My kitchen is the heart of my home. My friends all like to hang out in there instead of in my more spacious living room.
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My kitchen is the heart of my home. My friends all like to hang out in there instead of in my more spacious living room.
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Up to 60% of the average human body is water. It’s indispensable for any living creature, and selling it has become a lucrative business.
There’s nothing better than a cool, fresh glass of water for quenching your thirst. For some strange reason, we’ve come to think tap water just isn’t up to the job, so we prefer bottled water instead. 2016 saw 2.9 billion litres of bottled water sold in the UK alone. “Bottled water is undoubtedly benefiting from being in the right place at the right time”,said Richard Hall, chairman of Zenith Global. “Most of it is natural, local and affordable. All of it is convenient, healthy and refreshing” (sic!)
The market is increasing exponentially, along with its dark side: plastic bottle pollution. During a single month in 2016 for instance, over 4,000 bottles were removed from the Thames, 2,500 of them in a single day.
But despite our increasing awareness of environmental issues, the demand for bottled water just keeps growing.The UK’s top five plain water brands – Evian, Highland Spring, Buxton, Nestle Pure Life and Volvic – account for 30% of total water-based drinks sales, while the top five water-plus brands – Volvic Touch of Fruit, Claypso Clear, Drench Juicy, Trederwen Essence and Perfectly Clear – command another 5% (link).
Each one of them claims to be the perfect drink.
I’m from Italy, and I know from experience there are some natural spring waters that contain specific minerals. In 1992, what can be termed ‘natural mineral water’ was defined in Italian law as: “waters that, having origin from a stratum or underground deposit, come from one or more natural or perforated springs and have particular hygienic characteristics and properties favourable to health”. (D.L. n.105, 25/1/1992). Needless to say, all these waters are constantly monitored by government health departments.
A huge market has built up over centuries, from the establishment of spas where people can enjoy the benefits of natural spring water, to their sale in bottled form. So, it’s nothing new. What is new is the concept of ‘raw water’.
The basic idea behind raw water is that it’s a “new, yet ancient idea”. Unlike filtered or bottled spring waters, raw water isn’t subjected to UV light, ozone gas or other sterilisation techniques which “destroys beneficial sources of minerals and probiotics” which help to prevent “anxiety, weight gain, fatigue and countless other ailments [that]are linked to an imbalance of proper gut bacteria”
We’d love to think there’s some part of the world as yet untouched by humanity, but alas, it is not to be. Rain, wind, clouds, the water cycle and other global systems move pollutants to any and all parts of the planet. No matter how remote or how deep the source, the water may still contain chemicals and pollutants.
Any water can contain bacteria and microorganisms, some of which can be extremely harmful. Here’s a few to look out for:
Giardia Lamblia. This parasite is the source of the diarrhoea-causing disease giardiasis, otherwise known as beaver fever.
Cryptosporidium. This microorganism burrows into your intestines and can cause watery diarrhoea for a couple of weeks. It can even kill you if your immune system is already weakened. Vibrio Cholerae. This bacteria can cause cholera, which can kill you. Salmonella Typhi. This bacteria can lead to typhoid fever. Some infected people can continue to carry this bacteria for the rest of their lives.
These are just some of the many reasons water is treated and tested.
Nevertheless, raw water is the latest trend. With a RRP of $2.99 per litre (34 ounces), Tourmaline Springs (link) can hardly claim their water comes cheap, but it’s the price of Live Water, a product sold in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas that’s dropping the most jaws. Some shops sell a 2.5 gallon jug in a custom-made glass container for $38.49, though buying direct from the company brings the price down to a more comfortable $12 to $16 for the same amount (plus a $22 refundable deposit for the container)
Is there any science behind raw water? It doesn’t seem so. In most Western countries the water and sewerage systems are well-maintained and efficient, with little danger of contamination. Also, it appears to be just ‘normal tap water’, nothing like oligomineral waters, which are found in specific places and have certified health-related benefits.
So why is raw water becoming so popular? Could it be that the steep price and expensive packaging are designed to make us want to buy it to show off our wealth and success? Are we so gullible?
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AuthorI love cooking, and when it comes to quality I'm quite fussy. Archives
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