Top 7 Reasons to Stop Drinking Water (Part Two)
The wellness space may be full of fad diets and the next “hot trend,” but drinking water is something every post, infographic, and medical professional would likely advise. However, not all water is the same, and despite the convenience of tap and bottled water, growing evidence supports the benefits of switching to hydrogen-rich, electrolyzed-reduced water. In part one of this series, we discussed three reasons to stop drinking water (sort of):
- It’s not as “clean” as you think
- Inflammation and dehydration
- Ditch the tap and opt for hydrogen-rich water
Dr. Jill Wade, DDS, MAGD has been a dentist for nearly 30 years, and while her expertise lies in dentistry and all things teeth, gums, clear aligners, and orthodontic treatment, she believes in treating the whole person and practicing wellness dentistry. Her skills and knowledge lead her to discover and pinpoint irregularities and disease, even with something as simple as a dental exam. She also extends her practices and knowledge to her staff at Stonebriar Smile Design, including her Dallas/Fortworth Metroplex location.
4. Your Fridge Filter May Not Be Sufficient
Municipal water supplies, though treated to meet federal safety standards, often contain residual contaminants, including chloramines, arsenic, nitrates, and even lead, along with other cancer-causing chemicals. These substances can leach into your drinking water through aging pipes or industrial and agricultural runoff. So, while you may feel confident that your refrigerator filter is doing your water justice—especially because it tastes better than the water directly from your tap—“there [are] some pretty horrible chemicals in our water that a fridge filter is not going to take out,” warns health and wellness coach Chantelle Taylor.
In fact, a 2021 report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found over 250 contaminants in U.S. tap water, including chemicals linked to cancer, brain damage, and developmental delays. The water crisis in Flint, Michigan was one such situation that highlighted the fragility of municipal infrastructure and oversight. Every so often, you’ll hear someone say, “Maybe there’s something in the water.” While it’s usually said in jest, this was true of the water supply in Flint. Chantelle goes on to explain that “the chloramines that municipalities are using to clean the water also react to our pipes, and that’s what was happening, causing rust. So now we’re having rust and other heavy metals in our water, which was causing autism. This is what’s happening.” Chantelle doesn’t make these statements lightly, and while her aim isn’t to incite “undue alarm,” she believes it’s important to know whether tap water is safe to use in all the capacities in which Americans do. To further illustrate this point, EWG found that even common home filters, like those in refrigerators, often fail to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Dr. Wade discovered that, in her home, her water comes through a chlorinated filtration system in her garage, which explains the smell of her water and why, she says, “[her] hair doesn’t look as good as it used to.” Conversely, if you’re one of the few whose water supply comes from a well, you may not be as far from this issue as you think. As Chantelle explains, “There [are] some major agricultural issues. For example, Prescott Valley in Arizona is a place that I recently was researching the water quality. There used to be a mine there and also some farming communities, and they permeated just one layer too deep of the geology and brought up a ton of arsenic from rocks. So this isn’t the government pouring it in. It’s just there because of what mining was happening years and years and years ago. But to this day, anyone who drills a well knows that there are dangerously high levels of arsenic in [the] well water.” Additionally, farming and agriculture practices have seeped nitrates and pesticides into the water supply.
Water should be healing, not toxic.
5. It’s Not Trending; It’s Science
Hydrogen-rich water—particularly electrolyzed-reduced water—is water infused with molecular hydrogen (H₂), a selective antioxidant known for its ability to neutralize harmful free radicals while preserving beneficial ones. There’s over 50 years of scientific, “peer-reviewed data that shows the positive effects on a myriad of diseases when we ingest molecular hydrogen,” states Chantelle Taylor.
