Drink Responsibly

The mantra of everyone’s summer is always, “Stay hydrated.” In summer camps and programs across the country, the challenge is fighting off dehydration in the intense heat of the day. I myself can remember telling my campers at Moshava Indian Orchard to drink a cup of water every time we passed a cooler. So we stock up: every camper in my bunk had a 32­ pack of plastic disposable water bottles and probably a 12­ pack of Gatorade as well. My mom came home from Costco recently with a free 40­ pack of 8oz water bottles that she received with her purchase. And while the water that we drink from these bottles may be saving us from a headache at the end of the day, the hidden particles in the water are actually doing more harm than good.

While water may be labeled “natural” and “purified,” there are actually many other minerals and ingredients that are added to the bottles. One brand, Dasani, lists magnesium sulfate, potassium chloride, and salt along with purified water on its nutrition label. It is rare to find a brand of water that has absolutely nothing in it but H2O itself. These minerals are what give the water the taste and without them the water tastes flat. However, all of these additives can be harmful to one’s hormonal balance. Hormones are chemical signals that travel throughout the body helping to regulate different biological systems, and if an imbalance occurs, there can be many complications.

In addition to the additives in the water, the plastic bottles themselves can be harmful if the plastic is exposed to the summer heat. The high temperature causes dangerous chemicals to be emitted from the plastic, leaching into the water and affecting its quality. These chemicals are especially harmful to pregnant women, potentially disrupting the development of the fetus. Here in Houston, where the temperatures can reach in the high 90s almost every day of the summer, I am constantly being warned against drinking from the bottles that I leave in my car. So we stay hydrated, but at what costs?

One young women decided that there does not need to be any costs. Jessica Green recently opened the start-up Nothing But Water, LLC, addressing all of the issues surrounding disposable plastic water bottles. Jessica, along with 12% of America’s population, has a thyroid condition. Her doctor informed her that, so as not to interfere with her medication, she can only drink purified, mineral free water from a glass bottle. The additives in the water and the chemicals from the plastic can react with the medicine causing negative or harmful reactions. Finding that there was no commercial bottled water that fit these guidelines, Jessica was inspired to take matters into her own hands.

Nothing But Water, LLC is a completely one of a kind brand that provides purified water without minerals, dangerous contaminants, or potential toxins. The product is sold in a glass bottle, eliminating the risk of ingesting the harmful chemicals that can be released from plastic water bottles. In addition to the health benefits, half of the profits are donated to project C.U.R.E, a charity organization that donates medical supplies to hospitals and facilities in developing countries.

The summer may be over, but hydration is always a must. I know most of us are not going to swear off disposable plastic water bottles. Nonetheless, we do need to be aware of what we are ingesting along with our water, and how those things may be affecting our bodies.

functions. Some little steps we can all take are checking the ingredients in the water we do buy and making sure not to drink from plastic bottles that have been left out in the heat. So when next summer rolls around and we all need to drink more, let’s choose to drink responsibly.