Tuesday's Tip

Most people who are concerned about their health prefer to filter their drinking water or have at least considered it. But have you considered filtering your shower water?

If your water is from a municipal water source, you are probably showering with chlorinated water. Chlorine is used in water treatment to reduce and kill bacteria and viruses found in water. By its very nature, chlorine is a toxic chemical.

The EPA lists the following dangers of chlorine:

• Chlorine is a potent irritant in humans to the eyes, the upper respiratory tract, and the lungs.

• Higher levels of chlorine have resulted in mild mucous membrane irritation, chest pain, vomiting, cough, and toxic pneumonitis and pulmonary edema .

• Chlorine is extremely irritating to the skin.

• Acute animal tests in rats and mice have shown chlorine to have high acute toxicity via inhalation.

• Workers chronically exposed to chlorine gas have exhibited respiratory effects, such as eye and throat irritation, and airflow obstruction.

• Animal studies have reported decreased body weight gain, eye and nose irritation, nonneoplastic lesions, and respiratory epithelial hyperplasia from chronic inhalation exposure to chlorine.

Yikes! In addition, here is what the author of the Maker's Diet has to say:

"Avoiding contact with chlorinated water is of the utmost importance. This includes bathing water and drinking water. Chlorine kills bacteria, friendly and unfriendly, in the intestines. it can be absorbed through the skin. I recommend installing a shower filter to remove chlorine." -from: Patient, Heal Thyself; Jordan S. Rubin, N. MD., PhD.

While it is bad enough to drink the chlorine, the shower makes it even worse. Chlorine is not only absorbed through the skin, but also re-vaporized in the shower where it is inhaled into the lungs and transferred directly into the blood stream. Drinking filtered or bottled water only does half the job. A shower water filter is an affordable solution to the problem.

I use one that we got at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, but they are available from many sources. Just make sure that they filter out chlorine. Not all of them do. They are easy to install and you can shower with peace of mind that your skin and hair will be better for it as well as your insides.