More bad news about your tap water

Need more reasons to stay away from tap water? Try this on for size: It may contain artificial sweeteners.

That fact alone is bad enough -- but how they get there is enough to make you swear off water for good.

You see, people eat and drink foods loaded with this garbage. And as the saying goes: Garbage in, garbage out.

Sewage treatment plants are supposed to clean up that waste, but a new kind of water analysis shows that artificial sweeteners like aspartame can remain. And if you happen to live downstream from the plant, then you could end up drinking the stuff straight from your tap.

Aspartame is bad enough on its own, but an artificial sweetener that's made its way through someone else's body before entering yours -- well, I don't think I need to add anything to that.

But whether you're funneling it straight from a Diet Coke can, or whether it's in the form of poorly filtered tap water, aspartame is bad news. This artificial sweetener has been linked to cancer and neurological disease and is responsible for more FDA complaints than any other additive.

Forget regulating it. The only acceptable solution is an outright ban.

Now, this analysis was carried out in Germany, but don't assume for a moment that it's the only place with this problem -- or that artificial sweeteners are the only dangerous substances in the water supply.

There are plenty of other pollutants -- the difference is that much of the other stuff is actually put there on purpose. I've been telling you for years about the contaminants and pollutants that Big Government's mad scientists intentionally dump into U.S. water supply -- things like fluoride and chlorine.

The fluoride they dump into the supply is an industrial-grade waste product, but you never hear them talk about that. What you DO hear are the idiots telling people they need to swallow glass after glass of this stuff.

My favorite is the "eight glasses a day". I can't say the same about aspartame, fluoride, or chlorine in the unfiltered tap water.

And yet most people just go on assuming their water is safe to drink -- when it reality, you shouldn't even be showering in it. Get a shower filter because it will absorb through your skin..

Most people, that is, except for those of you who've been listening to me. Count yourself among the lucky few -- and then go warn your neighbors.

Water Hydration Fact Sheet

I am researching new information that a machine could change the pH of water to an alkaline state which would help in reducing many diseases, since having an acidic body will cause inflammation, which will cause pain, amongst other symptoms. Stay tuned. For now, here are some water facts.

-Dr. Tang

HYDRATION FACT SHEET

Fact #1: Muscles are comprised of 60-70% water, while fat cells are about 25-30% water. Dehydration has a much greater negative affect on muscle cells than on fat cells. Therefore, dehydration negatively effects strength and power very quickly while doing nothing to help lose fat.

Fact #2: On a daily average, a person loses 80 ounces (ten, 8-ounce glasses) of water through breathing, perspiration and other body processes. This does not take into account perspiration through exercise! Those ten glasses of water need to be replaced daily, in addition to any lost during exercise.

Fact #3: Weight lost during practice or competition is sweat. For each pound of weight lost through sweating, the body needs 2-3, 8-ounce glasses of water to replace the water lost. If you lose five pounds, you need to drink 10-15 glasses of water to replenish the fluid lost. This is in addition to the 10, eight ounce glasses your body needs every day!

Fact #4: It takes 24-48 hours (1-2 days) to rehydrate your body after being dehydrated. Being hydrated before competing is essential because a 2% loss of body weight due to sweat loss is equal to a 15-20% loss of performance! It is impossible to drink enough immediately before competition, or during competition, to make up for being dehydrated.

Fact #5: Thirst is a poor indicator of the body's need for fluids. Drinking enough to quench one's thirst replaces only about ½ to 2/3 of the body's water requirements. If you wait until you are thirsty to drink, performance has already decreased by as much as 10%. For a runner who can run a 7-minute mile that 10% performance loss means they will run a 7:42 mile!

Fact #6: An easy way to monitor hydration status is to check the color of the urine. Clear, or pale, urine indicates adequate hydration while yellow urine indicates dehydration. Expect yellow urine after a workout or when getting up in the morning. Begin drinking fluids immediately.

Fact #7: Drinking cold water during exercise is preferable to room temperature water because it is available for use by the body faster. Cold water also helps cool the body during exercise.