Adding molecular hydrogen to your water can help detoxify your body, repair your cells at a molecular level, and reduce oxidative stress (the process of your body metabolizing oxygen). The byproduct of oxidative stress is often free radicals, which causes cellular damage. “Hydrogen repairs that,” Chantelle informs. “It also protects against the effects of radiation. People who are recovering from cancer and have all this cellular damage, there’s a lot of science behind how hydrogen, electrolyzed-reduced water, hydrogen-rich water, shortens the telomeres…of cancer cells, reducing their ability to reproduce.” She goes on to say that hydrogen also slows the growth of cancer cells and encourages healthy cells to regenerate.
Other benefits of drinking hydrogen-rich water include:
- Quicker hydration
- Improved blood circulation
- Better nutrient absorption
While you might see some media flair or trends surrounding hydrogen water, and maybe even find some commercially packaged hydrogen water, it’s important to note that the quality may not be sufficient enough to reap the benefits, possessing “about half the potency that you could be having…and it’s not going to last as long because of the potency,” Chantelle warns. This seemingly simple substance is backed by science, and as with anything else, quality matters. You can find data to help you decide the best way to go about obtaining hydrogen water and discover the benefits for yourself, well beyond the snippets of video on social media.
6. Hydrogen Water Is a Powerful Natural Antiviral, Antibacterial, and Non-Toxic Sanitizer
By reducing hydrogen concentration, electrolyzed-reduced water can reach acidic pH levels (~2.5) that act as natural sanitizers—killing viruses and bacteria on contact—without toxic chemicals like bleach or alcohol. Imagine cleaning and sanitizing without the chemicals, only using pure water? Not only will you save money, but you’ll reduce potential allergen and inflammatory responses. Electrolyzed-reduced water is safe enough to ingest but strong enough to kill and prevent the illness and infection such as the COVID virus, the flu, bacterial strep in the throat, and even pink eye. Health and beauty coach Bonnie Popovich, who has skin sensitivities due to lupus, also uses hydrogen water in lieu of laundry detergent to wash her clothes, saying that, “it cleans better than any Tide.” She goes on to say that drinking hydrogen-rich water “took away the inflammation that was occurring on [her] skin from laundry detergent.”
Dr. Jill Wade also advocates for the use of hydrogen water, so much so that she’s even implemented its use in her dental offices across Texas. She explains that, “We’re [in the office] all day long, smelling, breathing, touching all of the cleaned and chemical-processed areas of the office. We spend an enormous amount of time each day with tons of chemicals, cleaning and sterilizing all of our different rooms.” She’s now exploring the potential of using hydrogen water so that her dental practices are “less chemically invasive.” She even reveals that some “very progressive” hospitals across the country are going “all in” on this electrolyzed-reduced water. They’re using it to clean hospital rooms and also utilizing it in conjunction with patient care by having patients consume the water as well. Even more, it’s making its way into dentistry, swishing it for strep throat and periodontal issues to reduce or kill bacteria in the mouth.
7. More Than Hydration: Anti-Aging and Environmental Stimulant
Though the data may be anecdotal, people who drank hydrogen-rich water actually had a reversal of gray hairs. It’s also been used as a part of skincare regimens for things like “removing makeup, emulsifiers, oils,” says Chantelle Taylor. It’s effective enough to remove these products and substances from the face, sans chemicals, but still be gentle on the skin.
Aside from giving your skin that extra “glow,” this water is also highly beneficial for plants and encourages “speedier and more effective germination of seeds and also quicker growth,” says Chantelle, who tested this theory in a homespun science experiment with her daughter. Meanwhile, Bonnie conducted a study of her own with her dogs—now they won’t drink water from the tap, only the 6.0 electrolyzed-reduced water (fancy). She also says that it boosts performance, promotes recovery, and accelerates wound-healing in horses, something she learned from the cowboys and horse owners in her town.
With all these benefits and applications, it’s no wonder people with nerve illnesses, Parkinson’s, gastrointestinal issues, blood and cardio issues, and autoimmune issues are looking to hydrogen-rich electrolyzed-reduced water, and the studies aren’t too hard to find. You can also join the Stonebriar Smile Design team on Facebook for Wellness Wednesday, where they discuss all things wellness to learn more.
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