Water Quality & Choosing the Right Filter
An often overlooked aspect of health is our water quality, and how it impacts our health. It should be as simple as drinking eight cups of water per day, right? If only! As with so many things, us humans have muddied the waters (quite literally) turning it into a full on project to figure out how to properly hydrate.
Hydration 101
Our cells contain 70% water, and they carry electrical charges. Since minerals are the sparkplugs, they are foundationally required to provide energy. Minerals ionize water so that water can then conduct electricity. Without replenishing minerals throughout our day, our body will pull minerals from its existing stores, which further depletes us. Too much empty water (devoid of minerals) will overwhelm our kidneys. We need quality, mineral-rich water to properly facilitate countless processes in the body, including the important role of detoxification.
What is water & why has it become a complicated topic?
Water is the universal solvent. It makes up most of the volume of all body fluids, including saliva, blood, lymph, intracellular fluid (the fluid within cells), and extracellular fluid (the body of fluid outside cells).
Water helps to:
deliver nutrients and oxygen to cells
transport waste out of cells and out of the body
improve the communication between cells
Water is such a core part of our life, but unfortunately municipal water commonly contains fluoride, chlorine, lead, arsenic, and many other harmful contaminants. Many of these compete in the body with minerals on cell receptor sites. For instance, iodine will be displaced by fluoride, chlorine, and/or bromine if our exposure to these becomes too much. Well water may not have additives, but has its own potential problems of natural contaminants.
It is ideal to filter out these contaminants for long term health, but water filtration should be catered to your water. There isn’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all solution. For instance, certain parts of the US are very high in uranium, some have hard water, and fluoride and chlorine might not actually be added in certain areas. It all varies.
Checkout the EWG water database to see what your local water quality is like.
Water Filtration 101
With all the contaminants in our water today (and it varies greatly by location and structure), sourcing high quality water, which is vital for overall health, is so important.
Methods like distillation and reverse osmosis are highly purified, but devoid of the water’s natural mineral content. This causes problems over time and leads to depletions and imbalances.
Some filtration methods (think Greenfield or Clearly Filtered) seem to leave some mineral content back in, and are good options for families needing a filtration system.
The ideal is natural spring water, with it’s innate composition of naturally occuring minerals still in tact.
Distillation: Why it's a Problem
The process of distillation involves boiling and evaporating water, then recondensing it to liquid water. This is a natural process in nature, but is an unnatural way to consume water. Distillation removes many of the harmful chemicals found in water, but also strips the water of its beneficial content, leaving it “thirsty.” According to Dr. Wilson (a pioneer in mineral balancing science), distilled water also acts as a chelator, grabbing onto minerals in the body and leaving us more depleted. This is the opposite of what we want, which is mineral-rich hydration.
Distilled water may be used in short spurts during times of detox to remove heavy metals, since it does act as a chelator. But it is not a longterm water filtration solution fit for regular consumption.
Reverse Osmosis: Not a Great Option
Reverse Osmosis is a very common water filtration method used today, especially among health-conscious individuals. It is made out to be an excellent option since it removes harmful contaminants. The filtration process is so precise that almost nothing is left in the end product – just empty water.
Can't we just add minerals back in?
If only it was that simple. But water is not just something we can manipulate through multiple processes and achieve the ideal result. To add minerals back to empty water results in a Frankenstein-like option of water. That’s not to say mineral drops or electrolytes don’t have their place (I still use them!), but they should not be intended as the sole mineral component of our water. Natural spring water is a beautiful substance with a complex balance of macro and trace minerals.
There are other commonly used filters like simple carbon and alkaline water systems. Each has its benefits, as well as drawbacks. Here at Ember, we prefer a couple advanced alternatives, as well as the most natural of them all.
Natural Filtration
Natural filtration methods, while often more costly (though, many RO systems are just as expensive), will not leave you with empty water. They will target a large list of contaminants, leaving the end result more resembling its natural state (recognizing that this still is not fully possible with any filtration method). We have two favorite brands that we recommend when looking at home water filtration. Both of these recognize the dangers of stripping our water and what that does for overall health and wellness, and have developed their technology to support proper hydration.
