By: Gordy Jordahl, Water Physiologist
Chlorine is an oxidizer added to most municipal water supplies that creates some hidden dangers most people do not know about.
Chlorine is a disinfectant that hardens arteries and destroys proteins in the body. Chloroform is a by-product of chlorination and causes excessive free radical formation of accelerated aging. It causes normal cells to mutate, cholesterol to oxidize, and is a known carcinogen.
Another by-product of chlorination is Dichloroacetic Acid, which causes liver cancer in lab animals. US News and World Report stated that chlorinated acid was a proven cause of bladder and rectal cancer, and research conducted at Harvard University found that chlorinated water is the direct cause of 9% of all bladder cancers and 15% of all rectal cancers in the US.
Chlorinated water will react with organic compounds such as mercury, lead, spores, cysts and other sediments to produce chemicals like chloroforms and carbon tetrachlorides that are potential carcinogens. The increased risk does not come from chlorine itself, but from the action of these factors in ground water supplies because chlorine is an oxidizer. Chlorine causes a 4-5% decline in body water (dehydration), which results to a 20-30% decline in mineral metabolism. Chlorine is also an iodine blocker, which affects Thyroid function.
When chlorine reacts with organic matter already present in water, humans, or the organic material from plant decay, toxic by-products are formed such as chloroform. Chloroform was once used as an anesthetic; however, the FDS banned it in 1976 when it was discovered to cause cancer.
Even if there is no noticeable taste or smell, the chlorine is present. Chlorinated water reduces digestive bacteria in the digestive tract, which decreases rate of gain and feed efficiency. I believe the evidence is clear and the advice is simple: don’t drink or force your animals to drink chlorinated water.
When showering in warm chlorinated water for 10 minutes you absorb chloroform, which penetrates all seven layers of your skin, destroying proteins of the skins. Chlorine is absorbed into the blood 6x greater when taking a shower than by drinking chlorinated water. It is not an accident that Chlorine labels carry the cross and bones poison symbol … THINK BEFORE YOU DRINK!
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