Andrew Huberman is a neuroscientist who has helped millions of people around the world improve their health through his podcasts. But what does he say when it comes to tap water and how can we optimize the water that we drink?
The human body is made up of 60% water and is vital for our survival. However, studies have shown that our main source of drinking water contains an array of contaminants that pose risk to our health. A large number of different studies have found that fluoride, chlorine, heavy metals, microplastics and pharmaceutical residue are commonly found in tap water in most parts of the world.
Andrew Huberman was shocked at just how bad the picture is when it comes to tap water. He said: “In researching tap water and what’s contained in tap water in different regions, not just the US but around the world, I confess the picture is a pretty scary one.”
He continues: “The bad news is that much, if not all tap water, contains things that are bad for the biology of our cells.”
Fluoride in Tap Water
One of Dr. Huberman’s primary concerns with tap water is the high concentration of fluoride that is present. The neuroscientist says: “There is extensive evidence that elevated levels of fluoride in drinking water are simply not good for us.”
High concentrations of fluoride in the body can negatively impact your thyroid hormone system. Andrew Huberman explains in more detail:
“Studies show that the concentration of fluoride in drinking water is of particular concern for the thyroid hormone system of the body. Thyroid hormone has many different roles in the brain and body, and is very important for everything from metabolism to levels of energy. When thyroid levels are disrupted or if thyroid receptors are disrupted, it can lead to depression. When thyroid hormones are optimized, it can lead to optimal mood. It helps keep your mood elevated, relates to everything from sleep to reproduction, and is involved in many things including bone health and tissue health generally. Essentially, every biological process in your body is impacted by thyroid hormone.”
DBPs in Tap Water
In addition to fluoride, and other contaminants such as chlorine, heavy metals and microplastics, another unwanted guest can be found in our tap water. Huberman explains: “Water treatment plants treat water with disinfection products and those disinfection products create things called disinfection byproducts (DBPs).”
The neuroscientist believes that disinfection byproducts can interfere with reproductive health. He stated: “Now, it's very clear that DBPs can cause endocrine disruption in ways that are not good for reproductive health…It's very clear that DBPs have been shown to disrupt ovarian function, spermatogenesis, and fertility outcomes, even at concentrations of DBPs that are present in drinking water that comes from the tap.”
Start Filtering Your Tap Water
So, what can we do to make sure we are putting clean, pure water into our body? Luckily there are solutions that can remove all of these unwanted contaminants from our tap water. Andrew Huberman says: “The silver lining is that very simple steps that are very inexpensive can be used to adjust that tap water to make it not just safe to drink but that makes it perfectly fine to drink.”
The answer is using a water filter to remove these nasty contaminants. Huberman believes that: “Ideally everybody is filtering their drinking water.”
He breaks down the different types of water filters that are available: “How should you filter your tap water? Well, you have everything ranging from the so-called Brita type filters. These are going to be carbon type filters or other filters that you essentially put over a container or a compartment where you can pour the water over it and it goes into the compartment below. Will those work? Are they sufficient to filter out the disinfectant byproducts? The general answer is yes, provided you change the filters often enough. However, it is not thought, unfortunately, that they filter out sufficient fluoride. So, what I highly recommend is depending on your budget that you go online and you search for at-home water filters that can filter out fluoride.”
Reverse Osmosis Machines
The best option to ensure you are removing fluoride along with chlorine, heavy metals, microplastics, pharmaceutical residue and disinfection byproducts is investing in a reverse osmosis machine. Countertop and under the sink models are available. Both turn your tap water into clean, healthy water to optimize your health.
See the different reverse osmosis machines available at market leaders Waterdrop here
Andrew Huberman explains what reverse osmosis entails: “What is reverse osmosis water? Reverse osmosis water is water that has been passed repeatedly through a series of filters that are designed to remove contaminants like disinfectant byproducts, fluoride and some other large and small molecules.”
Put your health first and start filtering your water. Learn more here
