The weather is changing all around us, with beautiful warm days and cool nights. Many of my patients are telling me they just aren't ready for the hot summer days ahead.

Thinking about how warmer days bring on more activity, it is time to remember the importance of keeping our bodies hydrated. With that being said, I would like to discuss the surprising results of the many studies that have been conducted about drinking water in plastic bottles. There may be good reason to drink water from the tap or from reverse osmosis filters.

Did you know that:

The FDA does not require an expiration date on bottled water because it is not perishable, therefore, we don't know how long it sits on the shelves before we drink it

According to the National Resources Defense Council, the FDA bottled water regulations are much less stringent than those of the EPA, which govern our tap water

There have been studies done that show the bacterial content of bottled water is significantly higher than that of tap or filtered water

Bacterial content in water bottles increases with time

Since bottling is a private industry, the bottled water industry is not obligated to share the contents or source of its water or publish details of its contamination or general content

The FDA regulates the industry as little as once every five or six years

The safest containers to drink from are those made with stainless steel. I know it is an acquired taste to drink water from a stainless steel container, but a few drops of fresh lemon or lime take care of that problem. The important point is to be sure you are keeping yourself hydrated as the summer months approach!

Best regards,

Belinda Barclay-White, MD
www.AZBreastnet.com