Part I: Is all Water Created Equal?

Water is important. We all know this. Everybody. Water is so essential to life that a visitor to our planet might assume that us humans are all water experts. But what do we really know about water? How much do we need to know? For a substance that we experience in our bodies at all times, do we know enough?

One common perception of drinkable water is that all of it is more or less equal. On a molecular level, isn’t one molecule the same as the next? If so, wouldn’t that mean that water is water is water? How could such a simple molecule be complex? How could it hurt us?

About two-thirds of the human body is composed of water. Much of planet earth and our atmosphere is composed of water as well. Water is essential in each aspect of our life on earth. So, if we as humans are allowed to choose how pure or impure we want that two-thirds of our bodies to be, most of us would likely choose to go with the purest form possible. But this assumes, among other things, that one water molecule is different from another. Let’s take a closer look.

In his book, Healing With Whole Foods, Paul Pitchford, a Chinese Medical Practitioner, wrote that it is ironic that so many of us make a strong effort to eat healthy foods but often make far less effort in regard to our water consumption. He maintains that every kind of water has a different, unique quality. “Rain water tastes lighter; well water is more mineralized; river, lake and spring water each bear qualities encountered in their journey. If a river has a rapids or waterfall, its water is enlivened. Spring water may filter through thousands of feet of clay or mineral beds.” He also believes that, like humans, water can vary in its levels of Qi (energy) and asserts that if water is chemically polluted or combined with other wastes, its vitality is greatly lessened.

Another promoter of water molecules as unique, separate entities is Dr. Masaru Emoto, whose work was showcased in the film, “What the Bleep Do We Know”. Mr. Emoto has tested water molecules and maintains that like water in general, which is malleable and whose physical form adjusts to its environment, the water molecule itself also changes form depending on its environment. In his numerous experiments, Dr. Emoto has shown that individual water molecules will conform with the energetic or vibrational environment as well as the physical environment. He found that such factors as agitating music, toxins, pollution or feeling of anger or hatred have very adverse effects on the actual structure and appearance of a water molecule. Conversely, thoughts of love, purity, benevolence and compassion have nurturing, beneficial structural effects.

In the 1960’s Dr. Bernard Grad at McGill University in Montreal conducted numerous water studies that attempted to investigate the various subtle qualities and energies of water. Specifically, he wanted to know if psychic healers had real, measurable, energetic effects on humans. To test this phenomenon, he substituted plants for humans in order to rid the experiment of the factor of human belief. Essentially, Grad instructed the healers to “charge” water with healing vibrations. He used seeds and planted two sets of plants. One set of plants was watered using the “charged” water only and the other set used tap water.

At the end of the experiments, the plants were tested. The plants which used healer-treated water were taller and had more chlorophyll content than the other plants. These studies were conducted again and again at McGill and again later at various US universities with the same, consistent results. “It would appear that water can be ‘charged’ with and then ‘store’ various types of subtle energies” (Vibrational Medicine, 76-79).

Furthermore, Grad tested the chemical water to see if energizing the water had created any quantifiable physical changes. As it turned out,

“there were significant changes in infrared spectroscopy analyses of healer-treated water. The test revealed that the atomic bond angle of the water had shifted slightly from normal. Minor shifts in the molecular structure of healer-treated water also produced decreased hydrogen bonding between water molecules. Testing confirmed a significant decrease in the surface tension of healer-treated water, a result of the altered hydrogen-bonding between the energized water molecules. Curiously, magnet-treated water showed similar decreases in surface tension as well as positive effects in stimulating plant growth” (Vibrational Medicine, 79).

Interestingly, there are many products on the market today that claim that, if added to water, they are able to similarly change the water molecule by decreasing the surface tension of water. A friend, who is a meditation teacher and former Health Psychologist at the University of Washington, swears by it. He and his wife attribute much illness prevention to it as well as rapidly-increased illness/injury recovery from its use. He once told me that the product makes the molecule “wetter” and more similar to virgin Arctic glacier water.

sky blue sky

Part II: Filtration, Fluoride and You.

According to Pitchford, finding quality sources of water in this modern era is no longer an easy task. He believes that as little as one or two generations ago, unfiltered rain water or snow was usually relatively pure and harmless to drink. However, due to vast air pollution, this is no longer the case. In our post-industrial nation, water filtration is necessary- even in the most remote corners of the nation.

In most US cities, our water now contains traces of caffeine, antibiotics, heart medications and anti-depressants. It is often also very common for our (US) drinking water to be recycled from water that was once “teeming with bacteria and contaminated with human excrement and chemicals.” In fact, “there is a 40% chance that the next water you will drink will have passed through someone’s sewer or an industrial conduit filled with wastes, poisons and bacteria” (Healing With Whole Foods).

In a recent NYTimes article, “Council Considers Testing Water for Cases of Drugs“, New York City Council members wanted to know why their 1.1 billion gallons of water daily, which contains trace amounts of pharmaceuticals and other meds, are not tested by the city. According to one city environmental protection commissioner, the amounts of these meds are too small to do any harm. NYC councilman and chairman of the Committee on Environmental Protection, James Gennarro, seemed to disagree and pointed to studies showing that trace amounts of such drugs are “linked to mutations in fish.” He also pointed out that the long-term effects of such drugs on humans is not known and believes that NYC’s water should be tested consistently for such drugs.

Another hazardous intruder in our water supply according to Pitchford is fluoride. He is very skeptical of our government’s use of fluoride in water and makes an incredibly strong case against it, all of which I cannot include here, but can be found in his book, Healing With Whole Foods. He believes that fluoride has tranquilizing effects on humans and believes that this could be one reason why the government is aggressive about maintaining fluoride in our drinking water. Pitchford points out that the evidence supporting its supposed benefits are inconclusive and that in many European countries, fluoridated water is either illegal or not used. Furthermore, tests have shown fluoride use disallows correct functioning of the thyroid gland as well as all enzyme systems in the body. It has also been shown to damage the immune system and contribute to aging (Healing With Whole Foods, 120-25).

Another devil in the minds of both Pitchford and Dr. Andrew Weil, is chlorine. According to Weil, chlorine is a “major health hazard” which tends to “combine with organic contaminants in water to form carcinogens”. Pitchford takes Weil’s chlorine warning even further and cites chlorine as a destroyer of both vitamin E and beneficial flora in the body, among other things.

So, with all of this information, what do we do? Dr. Weil’s advice is pretty simple. First, install a reverse-osmosis filtration system in your kitchen. Second, government labs often don’t test for many things in tap water, so he suggests taking a sample of your home tap water to a private lab for testing. Third, if you use bottled water, be sure to use brands that prove their quality. And last, never drink water that has a chlorine taste (Spontaneous Healing).

Of course, there is far more that needs to be said about water. Access to water, water rights and availability are also now global issues that will soon be on the forefront of the planet’s dialog. But on the local level at least, its important for one’s health and the health of our communities to know the basics about the water that we drink each day. A few final tips: Consult your local water treatment center to learn what is exactly in the local water, try to filter your tap water whenever possible, and finally, water needs love too! (just ask Dr. Emoto)

May all beings everywhere drink pure, unadulterated, cheerfully-charged water! (whose molecules have low surface tension)