There are three types of water filtering and purification: activated carbon, reverse osmosis and distillation. Activated carbon filters should be "solid block." Granulated carbon filters can allow growth of microorganisms within the filter. Activated carbon block filters remove organic chemicals, chlorine and most heavy metals, such as lead, some microorganisms and radon.

Reverse osmosis systems should have three steps: 1) sediment filtering; 2) reverse osmosis; and 3) carbon block. Reverse osmosis does not remove bacteria and chemicals unless it has the carbon block component. It does remove all organic matter and most minerals. Unfortunately, reverse osmosis systems are very inefficient. It can take four to six hours to produce a gallon of water. And since only 15 to 25 percent of incoming water goes through the unit, a lot of water can be wasted if the system does not have a collection system for lost water.

Distilling systems remove all minerals and organic compounds and most chemicals. Some volatile organic chemicals will not be removed. Like the reverse osmosis systems, distillation systems take approximately five hours to make a gallon of purified water. Cooking with distilled water actually will increase movement of nutrients from the food and into the water. This same principle, however, makes distilled water the ideal water for making therapeutic herbal teas and for detoxifying the body. Since good water can supply minerals to the body, individuals who may be mineral deficient already should not do detoxification programs and should not drink only distilled water.

Now we are back to the question of which water or filter system is the best. First, get your water tested, and determine which contaminants need to be removed. Next, select the filtering system that will provide the most efficient filtering for your needs. In general, solid block-activated carbon filters remove the most common contaminants found in municipal water systems. They are also the most efficient and the least costly. You can even install a separate carbon filter on your shower to remove chlorine from bathing water.

The bottled water Aquacool has had all impurities and contaminates filtered out of the water, and the minerals are added back. Multi-pure supplies a reliable activated carbon block filter system.

A discussion of water quality would not be complete without mentioning the fluoridation of municipal water supplies. The addition of fluoride to water supplies to reduce tooth decay is very controversial. For every study touting the benefit of adding fluoride to drinking water, there is another predicting disaster, some from the scientists who originally recommended fluoridation. It is safe to say that fluoride is beneficial in very small amounts and is very toxic in high amounts. Some bedrock has a high fluoride content, and groundwater that comes in contact with this bedrock will have an elevated fluoride level. Drinking this water will cause discoloration or spotting of teeth. Taking excess fluoride in supplemental form is known to cause joint pain, an upset stomach, nausea and vomiting.

Since we have already determined that, for many reasons, municipal water is not the healthiest source of drinking water, avoiding municipal tap water for drinking and cooking and avoiding fluoride in the form of supplements and toothpaste will eliminate the possibility of fluoride toxicity. How then do you get sufficient fluoride? A diet containing regular consumption of seafood will supply adequate fluoride to meet all the body's needs.

Nutritional Assessment By Blood Test Evaluation
Every cell in the body has some basic requirements for efficient function. These requirements include many of the nutrients we have focused on in this series of articles, such as nitrogen and amino acids from protein; energy from carbohydrates and fatty acids; fatty acids to build and repair cell membranes; sodium, chloride and other electrolytes to maintain membrane transport; and vitamins and minerals for efficient chemical reactions. Water is also necessary to get the nutrients to the cell to maintain the aqueous environment inside and outside the cell. Without an adequate supply and the proper balance of nutrients, cell function is compromised. This eventually weakens the body tissues, and makes us prone to develop injury and various pathologies.

Caffeine's Negative Effects High intakes of caffeine have been linked to anxiety, insomnia, elevated blood pressure, heart palpitations, headaches, fibrocystic breast disease, diarrhea, increased stomach acidity and ulcers, birth defects and miscarriages. Long-term use of caffeine will cause overworked and weakened adrenals, which may lead to depression and chronic fatigue. Tolerance for caffeine varies greatly. Some individuals can tolerate as much as 500 milligrams of caffeine per day, equivalent to five or more cups of coffee. Other people cannot tolerate even one cup of green tea, which contains approximately 35 milligrams of caffeine. This intolerance is often due to decreased capacity of the liver to clear caffeine from the body. If any symptoms of excess caffeine consumption are present or pregnancy is planned, caffeine should be eliminated from the diet. Otherwise intake of caffeine should be limited to less than 100 milligrams per day, the equivalent of one cup of coffee. Besides coffee and tea, caffeine is present in soda, chocolate, aspirin and other drugs, such as Fiorinal, Vivarin, NoDoz and Dexatrim.

To identify pathology or disease, conventional physicians use standard blood testing. These blood tests are often the first tests ordered by a general practitioner when a patient has a health concern. Frequently the test results come back normal, and the doctor says nothing is wrong, even though you know that something is wrong. Your symptoms are the body's way of telling you there are imbalances in the body. These imbalances, however, have not progressed to the point where pathology or disease has manifested in your tissues; therefore, the blood test results are normal.

A select group of health-care practitioners are evaluating standard blood tests from the viewpoint of health, rather than just disease identification. This approach allows imbalance, stress and weakness in the body to be ascertained and corrected before tissue integrity is lost. Once the stressed and weak areas in the body are identified, recommendations can be made for specific nutritional supplements, dietary changes and lifestyle changes. These recommendations will help correct the imbalances and support the weak areas, thus improving cell function. Since all tissues and organs in the body are made up of cells, by improving cell function, tissues repair more readily, become injured less easily and overall health improves.

Some imbalances in the body have been there since birth. Each individual is born with the imbalances and weaknesses present in his or her mother's body when they were developing in utero. The stresses of daily life, whether they are psychological, emotional or physical (i.e., poor diet, working out too much or exposure to pesticides, pollution or other chemicals), can exacerbate imbalances you were born with, as well as create new imbalances. Over time, through follow-up blood test evaluations and comparison of results, it is possible to identify which imbalances and weaknesses are correctable and which are more innate or permanent in nature. This invaluable information allows you to compensate for the more permanent imbalances using diet, nutritional supplements or other lifestyle changes, such as following an exercise program. By supporting the weak areas in this way, you can improve healing, optimize health and help avoid the development of future health problems.

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Joy Bicknell, M.S., CNS, has been working in alternative health care for more than 15 years. She has a Master of Science in Human Nutrition, and is a Certified Nutritional Specialist. She may be contacted at: joynutrition@attbi.com

Ben E. Benjamin, with a Ph.D. in sports medicine and education, is the founder and president of the Muscular Therapy Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. If you wish to purchase a bound copy of the entire article series, E-mail Benjamin at: Ben@mtti.com, or write to him at: 175 Richdale Ave., #106, Cambridge, MA 02140