(NaturalNews) We go to great pains to drink only pure, chemical free water. We filter it because what we ingest is so important to our health. But it`s easy to forget that your morning shower may be just as potent a source of toxins as your drinking water, which is why a shower filter may be necessary for your health.
Chlorine (that irritating, poisonous chemical that makes your eyes burn) is just as bad for the outside of you as it is for the inside. And few people make the connection that, when we bath or shower, not only are we simmering in a caustic chemical wash, but we`re also fogging our home`s air with it.
It`s actually pretty scary. If you knew you were about to be exposed to a rain of sulphuric acid, would you step out into it naked? Of course not. But every day millions of us are blithely showering in heavily chlorinated tap water.
And even worse is that long, hot shower or bath is actually making the situation considerably unhealthier, as heating releases the chlorine from the water stream itself and proceeds to surround us in a cloud of highly-caustic, concentrated poison gas that we breathe the entire time. As you know, that moist air also travels throughout your home, so everyone else in the house gets to breathe it, too: your friends, your kids, your dog or your canary.
Health risks of showering in unfiltered, chlorinated water include: asthma, pulmonary edema, breast and bladder cancer, premature aging, skin infection (because chlorine kills the beneficial organisms our skin needs to stay healthy), dry hair, fatigue, birth defects and more. In fact, showering in chlorinated
water is as damaging and aging to your skin as overexposure to sunlight. Chlorine can even make your eye condition worse, burning your retina and causing tearing and irritation.
Because of risks to both
health and beauty from showering in chlorinated tap water, showerhead filters are increasingly in demand. Compared to whole-house filtration systems, they are affordable and also easier to install and maintain. Be sure to have a filter on every faucet in your home and check and replace them regularly.
The health risks are so serious that many are now lobbying their local governments to abandon chlorination and switch to other sanitation methods; but until that is available in your area, remember that installing a filter on your showerhead is just as important as having one on your drinking water tap. It`s a small investment with huge health and beauty rewards.
Further Reading:
http://www.allaboutwater.org/shower-filters.html
http://www.suite101.com/content/shower-filters-a41962
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/3-advantages-of-owning-a-shower-filt... About the author
Elizabeth Walling is a freelance writer specializing in health and family nutrition. She is a strong believer in natural living as a way to improve health and prevent modern disease. She enjoys thinking outside of the box and challenging common myths about health and wellness. You can visit her blog to learn more:
www.livingthenourishedlife.com/2009/10/welcome.html
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