Summaries of articles on symptoms of dehydration, chronic dehydration, water pollution and healthy hydration & links to full articles from July, 2009, follow below.
There are many news reports on the effects of dehydration and incidence and effects of contaminated water.
Be informed. Stay assured.
Stay current with selected articles from May, 2009. Items on dehydration, hydration & contamination specifically include the following topics:
Overuse of energy drinks worries health pros
H2O is drink No. 1
Family Worried About Contaminated Water
Is your bottled water safe?
If you're concerned about water quality in your area, the EPA now has a website for you!
Stupak questions bottled water safety
Midland wells contaminated with chromium
Local engineer combats arsenic-contaminated water: Man's invention lands him a World Technology Award nomination
Dehydration can be dangerous for older adults
Safe water bottles 101
Potential Health Hazard may Exist in Your Drinking Water by Deanna Dean, citizen journalist
The following item is an urgent advisory for young athletes about the dangers of energy drinks. The problem here is that most athletes can get their energy from the processes that water intake sets in motion.
The only time to consume drinks that have some electrolytes and minerals, is when workouts are intense and last over an hour or two.
In that case, adding a pinch of sea salt (sodium), calcium, magnesium and a little fruit juice or sugar to a liter of water should suffice until the athlete could get full nourishment.
An excerpt follows including link to entire item on energy drink concerns.
Titled: Overuse of energy drinks worries health pros, written By Michael McCarthy, USA TODAY, an excerpt followsà
Health experts are sounding the alarm over the possible effects on young athletes of popular energy drinks such as Red Bull, the leading brand in a growing market.
High school and college athletes are increasingly consuming large quantities of these caffeine-loaded drinks to boost athletic performance or lose weight, said a dozen health experts at the SUNY Youth Sports Institute's first national symposium on energy drinks here this week.
But athletes who consume too many energy drinks could suffer from dehydration, tremors, heat stroke and heart attacks, the experts warned. Instead, they say, teen and adolescent athletes should drink water while training and playing — especially during hot and humid summer months.
Without going into clinical explanations, this post sort of sums up what Healthy Water is all about. One point should be emphasized.
Whether given to us by some god or provided as part of some Darwinian process, there are really not many drinks provided for us by our natural environment. There’s water and there’s mother’s milk. Our mother’s milk, not some other mammal whom we take the milk from.
The many juices we have come to enjoy are really just a part of some fruit or vegetable. A fruit or veggie that is meant to be consumed whole. Juicing an orange or a carrot is really not what nature intended.
A short excerpt follows including a link to entire article on healthy water.
An ice-cold beer. Iced cappuccino. Or a tall glass of iced tea.
What's the best drink to quench your thirst and keep you hydrated when the temperature rises?
None of the above.
The answer is actually simpler than most people think.
Water.
Pure, unflavoured, unaltered, un-everything water. With maybe a few slices of lemon, lime, even cucumber to give it a taste kick.
In fact, the only two drinks you really need are milk and water, says Kim Ouellette, registered dietitian at the Niagara Region public health department.
The one exception is if you're an athlete exerting great amounts over a prolonged period of time. Then you'd probably benefit from a sports drink to replenish electrolytes lost through sweat, says Ouellette.
If you're concerned about water quality in your area, the EPA now has a website for you!
The following references a government site that really lends consumers a great deal of detailed information on water and water quality. A short excerpt and link follows.
For those who are concerned about pollution in the stream, rivers, ponds and lakes near their home, the EPA has a handy resource for you. Yesterday, in a news bulletin entitled “U.S. EPA Administrator Jackson Takes New Steps to Improve Water Quality”, it is stated that:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has made available comprehensive
reports and data on water enforcement in all 50 states. This is part of
Administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s larger effort by to enhance transparency,
promote the public’s right to know about water quality and provide information
on EPA’s actions to protect water under the Clean Water Act.
The following item is just an example of thousands of like cases. It‘s the typical, but nightmarish scenario of families having to do with drinking contaminated water. Excerpt follows including link to entire article on contaminated water.
WOODLAND PARK - Getting cancer from drinking water? That's the fear for several families in a Teller County mobile home park. People living at the Alpine Village Mobile Home Park in Woodland Park get their water from three wells.
But state testing shows their water isn't safe for anyone to drink. "We have to look toward cancer, bone cancer," says one woman who lives in the park. Cancer is one risk listed in a letter from the Colorado Division of Water Resources, warning the family about their well water.
We are so glad that the issues with bottled water are coming to the attention of government leaders. Following is the entire brief item regarding Congressman Stupak‘s clarion call to fellow legislators.
WASHINGTON, DC -- Congressman Bart Stupak wants to know if sufficient rules are in place to regulate the $11 billion-a-year bottled water industry.
That was the focus of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on Wednesday.
Committee Chairman Stupak noted that there have been 23 bottled water recalls since 2002 because of contaminated water.
He said consumers believe the water is safe just because it comes in a bottle.
But Stupak thinks consumers may not realize that many regulations that apply to tap water do not apply to companies that produce bottled water.
6)
Midland wells contaminated with chromium
Once again, the issue of heavy metal poisoning of water comes up to scare residents of a small town.
This time it is the well known cancer causing metal, chromium. Necessary in micro amounts, and even taken as a supplement as an antioxidant and to stabilize blood pressure, it is deadly in greater amounts.
Excerpt follows including link to entire article on chromium poisoning.
Midland — Beverly Crouch spent hundreds of dollars on chemicals last fall to try to get the green tinge out of her backyard pool.
All for naught.
