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UK Against Fluoridation

Thursday, February 21, 2008

UK - Is it time to ditch bottled water?

Is it time to ditch bottled water?

20/02/2008 Bottled water was supposed to be cleaner, tastier and better for you - but bottled water is no longer flavour of the month.
Experts argue that not only is it over-priced, but its cost to the environment is astronomical.
Yesterday, London Mayor Ken Livingstone launched a campaign to urge people to ask for humble tap water in restaurants, cafes and pubs instead.
And given the improved quality of tap water, why do we still spend £2billion a year on the bottled stuff?
Here we explode the most common myths about bottled water.
Advertisement Myth: Bottled water is higher in nutrients
Truth: Nutritionally, bottled water is no better for you than tap water, according to a study at the University of Geneva. "Yes, some bottled waters contain minerals," says dietitian Jacqui Lowdon, from the British Dietetic Association.
"But the quantities of calcium or magnesium are tiny. Depending on where you live, you can often glean more calcium from tap water."
Not only that but some brands, both still and sparkling, contain excessive levels of sodium - high levels of which are linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure and stroke.
Myth: It tastes better
Truth: In a blind taste test for Decanter wine magazine, experts were asked to rate 20 different bottles of water. Nobody spotted that one was tap water - one taster even picked it as his favourite.
Some mineral-rich bottled water can taste salty and heavier than tap water, but in most studies people can't tell the difference. "If tap water does have an aftertaste, it's often from the chlorine that's added by law," explains Lowdon. "Refrigerating water overnight removes this."
Still not convinced? Use a filter jug such as those made by Brita (£18.95 from Boots). But change the filter monthly, as they can be a breeding ground for bacteria. You can also buy filters to fit on to your tap from hardware stores. Filters remove 99 per cent of chlorine, trace heavy metals such as lead, and a bacteria called cryptosporidium, which in rare cases could cause tummy bugs.
Myth: It makes you prettier/ slimmer/sportier
Truth: There are a growing number of "functional" waters, which have had nutrients artificially added in order to make health claims - detox or weight loss for instance. "These expensive waters are unlikely to improve our skin or help us lose weight - all the additions to water are usually just marketing ploys," says Lowdon. "The amount of vitamins added are tiny. You're better off getting them from five daily servings of fruit and veg, and calcium from dairy products." Many of these enhanced waters also contain sugar and artificial flavourings and may have as many calories as conventional soft drinks.
Myth: It is safer
Truth: Both tap and bottled water are rigorously tested - though tap is tested more often. Even Richard Laming, of the Bottled Water Information Office, says: "Tap water is safe and perfectly healthy."
Some people fear that fluoride (added to tap water in the West Midlands and North East of England) may cause osteoporosis and cancer, but there's no hard evidence of this. Yet plastic bottles can attract bacteria, especially if reused. Some experts fear that oestrogen-mimicking chemicals linked to breast and bladder cancer, found in some plastic bottles, may get into the water.
But if you've got toxic lead pipes, get them changed. See the Drinking Water Inspectorate's free leaflet, Lead In Drinking Water - Have You Got Lead Pipes? (from www.dwi.gov.uk).
Myth: It is more natural
Truth: Unlike tap water, "natural mineral" water can claim to be chlorine and chemical-free, but much bottled water comes from the same sources as local tap water. Lowdon says: "Even if it has been filtered through volcanic rock it doesn't mean it's better for your health - it's still only water!"
IS IT WORTH THE MONEY?
NO
Environment minister Phil Woolas says: "It is absurd to use up our resources to manufacture a bottle, fill it with water from somewhere else and use more energy to transport it hundreds of miles - only for the bottle to be sent to landfill or recycled (using yet more energy) - when the alternative is to turn on the tap.
"It's welcome news that some of the bottled water companies are encouraging recycling, but we already have water at the end of a pipe, which doesn't have nearly as big an effect on the environment."
YES
Ian Hall, water expert and ex-chairman of the Natural Mineral Water Association, says: "Tap water is safe but, unlike bottled water, it has chlorine added to it and, in some areas, other chemicals like fluoride, which not everyone wants. Bottled water has also improved the health of the nation by giving a convenient alternative to fizzy, sugary drinks.
"And when it comes to the environment, the water utilities' carbon footprint is estimated at 1.9 million tonnes of car bon dioxide equivalent per year. A lot of water is wasted through leaks and burst pipes. Shouldn't the government address that?"
5 GREEN REASONS TO SWITCH TO TAP WATER
1 IT takes seven litres of water to make a single one-litre plastic bottle.
2 THE £2 that would buy you one bottle of water would pay for 10,000 litres of tap water.
3 WE buy 13 billion plastic bottles of water a year and only recycle three billion - 10 billion are thrown away.
4 A LITRE of a leading brand of French mineral water generates up to 600 times more carbon dioxide (CO2) than a litre of Thames tap water, thanks to the packaging, transportation and waste disposal.
5 TRANSPORTING bottled water in the UK produces 33,200 tons of CO2 emissions - equivalent to the energy consumption of 6,000 homes.


Why now when they are imposing fluoridation on us?

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