water

You turn on the tap in the morning... and what flows out may LOOK clean and clear.

But water can APPEAR as pure as a mountain spring even when it's loaded with toxic stuff that -- if you knew about it -- would send you running for the hills.

Now, you might think that you only have to worry about getting sick from the water when you're hitting some exotic island on a tropical cruise.

But according to a new study, the good ol' H20 coming right from your own kitchen faucet might be tainted with everything from heavy metals to dangerous bacteria!

And it happens more often than you may think.

In the study out of the University of California, Irvine, researchers analyzed nearly 35 years of data on water contamination across the U.S.

It turned out that in EACH year that they studied, up to a QUARTER of all Americans were affected by contaminated water from their local water systems.

That's up to 45 million people annually!

And in the majority of cases, that contamination was due to BUGS.

No, not roaches, spiders, ants, or other creepy-crawlies... but harmful viruses, parasites, and bacteria (including the kind found in animal and human poop).

How's that for "ick" factor?!

And according to the study, those bad bugs in the water have led to 16 million cases of "acute gastroenteritis" -- a nasty condition that gives you miserable cramps, nausea, and vomiting -- each and every year.

But that's not all -- because there were also plenty of incidents of chemical contamination with toxic heavy metals (like arsenic, lead, and copper) and nitrites (from fertilizers and industrial waste).

How in the heck did American water get so filthy?

Well, as the researchers pointed out, our lakes, rivers, and reservoirs have been polluted by everything from farming to manufacturing for decades. And in many areas of the country, the underground pipes that deliver water are SO old that small cracks allow contaminants to leak into the water as it travels to your tap.

And if you live in a rural community, your water may be particularly vulnerable -- because water systems (i.e. wells) that serve small populations often lack the technical tools and human oversight needed to effectively monitor water safety.

In fact, the study found "hotspots" of contamination in rural communities across Texas, Oklahoma, and Idaho.

So much for America's "heartland"! More like America's bacteria belt.

Unfortunately, there's no way to know if your water is tainted just by looking at it or even smelling it, because bad bugs typically have no color or odor. (Same with heavy metals, though sometimes water that comes out of rusty, lead pipes can taste metallic.)

Boiling all of your drinking water may be a precaution against germs... but it's obviously inconvenient... and you CAN'T boil away chemical and metal toxins.

You can switch to bottled water until you're confident that what's coming out of your tap is harmless, but just make sure that it's pure water and nothing (like fluoride) has been added.

And regardless of what tests show, consider installing a reverse osmosis system to filter all of the nasty stuff out of your water supply at home.

Killer chemical may be flowing out of your tap

Some of the things that can kill you are choices -- like smoking and eating junk food.

But what if it was something that's absolutely essential to your good health that could be poisoning you?

That seems to be the case -- because a new report out of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health shows that the drinking water of more than 16 million Americans is tainted with dangerous chemicals.

The study found that the level of PFASs, or polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, exceeded government-recommended safety levels in 33 states.

This man-made chemical is one of the most widely used in the world, and it could be all over your home right now. It's found in common household items like your non-stick cookware... your waterproof shoes... your couch... and even your carpet.

Since PFASs can't be removed from water easily, and most standard wastewater treatment methods won't work, they now could be coming out of your faucet and into your water glass.

Researchers looked at over 36,000 drinking water samples from nearly 5,000 public water sources that the EPA collected from 2013 to 2015. It turns out that 66 suppliers were providing water to six million folks that had chemical levels well above the established safety limits.

But that's just the data the researchers were able to get their hands on. Nearly a third of the U.S. doesn't report their water data to the EPA... so millions of folks have no idea whether or not their water is safe to drink.

A 2014 study by the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination found PFASs in 97 percent of human blood samples. And when they end up in the body, PFASs have been linked to cancer, high cholesterol, immune system issues, and more.

Even if your water is clear of PFASs, that doesn't mean it's safe to drink right out of the tap. Other toxins that may be lurking in there -- especially pesticides -- have been linked to an increased risk in ALS, Parkinson's, and even dementia.

A reverse osmosis water filtration system can make a dent in limiting your exposure, and a detoxifying diet like Paleo will help get rid of the toxins that are already in your body (and likely being stored in your fat).

But if your water is really contaminated... and you've been swilling it unfiltered for years... you may need something a bit more powerful.

Visit a holistic doctor who can check your body's toxic load and see what dangerous chemicals (and metals) have made it into your system. If it's a lot, he may recommend chelation therapy, which can bind to metals and other toxins and flush them out.

There are many natural chelating agents as well, including chlorophyll (like that found in spirulina), which helps your body flush out toxins.