In the strictest term, the only beverage that completely meets the criteria of the "Paleo" or "cave man" dietary lifestyle is water. Let's face it. Our cave dwelling ancestors didn't fire up the coffee pot at first light, and they didn't drink soda at their desks. In fact, absolute purists point out that our earliest ancestors only drank water when they were thirsty.
One of the biggest problems in drinking water in our society, especially tap water, however, is that you have no idea what you're getting. Beyond the fact that many municipal water systems add chlorine or fluoride, there is also a significant problem with pharmaceuticals in the U.S. drinking supply.
Trace Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water
In 2008, a five-month investigation by the Associated Press discovered the presence of drugs in tap water that ranged from antibiotics to mood stabilizers and even anti-convulsants. Is this just a result of people flushing unused or out-of-date pills down the toilet? Not completely. It's also the simple fact of using the toilet.
The medications that are not absorbed by the human system are excreted from it. The waste water is treated and then returned to lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. Some is even cleansed to the point that it can be consumed again, but trace residue of the pharmaceutical chemicals are still present.
Groundwater Contamination Also a Major Problem
Apart from the drug-related concerns, however, there are more than 35 million septic systems in the United States with about half a million added annually. If those systems are not properly tended, or have structural defects, they are major sources of bacteria and viruses entering the water table. More than 53 percent of the population of the U.S. gets its drinking water from groundwater sources.
But it doesn't stop there. Nitrates and phosphorous from the fertilization of food crops enters the drinking supply, as does poison from crop dusting and spraying to kill damaging insects. In the "Corn Belt" states 2.2 billion pounds of pesticides are used annually. And don't forget about solvents and chemicals from industrial operations. In 2010 the Sierra Club identified 40 sites in 21 states where water sources adjacent to coal-ash dumps contained arsenic and heavy metals.
What is Safe to Drink?
Just makes you want to go turn on the tap and pour yourself an extra large glass, doesn't it? Or not. So what can you drink that's safe?
1. Look for spring water certified to be pharmaceutical free.
2. Make sure no chlorine or fluoride has been added.
3. If you want or feel you need a source of caffeine, drink organic green tea made from spring water.
4. Remember that coffee is made from a fruit seed that is not edible in its raw form.
5. Fruit juices have high concentrations of fructose that would not have even existed in our model cave man's world.
6. An excellent beverage that does meet the paleo requirements and is extremely healthy is coconut water.
7. According to information at http://www.what-is-paleo.com the only truly paleo sweetener is honey.
Whether you decide to follow a paleo diet or not, the facts are clear. The supply of drinking water in the United States, although certified as safe for human consumption, contains trace elements of pharmaceuticals. And more than half of the population is at risk for even more serious contaminants in ground water. Bottom line, paleo or not, certified spring water is your best option.
One of the biggest problems in drinking water in our society, especially tap water, however, is that you have no idea what you're getting. Beyond the fact that many municipal water systems add chlorine or fluoride, there is also a significant problem with pharmaceuticals in the U.S. drinking supply.
Trace Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water
In 2008, a five-month investigation by the Associated Press discovered the presence of drugs in tap water that ranged from antibiotics to mood stabilizers and even anti-convulsants. Is this just a result of people flushing unused or out-of-date pills down the toilet? Not completely. It's also the simple fact of using the toilet.
The medications that are not absorbed by the human system are excreted from it. The waste water is treated and then returned to lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. Some is even cleansed to the point that it can be consumed again, but trace residue of the pharmaceutical chemicals are still present.
Groundwater Contamination Also a Major Problem
Apart from the drug-related concerns, however, there are more than 35 million septic systems in the United States with about half a million added annually. If those systems are not properly tended, or have structural defects, they are major sources of bacteria and viruses entering the water table. More than 53 percent of the population of the U.S. gets its drinking water from groundwater sources.
But it doesn't stop there. Nitrates and phosphorous from the fertilization of food crops enters the drinking supply, as does poison from crop dusting and spraying to kill damaging insects. In the "Corn Belt" states 2.2 billion pounds of pesticides are used annually. And don't forget about solvents and chemicals from industrial operations. In 2010 the Sierra Club identified 40 sites in 21 states where water sources adjacent to coal-ash dumps contained arsenic and heavy metals.
What is Safe to Drink?
Just makes you want to go turn on the tap and pour yourself an extra large glass, doesn't it? Or not. So what can you drink that's safe?
1. Look for spring water certified to be pharmaceutical free.
2. Make sure no chlorine or fluoride has been added.
3. If you want or feel you need a source of caffeine, drink organic green tea made from spring water.
4. Remember that coffee is made from a fruit seed that is not edible in its raw form.
5. Fruit juices have high concentrations of fructose that would not have even existed in our model cave man's world.
6. An excellent beverage that does meet the paleo requirements and is extremely healthy is coconut water.
7. According to information at http://www.what-is-paleo.com the only truly paleo sweetener is honey.
Whether you decide to follow a paleo diet or not, the facts are clear. The supply of drinking water in the United States, although certified as safe for human consumption, contains trace elements of pharmaceuticals. And more than half of the population is at risk for even more serious contaminants in ground water. Bottom line, paleo or not, certified spring water is your best option.