Fact #8: Sports drinks consumed before or during exercise should be low in fructose and should not contain more than 50 calories per 8-ounce serving. Fructose, and drinks with more than 50 calories per serving, put sugar quickly into the body too quickly which slows the absorption of water and can cause nausea, cramps or diarrhea. Pop and fruit juices are not recommended during exercise because of the high sugar content. 100% fruit juices are nutritious and can help replenish depleted energy reserves after exercise.

Fact #9: Avoid carbonated and caffeinated beverages before and during exercise. Carbonation can cause a feeling of fullness and stomach upset in some athletes. Caffeine is a diuretic which can cause dehydration.

Lead poisoning

When I read my mother's Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (a new service I have just introduced) I was completely shocked! Her lead levels were off the charts (try just under 2x the level of the limit of the chart!) This made me take into consideration how precious mom's health is and how emergent that we change her lifestyle. I have started her on a detox program to get rid of the lead, which I believe was from her hair dye - she is going to LISTEN to me about keeping with a natural hair colorant that I had introduced her to years ago; mercury, which I believe is from her silver amalgam dental fillings, which I've tried very hard to coax her to change them, but to no avail yet; and aluminum, which I believe is from cookware.

We are doing the 3-step detox, Ion Cleanse foot bath, and Biotics Research product called Porphorzyme and although this needs to be handled delicately and systematically, we will prevail. I am also considering using Detoxamin EDTA (which I currently do not carry) as another means of detoxification. I would like to follow-up in 4-6 months with her.

I highly recommend anyone who suffers from fatigue to also have their Hair Mineral Analysis performed.

Below is some information on lead, sources and its toxic properties.

Lead is one of a number of substances termed a "heavy" metal, all of which are either very difficult or impossible for the body to process out. In lead poisoning, ingested or inhaled lead enters the bloodstream. It inhibits the production of hemoglobin -- which is needed by red cells to carry oxygen -- and locks onto and inactivates essential enzymes in the brain and nervous system.

While lead poisoning among children was once mainly caused by old paint, U.S. manufacturers long ago banned the ingredient. Today, a new rash of high lead levels in the bloodstreams of American kids continues to be caused by foreign products -- mainly from China.

In the wake of scandals involving tainted food and toothpaste from China comes word of a new concern from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission as well as the Food and Drug Administration. So serious is the resurgence of lead poisoning among U.S. children that the Iowa Department of Public Health is working on writing a new law to require mandatory testing of those entering school for the first time.

Symptoms of Lead Poisoning

Lead poisoning may be hard to detect at first, because children who appear healthy can have high levels of lead in their bodies. The accumulation of lead usually is gradual, building up unnoticed until levels become dangerous and cause signs and symptoms.

The signs and symptoms of lead poisoning in children are nonspecific and may include:

• Irritability
  
• Loss of appetite
  
• Weight loss
  
• Sluggishness
  
• Abdominal pain
  
• Vomiting
  
• Constipation
  
• Unusual paleness (pallor) from anemia
  
• Learning difficulties
  
  

Signs and symptoms in adults

• Pain, numbness or tingling of the extremities
  
• Muscular weakness
  
• Headache
  
• Abdominal pain
  
• Memory loss
  
• Mood disorders
  
• Reduced sperm count, abnormal sperm

Lead Poisoning in Chinese Products

IWave after wave of recalls have been announced with the only common denominator in each case being the product was “Made in China”. There are many theories floating around as to how these products were even sold on North American soil. 2007 was a record year for toy recalls. U.S. regulatory agencies and companies instituted numerous recalls for defective, dangerous or toxic products, such as toothpaste, children's jewelry, toys, tools, dog food, baby bibs, tires and computer batteries. The common link between many of these products: They were made in China and contain lead paint.

If you have, or know someone who has kids, you need to let them know about this site, and the effects of lead poisoning. With recent high-profile incidents involving dangerous goods imported from China, the American media has finally begun to warn consumers about the dangers of cheaply producing goods in a country hardly known for its strict safety regulations. After spending some time digging through product recall press releases, we’ve found that the mainstream media is still only reporting the tip of the iceberg when it comes to dangerous products imported from China.

