According to a study, which has just been published by Orb Media, out of more than 250 bottles of major brands tested, 93% contain plastic particles. If this information turns out to be correct, the problem will arise of what to drink, knowing that man does not have much choice because drink is essential to life.
The news caused a stir. The study looks serious; it comes from a university in the state of New York and an NGO which claim to have found, in 93% of the samples of water bottles tested by their laboratory, plastic micro-particles, invisible to the body. naked eye (polypropylene, nylon, polyethylene terephthalate).
While it is extremely distasteful to hear this, it is far too early to draw fearful conclusions. However, the effects of the accumulation of plastics in the body are not yet known. If the defenders of the planet alert us – and rightly so – to the existence in the Pacific Ocean, of a “6th continent ”made of plastic waste, countless researchers around the world have yet to see similar effects on our organs.
Bottled water from many big brands around the world is contaminated with tiny plastic particles whose health hazards are not well understood, study finds https://t.co/3dKXMCLyEW #AFP pic.twitter.com/xgVdRbGMhV
– Agence France-Presse (@afpfr) March 15, 2018
Check and impose
We are waiting for an extremely rapid explanation of the denounced brands. They are large multinationals, which owe accounts to the hundreds of millions of consumers whom they have been drinking for years. They must be able to confirm and above all to explain this strange presence.
It also requires verification of the products of all brands, and the assurance of communicating the results.
It is also necessary to make a synthesis of all the research on the consequence of the ingestion of plastic, to have an idea of the real dangerousness and the urgency of the actions.
Finally, it is first and foremost necessary to ensure the veracity of this study, which for the moment has not been the subject of a publication in a reference journal; in the absence of verification, we should not be victims of disinformation such as the net in vehicles frequently. A counter study should not be difficult to carry out, on the scale of our states.
Then there is always the problem of what to drink
We are made of 70% water.
This shows the importance of the drink for our daily life. Drinking is also a misnomer since in the food we consume every day there is a very large proportion of water: 90% in fruits and vegetables, but also 70% in meat or fish and even 34% in bread …
Without eating, thanks to its reserves, we can survive four to five weeks. Without water, we will die in three or four days.
We must therefore drink, every day, a large amount of liquid and if you will always find some researchers to extol the medical virtues of beer or wine, it is obvious that pure water remains the best solution.
Several questions arise.
First, tap water or mineral water? For years, the French medical profession has conveyed the idea that with very rare exceptions, especially due to agricultural nitrates, tap water was perfect for our consumption, including for bottles … However, according to the World Organization for Health, 32 million French people consume water whose lead content, for example, is far too high. We could also talk about nickel or arsenic just as dangerous and just as present in our tap water. For the moment, the situation is not worrying and the consequences are limited to being wary of lead pipes – letting the water run for a few moments before drinking it – or buying rapid purification systems …
But it nevertheless explains the fashion and especially the astonishing progression of mineral waters. Hence the second question: Mineral water okay but which one? Especially since this study. We can first recommend the waters that came out unscathed from the test, while waiting for our bottles to certify the absence of these micro plastic particles.
The only advice we can give is to alternate brands so as not to risk consuming too much salt, magnesium, or potassium,… or plastic which vary in the composition of our mineral waters.
Finally, in the “flat” or “sparkling” debate, it will be the taste and the capacity to digest them and not the medicine that will guide your choice!
In conclusion, first of all obvious but which is not linked to this study: the world is crumbling under plastic waste, it seems urgent to ban all kinds of bottles that use this material.
It is especially important to make children love water.
Over 3/4 of children’s and teen’s drinks are sweet or flavored… and that’s not good. At a time when industrialized countries are looking with dismay at the obese epidemic that is sweeping our countries, children must be given a taste for water. Simple, but not easy. We can of course talk about the harmful role of television, which constantly sends children – and their parents – the opposite message, without mentioning the potential dangers. And it is in good faith that parents think they are full of energy, vitamins and essential elements, thanks to all these drinks.
However, it is necessary to distinguish between the water requirements and the calorie requirements. Roughly speaking, we can say that the child needs 1.5 liters and 2800 calories per day for normal development. However, a large number – and especially ever increasing – of children consume this liter and a half of liquid per day, but in the form of sugary drinks which represent 1400 calories, or half of what is necessary, all this without having ate nothing yet!
We therefore now understand the imbalance represented by these drinks. Now, how do you get children to love water? Well, we must first give them back the taste… because tap water does not always have its place at the table. This is not serious when it is replaced by mineral water bought in the store, but it is more problematic when a bottle of syrup has been added to change the taste …
The problem is not simple. Especially, if you want to moderate your child’s consumption of sugary drinks, you must also be very careful: there is a risk of slowing down his overall consumption and we know that dehydration reduces the child’s performance at school.
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