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.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Chloramine May Be a Threat to a Safe Water Supply For Drinking and Bathing

you better be worried, because your water filter May not help

Would you ever worried about cancer, birth defects, genetic damage, digestive problems, spleen damage, liver damage, kidney damage, and lowered immunity of drinking water? Of course you would! Well, it? S time to jack up your concern at ultra-high levels, because it? Sa new chemical child on the block that many municipalities are dumping into your water supply, supposedly to purify the water you drink? and your water filter? you spent a hundred dollars for? will probably not remove this new child.

In preparing clean drinking water has never been a simple matter, least of all now in our toxic, highly chemical world, modern water treatment methods seem to be ever deeper and deeper into difficulties in finding inexpensive ways to solve the problem . Chlorine, the low-cost chemical of choice of U.S. public water department for decades, is now being replaced in many areas, with another inexpensive chemical, chloramine.

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The reason Chlorine is a problem

The risk of the carcinogenic by-products, chlorine leaves behind when it evaporates, as trihalomethanes (THMs) finally have enough registered concern with the government that they ? try again, the amount of chlorine in our water, but now there is concern that these smaller amount isn? t enough to do the job anywhere. THMs are a byproduct of free chlorine come into contact with organic material in the water supply. The THMs seem to be the real culprits in the health problems associated with the use of Chorin.

This leads us to the latest chemical on the water-block, chloramine. The good thing about chloramine is that there is a lower amount of THMs. It has already been elected in many parts of America as a substitute for chlorine, where the water treatment problem is bigger than the new guidelines of the lower chlorine can. What sewage treatment plants in the Americas, such as chloramine is that you can use a very small amount as it does not? T evaporate like chlorine, and it sticks around to the task, but it? Re willing to overlook the fact that chloramine, a mixture of chlorine and ammonia, even in small quantities is still a dangerous nerve gas, and new research findings suggest that there is a tendency to create even more dangerous by-products than chlorine, that May be carcinogenic. Some people argue that the verdict is not yet on the safety of chloramine, but given the recent track record of products that are supposedly safe turning itself as harmful, there is cause for great concern.

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The dangers of chloramine

A study conducted by the University of Illinois shows that one of the byproducts of chloramination, known as iodoacids (EYE-O-DOE-acids), May be the strongest toxic effects ever found in drinking water. The concern is not only the genetic damage can cause it in mammals (including humans) that chloraminated drinking water, but also the fact that these hazardous chemicals will be back in the environment where fish, wildlife and the food chain May be adversely affected.

What we know for sure about chlorine shows that they both reactive and persistent? not only in water, but also in human tissue. A study showed that after 5 days, over 95% with a dose of chloramine was administered to laboratory rats remains to tissues, including plasma, blood, skin, packed cells, kidneys, nerves, testis, thymus, spleen, Liver, muscle - tissue, bone marrow, etc. Imagine, if you are drinking and bathing in this every single day.



We now know that chlorination has contributed greatly to heart disease, cancer and other serious health problems in our human population. There is no reason to believe that chloramination will be less problematic. In fact, exactly the opposite is likely. Despite this information, utility companies around the country routinely their customers wrong to say that chlorine are effectively neutralized by stomach acids before they reach the blood.



And if things Weren? T bad enough, chloramine, unlike chlorine, is extremely difficult to remove from the water. It will look right through most filtering systems such as carbon block and ceramic, and reverse osmosis and burners. This may be one of the most dangerous aspects of chloramine. Today, thousands and thousands of people have water filters. They range from small jug-type filters too expensive counter top carbon and reverse osmosis systems, the systems for the entire house. Many people also have filters for the showers, because the skin, being the largest organ in the body, can directly absorb free chlorine through the pores. Here? S the catch. The vast majority of the filters in homes and businesses today are effective to remove substantial quantities of chlorine-free, but are ineffective at removing chloramine. While the switch to chloramine may cause a new round of the filter distribution, which is certainly not good news for the average consumer.

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chloramine can be removed with the right filters

Most people who experience chloramine in their water supply complain of bad taste, smell bad, and also skin irritations. Chloramine can be removed, but it takes much more effort to remove it. Activated similar to the carbon in many of today? S water is removed. Compared to chlorine, the problem is that there is much more carbon to the work done and the water must be in contact with the carbon for a longer period. Activated catalyst is a response to these problems and catalytic bituminous-based carbon is the best choice for chloramine removal. Today, most of these filters are filters whole house in the $ price range of 1000

The best strategy you can use is to determine whether your local water utility with chloramine. Unfortunately, you may need a little sneaky, and as a student doing a report on the water, because, frankly, not all utilities will be forthcoming about their use of chloramine. If you said that chloramine is used, then you can be sure that is correct. If you have not said it will be used, don? T necessarily believe. There are inexpensive test kits available over the Internet. Get one and use it to your household water supply. If the test is positive for chloramine, and then look into a whole house filter.

Ron Morefield (http://www.ronmorefield.com) has an eclectic background in computer science, psychology, physics, oriental philosophy, and other subjects. He has also received certifications in acupuncture and in the NADA protocol and has authored the book "Natural Energy Balancing" as a text for ordinary people who want to use acupuncture and energy medicine in their lives. Get more information at the blog Enjoy A Better World -- a resource that provides information, tools, and tips for people who want to make a positive change in their world and begin to really enjoy it. Information about water, alternative health, energy medicine, finance, and other topics is available at http://www.enjoyabetterworld.com

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