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After reading Simran Sethi and Sarah Smarsh’s post about $40 Bling bottled water (I am still praying that is just a big joke), you may well want to run to your tap and chug down a few glasses of nice, cheap tap water.
But not so fast, my thrifty water-loving friend–if you live in the city or otherwise have access to municipal treated water. While the clear fluid coming out of your faucet is H2O just like the stuff in that naughty $40 plastic bottle, it may have a few things added to the H’s and O’s that could be more costly than any plastic bottle.
Unfortunately, municipal water treatment nowadays means more than just water cleansed of poop, pee, and various other nasty bits of stuff in order to make for a potable potation coming out of your tap. And what municipalities put into the water could be as unhealthy for the planet as they are for you.
Probably the most infamous introduction to municipal water is fluoride. Way back in the 1940s, fluoride found its way into American water systems after scientists discovered that people who ingested fluoride-treated water apparently had less instances of tooth decay. And ever since, fluoride treatment has been standard practice in municipalities worldwide.
By mcmilker •
February 6, 2008
As more and more companies use natural, green and healthy labeling to promote their products, there is bound to be some that step over the line. As I wrote about last week, parents are increasingly aware of the role that fluoride plays when it comes to healthy teeth.
While the experts disagree on whether added fluoride in small amounts is necessary, companies as diverse as toothpaste manufacturers and more recently bottled water distributors have jumped on the bandwagon. Now one of them, Nursery Water, is under scrutiny by major environmental action groups.
One of the nation’s biggest infant bottle water companies – Nursery Water - is misleading parents with erroneous information on its website and advertising materials touting the safety and benefits of fluoride in infant bottled water in clear violation of Federal Trade Commission rules, noted Environmental Working Group (EWG) scientists in a letter sent today to officials at the FDA and FTC.
By mcmilker •
February 2, 2008
Parents, always on the look out for healthy products for their infants, may want to think twice before buying those that have added supplements. It all sounds good when we see products advertised to boost baby brain power, provide needed minerals and protect baby’s growing body…but sometimes it’s not.
Fluoride is a case in point.
Cavities used to be a fact of life for children growing up in the U.S. However, with the advent of fluoridated water in many municipalities, this is no longer true (in fact, it caused a bit of a crisis in the dental community as pediodontists saw their income declining).
Fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral in all waters sources, oceans, lakes, and streams, was stripped out of water treated by municipalities for years. In the last few decades, driven by new research and supported by the American Dental Association, fluoride has been added back into the water supply, resulting, it is claimed, in the drastic reduction of childhood caries that we see today. However, now fluoride is also present in toothpaste, salt, 100% juice drinks, sodas, and even chicken and fish. And, increasingly manufacturers are adding fluoride to products marketed to children and advertising them as “good for growing teeth”. This may in fact cause more harm than good.
By Amy Stodghill •
June 25, 2007
A walk down the toothpaste aisle can be a bit overwhelming. Anti-cavity, whitening, and everything in between. But there are some ingredients commonly found in big market brands that we could do without.
Fluoride. In large quantities the stuff can be down right toxic. For years we've been told fluoride is good for the teeth but there is a raging debate about whether or not small amounts added to
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After reading Simran Sethi and Sarah Smarsh’s post about $40 Bling bottled water (I am still praying that is just a big joke), you may well want to run to your tap and chug down a few glasses of nice, cheap tap water.
