Bottled water is the world’s best-selling drink, and Americans are its most loyal customer. You pay hundreds or even thousands of times more for the prepackaged water than you would if you got it from the tap. Yet nothing has proved that “ultra-purified,” “mountain-sourced,” “glacial-runoff,” or “oasis-obtained” water is any better for you.
What we do know is that bottled water takes a lot more energy, resources, and—yes—water to produce and transport. That takes a toll on the environment and your health.
Below are a few of the lowlights for water bottles:
Plastic Bottles Can Raise Your Blood Pressure
A recent study examined the effects of bisphenol A, or BPA, a chemical compound found widely in water bottles and soda-can linings. BPA has been associated with everything fromheart disease to lowered sperm counts in men. In this study, people who drank from a BPA-lined container experienced a rise in blood pressure within two hours. People who drank from a BPA-free glass saw no change in blood pressure.
Recently, bottling manufacturers have been moving away from BPA and switching to the “safe substitute” bisphenol-S, or BPS. But new research is showing that BPS could cause its own health issues, including hyperactivity.