As someone who has had a Berkey for a long time, I grew unsatisfied with the product eventually. First, the necessity for extra filters (like flouride) was frustrating, and we had to constantly be refilling the gravity feed system because there was simply less space. But I also found the filters simply unreliable, leading to very different results every time I’d replace them. And the process of cleaning and priming the filters was just too much.
I was thrilled to find Greenfield a couple years ago, and since have been using their replacement filters IN our Berkey (we were not ready to invest in another full system, and are still renting). I’ve noticed a tremendous improvement in our water taste (knowing that taste is certainly not the primary criteria) as well as overall hydration. Their whole house filtration system uses a four step process, with four different kinds of filters. None of these are reverse osmosis or “purifiers.” It’s important to note that most Greenfield filters are designed for city water – if you have well water, this is not the option for you.
So if you’ve got a gravity feed system (something the prepper in me still values having!), and are looking for a better filter option, I highly suggest Greenfield. My co-founder her at Ember, Samatha, has their whole house filtration system in her home and is quite pleased. As we look to buy a home (hopefully very soon!), this is likely the system we will be investing in.
Since this is a company we love, we have partnered with them: you can use code EMBER to receive 10% off your order (select products excluded).
While Greenfield offers excellent options for whole house filtration, gravity feed systems, under-the-sink, and shower/bath,
Clearly Filtered fills the gap with affordable pitchers, filtered water bottles, under-the-sink, and fridge systems. I personally have loved their pitcher for many years now, especially for travel. We’ve spent long periods of time in spaces not our own, and having a portable pitcher like Clearly Filtered that we can rely on has been a game changer. We also use their water bottles in our home, and I find them especially helpful for a spouse at the office all day who relies on filling up his water bottle with regular tap water.
Clearly Filtered’s Affinity Filtration Technology removes up to 99.99% of 365+ common contaminants (often missed by most filters on the market). But is goes beyond a simple carbon filter (like Brita) without relying on reverse osmosis to kill your water.
This is another company we love and trust, and have partnered with them – any purchase made through our link supports our work. Use code CFPartner to receive 10% off your order.
There are other options on the market for various needs that I would still recommend, though the above two are my current top choices. First. for renters, or those not looking for whole house filtration, I always suggest addressing common water sources beyond the sink like shower or bath. In our rental, we’ve used Crystal Quest bath balls and shower filters for years. While I long for whole house filtration, this has been a great solution for the time being.
Another company I’ve been researching lately is The Vätten Company (local to me here in the Twin Cities!). They were previously Lakota Scientific, and offer customizable filters for under the sink and whole house filtration. I think my only hangup with this company is that they are so much more affordable than Greenfield that it makes me pause. But as I read through their resources, I can’t find any red flags. Plus, they offer the ability to customize your system, which is amazing. This seems like a fantastic option for those with well water, since the ones I’ve mentioned above are primarily for city water.
The Ideal: Natural Spring Water
Naturally, the most ideal solution is natural spring water. Drinking water that has nature’s unprocessed balance of naturally-occurring minerals is as good as it gets. Spring water is replenishing and hydrating by perfect design. But where do we find natural spring water?
A great place to search is Find a Spring – this allows you to search by your location for any natural springs nearby. More often than not, it is free to collect water from these springs. Sometimes there is a small charge, but very minimal compared to purchasing water at a store or investing in a filtration system. The only downsides are that it takes time to collect it, and it requires space to store it. But think of it as a fun way to connect with nature!
There are certainly brands of water that offer quality spring water, but you just have to do a little research into what is available in stores near you. While Fiji water is fancy and expensive, its silica content has been shown to support aluminum detox. Specialty sparkling waters like Gerolsteiner are bicarbonate-rich and worth the money if you can spare it.
Water is not an afterthought, but a foundation.
Water is our largest macronutrient, and a vital part of overall health and wellness. While our modern world has damaged plenty of our water sources, and our cities and towns are dispersing contaminated water daily, it can be a learning curve to figure out how to properly hydrate. But there are many options out there, including existing oases of unharmed water. A little education goes a long way, and a small counter pitcher is better than nothing!
What has been your experience with water filtration? Anything to add?
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