Reusable water bottles are a big market these days. You can find amazing brands that keep your beverages ice cold even in the hot sun all day – with cute designs to boot. So it personally drives me crazy when I see people buying flats of bottled water. Plastic bottles are a global health concern.
A recent disturbing BBC newsreel showed us yet another reason we should all care very deeply about the plastic bottle epidemic. Researchers have shown that most bottled water has tiny plastic fragments floating in the water itself, some of which may be larger than the width of a human hair. This means that if you drink bottled water, you are drinking the plastic too.
These researchers state that almost all brands they tested contained these tiny bits of plastic, and they may be entering the bottle when the plastic lid is twisted. This could be a very serious health issue, as the plastic is tiny enough it could be pass through the gastrointestinal tract and be carried by the bloodstream to other organs.
You can view this news piece here.
The plastic epidemic truly is something to be taken seriously. A May 2018 news report informed us that even the most remote place in the world – the Mariana Trench, which is the deepest part of the ocean at 36,000 feet deep – has been polluted with plastic bags. Plastic bags and plastic water bottles are referred to as “single-use plastics”, whereby they are used once and thrown away.
As a naturopathic doctor, I strongly believe that the people of the planet can only stay healthy if the planet itself is healthy. There are many ways you can influence this global crisis. Purchase and use a reusable water bottle. Supply your own reusable cloth bags at grocery stores. Bring reusable produce bags to hold your fruits and vegetables. Purchase your produce at local markets that don’t store their products in plastic containers. Be the change you wish to see in the world.
