chlorine in the formation of harmful carcinogenic impurities (chloroform), tap water continue to chlorinate.
The fact is that the concentration of carcinogenic substances in the water does not reach a critical level and is comparable to what we breathe or what we eat. Therefore, the devil is not so terrible as he is painted. In addition, both chlorine and chloroform volatilize from the water by boiling (4). But there is an unpleasant aftertaste, which forces villagers to pour "urban" tea into the toilet after the first sip.
To improve the organoleptic properties of chlorinated water in recent years, all kinds of filters are being used more and more. Most of them contain pressed activated carbon as the main active element. However, according to the US Environmental Protection Commission's studies, chlorine, which forms chloroform with natural organics of water, with particles of active charcoal from the filter boil produces an even more terrible poison - dioxin. To assess its harm, it is enough to simply look at the face of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko.
Another point is the container for water. Again, thanks to chlorine, tap water keeps its infectious safety, despite the fact that it flows through iron pipes. But the water in the exchange multi-liter bottles and "eggplant", as well as poured from car drums - no.
What kind of water do we sell?
According to some data, in the original plastic container, initially pure artesian water, with improper storage and operation of tanks, begins ... to "blossom". For sure, many have noticed how over time, dirty green flashes appear on the inner surface of the bottle. These are blue-green algae or cyanobacteria that secrete the toxin BMAA, and it in turn causes severe neurological diseases (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).
Conclusions:
- It is best to drink from a spring in an ecologically clean area, especially if its source is not groundwater, that is, rainwater, and interplastic "ancient" layers;
- Tap water is relatively safe, but drinking it is nasty. Cleaning with carbon filters instead of good can be harmful. If the filtered water boil the remaining chlorine in conjunction with carbon gives the strongest dioxin poison;
- Buy water from cars or keep it for years in the same eggplant too, because of the danger of poisoning the products of life of blue-green algae.
Literature:
- On the quality of water (rainwater). "Canon of medical science", Abu Ali ibn Sina (Avicenna)
- Rainwater. Journal of Health, 1989, No. 6
- OV Mosin. Influence of distilled water on the body.
- Chlorine in water is good or bad? Journal of Science and Life, No. 1, 1999.