A study which analyzed over 27 million U.S. births between 1996 and 2002 found that the percentage of premature births peaked in summer months when the levels of nitrates and pesticides in the drinking water also peaked from agricultural runoff. The correlation existed regardless of the mothers socioeconomic status or geographic location.
While choosing locally grown, organic produce can help solve this problem in the long run, that does not help you if you are trying to conceive, pregnant or nursing as you read this. If what you eat or drink will pass through to your sperm, egg, fetus or newborn in any way, then please avoid pesticides at all costs.
This study only looked at the correlation between preterm labor and agricultural runoff in our drinking water. Is it really a stretch to imagine what the chemicals are doing to fertility, fetal development, neurological development, disease and the like? The answer is naturally to eat organic if at all possible and of course use a water filter.
Many experts are now recommending against bottled water due to the environmental costs of shipping the water and due to the fact that the water is not much cleaner or more pure than your tap water. The best water filter you can buy is a reverse osmosis whole house filter. This will provide you with clean drinking water and also chemical free water for bathing.
Unfortunately, the cost is prohibitive for many people. Any filter is better than no filter so even a filtering pitcher or faucet like Brita or Pur will help to filter out some of the chemicals that can cause you or your little one harm.
Click here to see EPA list of drinking water contaminants
Click here to see EWG tap water database
Click here to see the bottled water database
Buy water filters at the Natural Home Store
OMG!… I didn’t know these things. People are really careless. I admit, me too. Such a very great post. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by tessastuart | May 15, 2011, 10:21 pm