Lead Poisoning a Threat for Children

Lead poses the greatest danger to babies and young children whose developing brains and neurological systems are very susceptible to its devastating effects, which include learning disabilities, behavioral problems, reduced IQ, mental retardation, academic failure, brain damage, neuropsychological deficits, hyperactive behavior and attention deficit disorder, antisocial (criminal) behavior, as well as seizures, coma, and death at very high levels. Make no mistake that it is a deadly chemical.

The good news is that since its use as a motor fuel additive was banned in 1968 and its inclusion in house paints also subsequently prohibited, the average levels of lead found in children's blood has dropped significantly over the past 20 years. Nonetheless, The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) found that about 1.7 million US children under the age of six still had blood levels above the Center for Disease Control's "safe" level.

Here are the major tips for avoiding lead contamination. More information is available and if you have young children in a home that was built or painted prior to 1978 (which includes an estimated 83 percent of privately owned housing units built in the US), we urge you to seek it out by calling the National Lead Information Center at 1-800 424 LEAD.

1. If you have small children in an older home with double-hung windows, only open the top window. This reduces the amount of tiny paint chips from oxidizing paint that rain down onto the window sills and floors in the area of the window. If you do keep the bottom window open, the area should be mopped frequently with a solution of trisodium phosphate (TSP).

2. If you're doing remodeling, again, we urge you to seek more information from the National Lead Information Center at 100-424-LEAD. Lead paint removal is complicated and preventing contamination will require either a lot of planning, or the services of a qualified contractor. Plan your remodeling so that children will not be around when old paint is removed. You must also be careful that paint removed from the outside of the structure does not fall down on the ground around the home as it will contaminate the soil.

3. Before drinking tap water (we don't think that in most cases, this is a very good idea anyway), let it run at least one to three minutes in the morning or anytime it has not been used for six hours orlonger. Tap water standing in old pipes may dissolve unhealthy amoungs of lead from pipes or solder. A good quality filter, however, will eliminate lead. [Link href to Water Filters]

4. When installing or repairing plumbing, make sure the solder used is lead free.

5. Avoid eating and drinking from imported ceramics, china and crystal that may contain lead.

6. If you have an old bathtub, replace it with a new one not covered with a lead-based glaze.

7. Do not eat vegetables or fruits grown very close to busy roads or highways. Residual contamination from leaded gasoline may still be in the soil.

Lead in Your Home

Do you know how old your house is? You likely do know if you moved into the house when it was new or if you live in a newer neighborhood in the suburbs. But what if you are renting your home or apartment or you bought a previously owned home?

Lead poisoning is still a problem, especially in low-income children, urban children, and those living in older housing . It is estimated that 2.2% of children in the United States (about 434,000 children) aged 1-5 years have a blood lead level greater than or equal to 10 µg/dL, the level at which lead is thought to cause harmful health effects, including learning disabilities and behavior problems.

Just as concerning are new reports that show that there may be no safe lead levels. Some recent reports have shown small declines in IQ points for children even if their lead level was under 10. Another report showed a delay in when puberty begins in girls with lead levels less than 3.

To avoid your child having even low levels of lead, it is important to take the screening questionaires seriously and unless you are sure of the age of your home, answer that you don't know and request a blood lead level be tested.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends universal screening in areas with >27% of housing built before 1950 and in populations in which the percentage of 1- and 2-year-olds with elevated BLLs is >12%.

You can see if you live in an area where there are a lot of older homes by searching this census database. Select your 'state' and then 'county' and choose '1990 ZIP Codes within one State' to see how many of the homes in your zip code were built before 1950. Don't rely on your Pediatrician to know if you live in a high risk area. Your Pediatrician likely has patients in many different zip codes and might not know the risk for each.

There is also a recommendation from the Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention that screening blood lead test be performed on all children enrolled in Medicaid at ages 1 and 2 years.

Your tap water is NOT safe

I've been saying this for years but a report published this morning substantiates my claim. Would you like some drugs with your water, sir?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080309/ap_on_re_us/pharmawater_i_4