Overview

A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. A compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet. Thus, the term is conditional both on the circumstances and the particular organism. For example, ascorbic acid functions as vitamin C for some animals but not others, and vitamins D and K are required in the human diet only in certain circumstances.

Vitamins are classified by their biological and chemical activity, not their structure. Thus, each "vitamin" actually refers to a number of vitamer compounds, which form a set of distinct chemical compounds that show the biological activity of a particular vitamin. Such a set of chemicals are grouped under an alphabetized vitamin "generic descriptor" title, such as "vitamin A," which (for example) includes retinal, retinol, and many carotenoids. Vitamers are often inter-convertible in the body. The term vitamin does not include other essential nutrients such as dietary minerals, essential fatty acids, or essential amino acids, nor does it encompass the large number of other nutrients that promote health but are otherwise required less often.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Plastic Drinking Water Containers - Healthwise, They Just Won't Do

bottlers produce six varieties of labeled water in bottles: fluoridated, mineral, drinking, purified, natural source, and the specialty stuff. One of these varieties compounds a problem for consumers, if they are wrong bottle, whether it comes from the grocery store shelf or from their filtering system at home. In this article we will look at the cause of the problem and its cure.

The source of fluoridated, drinking, and purified water in the above list is the local city water provider. That is correct, it could be the exact same water source, such as your kitchen tap.

But, of course, this is not the last water that goes into the bottles. All three types of water are of the large particles and dirt, processed to remove chemicals and minerals, and then all the remaining bad tastes and odors are removed. In this phase, the water still tastes flat, or stale, because of the lack of minerals. So, in order to improve the funky flavor, and drinking fluoridated water, some minerals back safe and then, what is fluoridated water has fluoride added.

This remains one of them, "purified" water, often labeled "distilled", "deionized" or "demineralized" water without minerals at all. This is the water, which can lead to a much bigger problem when it comes in a plastic bottle of water than any other water.

The reason is that water is now what scientists as "aggressive" water because of lack of minerals has changed its natural state with a balanced pH to a slightly acidic condition, and that the natural water Tendency to return to its normal state will cause it to chemically react with whatever they can.

Any water that comes in plastic bottles will cause some of the chemicals in the plastic to Leach out into the water. But this "aggressive" water accelerates the process of chemical extraction. One of the worst of these chemicals called bisphenol A or BPA, a common ingredient in polycarbonates and other plastics. So, in fact, that more than 3 million tons are produced annually. BPA can be used in any plastic food, beverage or drinking water container.

How dangerous are the chemicals involved?

The worst are like BPA and DEHP disrupt the functioning of the endocrine system, or the production of hormones. These chemicals, especially BPA, were suspected of being dangerous for more than 70 years, and studies are beginning to support the suspicion. From 1998 to 2005, 115 studies of BPA have been published, 11 were from industry, and they showed no adverse effects at low exposure, whereas 94 of the 104, the government-funded showed a statistically significant effect on the animals (on a level thousands of times lower than what the EPA now considers safe).

How can we best protect?

1. You certainly do not want that for the purchase of purified drinking water that is bottled in plastic containers, and remember that this means all the water bottles labeled as "purified", "distilled", "used for the distillation" "Desalinated water or demineralized water."

2. If you have a home water purification system, reverse osmosis or distillation technology, you do not want to bottle the water they in soft plastic bottles, as these two systems produce "demineralized water.

A better home solution for the production of good, safe water with healthy minerals intact, is to use a selective filtration system to treat your drinking water. You can depend on the healthy quality of the water and it is much cheaper and more convenient than in bottles.

3. A glass of drinking water containers best protect against chemical leaching, and some have protective carriers available. If they are impractical for your situation, look for drinking water container with a "BPA-free" or "no HDPE" label.

4. For travel, there are inexpensive "sport" bottles, the chlorine filter, other chemicals and lead from chlorinated city water. They will also cut the cost of buying bottled water at the same time, a convenient water container.

5. For the non-chlorinated water filtering, you need to invest in one of the more expensive portable filter that a wider range of contaminants, such as parasitic cysts such as Giardia, that can ruin your day.

So play it safe and protect themselves, and remember that each filter is better than with your body.

 

About The Author: David Eastham is a health enthusiast who learned the hard way that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". His website at http://www.Good-Safe-Water.com offers the way, not only to the best dollar for dollar buys in water filtration products, but the best products over all, regardless of price.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Eastham

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