It wasn't until two months ago that she learned why the chemicals she put into her 13,000-gallon, above-ground pool wouldn't clear the water. The green color came from well water contaminated with hexavalent chromium, a known human carcinogen.
Local engineer combats arsenic-contaminated water: Man's invention lands him a World Technology Award nomination
An encouraging item on Jeremiah Johnson, a person whose name may not ring a bell. However, what he is doing, might positively impact the lives of millions of people. Again the name is Jeremiah Johnson. Excerpt on arsenic elimination follows.
Most people who invent, discover or develop a new process are quick to patent and profit from it.
Not so in the case of local resident Jeremiah (Jerry) Jackson.
Jackson, an environmental and civil engineer, has developed an inexpensive arsenic filtration system using aquatic plants to improve the lives of millions affected by poisonous, arsenic-contaminated drinking water in more than 20 nations, including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Mexico and some rural areas of the U.S.
Another item on bottled water safety. This time an important consumer action group is trying to raise awareness of bottled water concerns. An excerpt follows, then link to complete article.
Although you may think that bottled water is a safer option than tap, two new reports show that the store-bought stuff is actually less regulated than the water you get out of your faucet for free.
The Food and Drug Administration has little authority to regulate bottled brands, according to a U.S. Congressional report released recently.
While municipal water utilities are required to provide public reports of test results, bottled-water makers are not. (On the other hand, well water, which is found in many rural areas, isn't regulated as water provided by towns and cities is.) So although you may fork over a pretty penny for bottled water, that doesn't mean it's any better than what's coming out of your faucet. In fact, it could be worse and you'd never know it.
The new research is backed by a second report from the Environmental Working Group. The nonprofit advocacy organization surveyed the labels and Web sites of nearly 200 popular bottled-water brands and found that less than 2 percent disclosed three important facts that can affect safety: the water's source, purification methods, and chemical pollutants in each bottle. (See the full report on bottled water at EWG's Web site.)
The following article reinforces our page on senior dehydration, a problem that we may not have stats for but that I guess is quite widespread. If you are an older person or you care for an older person, please make sure that water consumption is adequate or optimal. Excverpt follows including link to entire item on senior dehydration.
As the mercury continues to climb in thermometers across Oklahoma, staying hydrated is important, especially for older adults.
Older adults needs 6 to 8 cups of liquid each day, but there are a variety of factors in the aging process that can hinder proper hydration, said Penny King Sequoyah County FCS Extension Educator.
“Some older adults experience a decrease in their thirst sensation,” King said. “Because of this they may not notice they are thirsty. The body has already begun to dehydrate once a person realizes he or she is thirsty.”
Another factor is body water decreases with age, which leaves a smaller margin of safety for dehydration. Keep in mind that some medications can cause water loss. King suggests asking your doctor about the possibility of water loss due to specific medications that are prescribed.
In addition, older adults who are bed-ridden or wheelchair bound may have problems reaching fluids.
“Some older adults may try to limit their daily fluid intake due to fear of incontinence. Also, limited mobility may cause problems in getting to the bathroom in time,” she said.
Another item on bottled water but this time it addresses the issue of tbe actual containers. The item is pretty detailed and while an excerpt follows, you will need to visit link following to get the specifics.
Henry David Thoreau once said, “Water is the only drink for a wise man."
There is no doubt that drinking plenty of water is vital in maintaining optimal health. Yet, 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
One of the easiest ways to combat this dehydration issue is to carry a water bottle.
When sipping water out of a glass at home is not an option, consumers have the choice of a plastic, aluminum or stainless steel bottle.
Which type is "the best" for your health?
Below is a breakdown of the pros and cons of each type of bottle.
Potential Health Hazard may Exist in Your Drinking Water by Deanna Dean, citizen journalist
This item, from Natural Health, discusses a particular water pollutant, MTBE a gasoline additive that has certain benefits but is poisonous to humans.
Excerpt of article and link to entire item on MTBE water pollution follows. Click for our helpful page on MTBE in gasoline as one type of water pollutionHave you ever had a drink of water that tasted or smelled like turpentine? Was the odor and taste so unpleasant it was almost undrinkable? If so, there's a strong possibility your glass of water was contaminated with levels of methyl-t-butyl ether (MTBE) that exceed the Environmental Protection Agency's recommendations stated in a 1997 advisory.
MTBE is among a group of chemicals called fuel oxygenates. Developed in the 1970's, it is added today to gasoline, replacing lead, throughout the United States to increase oxygen content and reduce harmful automobile emissions released into the atmosphere.
In 1990 an amendment to The Clean Air Act stated its commitment to combat air pollution and to require reformulated gasoline (RFG) be used in certain areas of the country where carbon monoxide emissions exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
Today 30 percent of RFG is sold in the United States. MTBE is added to over 80 percent of reformulated gasoline. So far so good; makes for a greener, safer environment which we all want.
I couldn’t resist adding this item on water contamination concerns. Imagine, “Your water is polluted but safe.”
Uh, huh.
The explanation is contained in the excerpt.
I wish they would spend less time on the logic and more time cleaning up the water.
Water customers in Sebring found letters stuck in their doors to let them know their drinking water has high levels of two different contaminants now above EPA standards.
"And when chlorine is added to it, it creates these trihalomethanes or haloacetic acids," says Jim Bates, Water Superintendent for Sebring Village.
Bates says the contaminants are a result of the chlorine they add reacting with organics, such as dead leaves and twigs in the water supply. He also points out these levels were acceptable until 2004, when the EPA lowered the threshold. "The water quality didn't change. It's the regulations that have got tighter, and so now what was safe water back then is unsafe today," says Bates.
