Clean drinking water is something that we take pretty much taken for granted. But we have little idea just how contaminated our drinking water has become. Our environment has changed, new pathogens are emerging, drinking water systems are aging, and governments seem more interested in ensuring business in the global marketplace than in ensuring the health of their citizens.

     Acid rain corrodes copper, lead and galvanized pipes. There are also hundreds of agricultural pollutants, including pesticides, fertilizers, and industrial pollutants including plasticizers, solvents, and propellants.  Acid rain raises the levels of heavy metals, some of which are poisonous, in drinking water supplies. Polluted acidic waters contain higher than average levels of heavy and toxic metals, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), photochemical oxidants, and many other toxins which pose serious health threats.

     Some toxins enter the human body through air, water, and/or through our skin (when we bathe or swim). There are others which are dissolved in rainwater and are absorbed by the fruit and vegetables we eat. Many heavy metals are bioaccumulative and toxic. They can accumulate in the soft tissues of the body, which cannot metabolize them.

     It's not just adults that are affected. A study by the Environmental Working Group, found that unborn babies may be affected the most. Researchers tested the umbilical cord blood of several babies. They found over 270 industrial chemicals and pollutants in each cord. Of the over 270 chemicals, 180 are known to cause cancer, 219 are toxic to the brain and nervous system and 210 cause birth defects in animals. We are overdosing on harmful chemicals from before birth!

     According to the National Assessment of Tap Water Quality, there are currently over 270 contaminants in our nation's tap water - 150 of these contaminants have no enforceable safety limits. Of the 150 unregulated contaminants detected in water supplies, 60 are linked to cancer in humans, 45 to reproductive toxicity, 36 to developmental toxicity and 18 to immune system damage.

     There are dioxins (by-products of PVC production, industrial bleaching and incineration) and dioxin-like compounds in the food supply. Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds are found throughout the environment, in soil, water, and air. We are exposed to these unintentional environmental contaminants primarily through the food supply, particularly by eating animal fat, in meat, dairy products and fish.

     According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over 90% of our exposure to dioxins is through food, with major sources including beef, dairy products, milk, chicken, pork, fish, and eggs. Dioxins are also passed from mother to developing infant across the placenta and through breastfeeding. Dioxins, PCBs, DDT, and other organochlorines are among over 210 chemicals found in human breast milk today.

Dioxins and related compounds are highly persistent in the environment and in living organisms. PCB's can remain in human tissue for decades. It is believed that almost all living beings on earth have dioxin-like compounds in their body tissue.

No amount of dioxin exposure can be considered safe, as very small amounts have been associated with impaired developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune function. Dioxin is one of the most toxic chemicals known to humankind.

What's the answer?

     Clearly, toxins are an unfortunate but very real fact of life today. Many studies that were done on urine and blood samples showed that most people are loaded with toxins. Even DDT, which has not been used in many years, shows up regularly in urine testing. We live in a toxic world. That is why it is so critical that we do everything we can to cleanse our body of these killer toxins by eating organic food and drinking filtered, purified water as much as possible.

     We also need a solution to help rid our body from the cancer-causing toxins we come in contact with everyday. That is where a volcanic mineral called zeolite comes in. What makes zeolite so remarkable is the fact that it is a negatively charged mineral and also has a unique honeycomb like structure.

     Thanks to the honeycomb like structure, zeolite works at the cellular level to trap heavy metals, harmful toxins and allergens. Because of its negative charge, it acts as a magnet, drawing toxins to it, capturing them in its cage, and then removing the toxins safely and naturally from our body.

     This unique ability to remove dangerous toxins was documented by the Russian government to absorb radioactive chemicals and other harmful toxins after the Chernobyl disaster. In fact, cookies were made with zeolite powder and given to the children to assist in eliminating the radioactive chemicals from their bodies.

     Zeolite is a mineral found in nature and it is 100 percent natural, safe, and non-toxic. It has been shown to trap heavy metals (mercury, lead, cadmium, and arsenic) and safely remove them from our system through the body's waste process.

Other benefits

     In addition to providing cancer protection, Zeolite can also play a crucial role in supporting our pH-balancing system. Our pH status is critical because our body depends on remaining slightly alkaline for our very survival. In its natural healthy state, our body is slightly alkaline, with a pH between 7.35-7.45.

     Unfortunately, everything from the foods we eat, to the pollutants we encounter, to the water we drink (and cook with and bathe in), produces acidic chemicals. This overabundance of acidity tips our ideal alkaline state into an acidic pH range that can create a long list of aliments, including digestive disorders, loss of muscular strength, reduced cardiovascular capacity, and impaired immunity.

     By trapping excess protons (positively-charged hydrogen ions) in the digestive tract, zeolite can help to lower our acid reflux. It also improves nutrient absorption in the digestive tract. Zeolite can also aid in balancing the pH of our bloodstream, thereby reducing the risk of systemic bacterial infection. By buffering the pH levels, zeolite creates a healthier environment and allows our body to reduce bacterial loads in the blood.

     Research has also shown that zeolite may have an antiviral effect by preventing viral assembly and proliferation. Zeolite can therefore lower the risk of cold and flu infections.

It is important to note that not all Zeolite products are created equal. Many of the Zeolite mines are contaminated.  Also, Zeolite solutions are not as effective as detoxifying agents.  Research has shown that liquefied Zeolite loses its cage like structure, therefore reducing its ability to eliminate heavy metals and toxins. The only Zeolite product I recommend is powdered Zeolite from ZEO Health Ltd.