Water "Spots"

Drink Well. Live Well

May 31, 2011

A recent article from Cordis and the European Commission discusses lithium in drinking water and the health effects and concerns that go along with it. New Swedish research, according to the publication, has found that large quantities of lithium in groundwater can trigger hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism, also known as underactive thyroid, is a condition where there is too little thyroid hormone in the bloodstream in which the body needs to function normally. Inadequate stimulation of cells and organs in the body due to low levels of thyroid hormone causes the symptoms associated with hypothyroidism, which is generally a "slowing-down" of the body's processes. These symptoms include slowed heart rate, tiredness, inability to tolerate cold, mental fatigue, and constipation.

Lithium is used to treat such diseases as bipolar disorder and other depressions. According to the article, "high concentrations of this element were found in villages of the Argentinean Andes Mountains, where people treated for bipolar disorder exhibited altered thyroid function." 'The amounts of lithium that the Latin American women are ingesting via their drinking water are perhaps a tenth of what a patient would take daily for bipolar disorder,' explains Dr Karin Broberg, an occupational and environmental physician at Lund University in Sweden, and lead author of one study. Although they have been consuming the element their whole life, the effects are not yet known. Previous research shows that one region of Argentina has high amounts of lithium, arsenic, cesium, boron, and rubidium were present in both the drinking water and the urine of local women who participated in a study. Not everything is positive about these elements, as they also pose a threat to the environment. Dr. Broberg states, "Lifelong ingestion of arsenic and lithium brings a clear health risk." And while groundwater may be safer than polluted water from lakes and rivers in many parts of the world, it is not filtered from the elements of the Earth.

Water filters and water purifiers like reverse osmosis systems may not be nature-made, but they are the best option for making nature what it should be – safe and pure. They still allow a consistent flow of drinking water with eco-friendly technology. All over the world, we can find regions even in the most beautiful places and breathtaking nature, however there are still areas that have harmful contaminants in the water. Don’t let the water fool you – let the water filter help you get safe drinking water. After all, when you drink well, you live well.