A traumatic part of my healing journey was testing positive for mercury and lead poisoning in California in 2017. My doctor told me that it was due to the poor quality of water in West Hollywood, mainly because I was taking baths and showers and the water was unfiltered. As I researched what I was going through and what I needed to do next, I started to realize that the headlines on Google only talked about the lead contamination in Flint, Michigan, but not in other counties. Then, on the third page, I found a Los Angeles Times article reporting that lead levels in California’s water system were actually higher than in Flint, where a water contamination scandal triggered national outrage and Congress passed a bill to deliver $120 million in federal aid to the city. Why wasn’t this making mainstream media headlines? Lead contamination (this is when lead ends up in drinking water after corrosion of the plumbing that it runs through) is a big problem in Los Angeles and the Bay Area and a massive study by Reuters has shown 8 zip codes in California where the problem of lead contamination is as bad or worse than in Flint. Water contamination is a silent epidemic and it’s why I refuse to drink or bathe in tap water anymore. 

After going on a chelation protocol (EDTA and DMSA) that caused me to lose all sense of taste for over three months, I later also had an Asyra diagnostic exam and my practitioner told me that I also tested positive for amphetamines and these were coming from tap water as well. At this point, I realized how damaging water could be to our bodies and that mercury, lead, and amphetamines weren’t the only things contaminating our public water supplies today. Fluoride, pharmaceuticals, and arsenic are problematic too.

The story of how fluoride was added to our drinking water in the United States is shocking. It was originally added to the public water supply decades ago to help with dental health (although research has shown no such benefit). Texas was the first state to add fluoride and they did this on the basis of it being good for you, but this was a lie always based on money. Fluoride is not good for your teeth and today evidence is actually now showing that fluoride in drinking water is toxic and can pose very serious health threats. Overexposure to fluoride can lead to dental fluorosis, a discoloration of tooth enamel, and in higher doses, it can cause neurotoxicity in adults, negatively impacting memory and learning ability as well as developmental function (as documented and researched by The Harvard School of Public Health and the China Medical University in Shenyang). High rates of autistic spectrum disorder have even been reported in countries with high fluoride levels.

Studies also show that fluoride damages the pineal gland because this is where it accumulates. A healthy and functioning pineal gland is necessary for optimal health, but this gland has the highest rate of calcification of all organs and tissues in the body. Calcification of the pineal gland can influence the production of melatonin, can interfere with our sleep and wake cycles and even causes a melatonin deficiency. Studies are also showing that fluoride can impact sex hormone levels, impair fertility, and disrupt puberty because it increases TSH levels in the body and decreases T3 and T4 produced by the thyroid. It is also associated with a variety of neuronal diseases. Scientific evidence also supports the possibility that our third eye, or pineal gland, was once our first eye, and calcification can lead to a decrease in our spiritual connection and consciousness. Drinking bottled water is not always the answer because there are high-risk bottled water brands full of fluoride too (read more about this here). I will share my favorite fluoride-free recommendations later in the article.

Things like pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, and hormones are also part of today’s silent water crisis too, and even arsenic (that has been connected to cancer and other diseases) has been found in water supplies in some parts of California. USGS researchers did a mass study looking into 60% of all of the water pumped for drinking water and they found that there was at least one hormone or pharmaceutical drug in 7% of aquifers used for public water supply and 14% of those used for domestic supply. The EWG studied this too and also confirmed that ‘tap water across the US is contaminated with many industrial chemicals’ and that Americans are now drinking low-level mixers of pharmaceuticals with every glass.

This is really dangerous and the impact it can have on our bodies cannot be underestimated. If you want to listen to me talking with Rick Allen in more detail on this, and the importance of water filtration in your entire home, head to Episode 118 of the Nateurious Podcast, here. I met Rick after my lead and mercury poisoning experience years ago. He’s the CEO of Pure Elements, a water filtration company that removes harmful chemicals and carcinogens from tap water. His filtration system, the Pure Elements Home Filtration System, is my favorite. I personally don't think the Berkey Filter is as strong and effective or does what everyone thinks it does.

In terms of bottled water, Gerolsteiner is a good quality, fluoride, and BPA-free mineral water that is also rich in natural minerals that our body needs and doesn’t get from non-mineral water. It’s important to understand that the best bottled water truly depends on your body and the correct pH your body needs. For example, Mountain Valley Spring Water is alkaline and should have been ‘great’ but made me really constipated. Once I switched to a lower alkaline water, this stopped, but it is really important to understand that your own unique body needs a specific pH that works for you. Just because alkaline water works for some people does not mean it will work for you too. 

Some of my other recommended bottles are listed here. If you live near a fresh spring, this is even better and if you are drinking bottled water regularly, it’s really important to drink from glass where possible because of the xenoestrogens found in plastic that have an impact on our health too. And finally? Get a shower and bath filter. Drinking water is only part of the problem and it’s great to hit this from all angles.

I hope this is helpful.

Love Jena x