AYURVEDA ON "CONTAMINATION OF WATER : ENVIRONMENTAL CALAMITIES" (Part 1)
/Thousands of years ago, Ayurveda discussed the elements required to create unhealthy circumstances and environmental calamities that would affect the whole planet. In the chapter by Caraka, known as Janapadodhavansania Vimana (Ca Vi 3/), the environmental calamities that would lead to the annihilation of communities and the development of epidemics/pandemics.
One of the precursors, as discussed in this chapter, for these issues to develop as per Lord Atreya is a response to a question around such things where Lord Atreya responds “when the reigning heads of countries, cities, trade guilds, etc. govern the people irresponsibly by transgressing the virtuous path, then their officers, sub-ordinates and under- subordinates, people of the city and community and traders deviate from their duties as well and propagate such unrighteous acts further. Their sinful acts perforce cause the righteous acts to disappear. Because of the disappearance of righteous acts, even the Gods desert the people living in such places. This causes seasons to get impaired in these places. There is no rain in time, or never at all, or abnormal rain occurs; the air does not blow properly; the land is afflicted, the water reservoirs dry up, and herbs lose their true properties and suffer deterioration. As a consequence, the people perish as the result of infectious contact or ingestion of polluted food and water.” Ca Vi 3/19-20 In other words, corruption of government, and not supporting nature are the primary causes for creating such circumstances that affect the health of the planet and all that reside here.
Imagine this scientific wisdom from thousands of years ago that was an apparent issue of the span of human time, and how predictively correct it was back then for modern times! The great Vaidya Sushruta, doctor, and scientist of the original form of Ayurveda and surgery discusses in his Kalpasthana chapter (Su Ka 3/7-9) Poisoned water will be slimy, possess strong odor and froth, and has lines on its surface; frogs and fish living in such water die of intoxication; birds living in marshy places fly around intoxicated; men, horse, and elephants which immerse in this water will develop vomiting, delusion, fever, burning sensation, and swelling. The doshas which get aggravated in these animals should be eliminated and attempts should be made to purify the contaminated water. Dhava, asvakarna, asana, paribhadra, patala, siddhaka, moksaka, jraadruma and somavalka should be burnt and the ash spread on the water of lakes, a reservoir of water and a handful of this ash should be put into the pot containing drinking water to be used when needed.” All this suggests that contaminated waters will affect all those that drink this and that conditions will develop as a result of the doshas being aggravated, which also indicates that many ailments in modern society are linked to impure water sources. Historically, at the time of Caraka and Sushruta, using the above-mentioned herbs and creating certain protocols with them to purify the waters had been successful but due to the nature of how we have evolved, these herbal protocols are no longer fit or capable of performing such actions. Purification is needed now more than ever in order to reduce the intake of contaminated content that will affect the health of us all.
These videos give examples of how water is generally measured by levels of alkalinity to acidity but don’t just limit your knowledge to this information as it is just scratching the surface of what it means to ensure proper water is taken in.
Check out these videos:
PH Sample Water testing TikTok
You would want to ask yourself “what is it about water that makes it more acidic versus alkaline?” One simple answer is that the constituents that make up the water can contain elements and traces of materials that create an acidic environment, which includes whatever sources of contamination have made their way to these bodies of water. Generally, the better water sources to drink from spring but this is also questionable as all the elements of soil and air have also been afflicted with products that have done so in environmental pollutants. Well-water has also been affected by ground runoff from certain points, and even rains that cover and make their way around the earth inevitably have touched all soils. For instance, what happens in the East does not stay there, especially when it comes to nature and how the currents of air and water circulate around the globe over time. Municipal drinking water, all across the board is contaminated, as a known undeniable fact, not only by whatever may be going on environmentally and locally but also due to the fact that chemicals such as Floride and Chlorine are added to the water. There are benefits to these latter two chemicals which include eradicating microbes, and neutralizing biological agents, that can cause illness but it must also be recognized that these two chemicals in larger quantities are considered poison to the body. Some of these include salmonella, norovirus, giardia, lamblia, parasitic worms, Burkholderia, and cryptosporidium. See the link for EWG in the below references to research the contaminants that are present in your water system, and note the compounds that are exceedingly and abnormally high, surpassing what is considered healthy for human exposure.
In Ayurveda, there is a specialty and branch of medicine called Agada Tantra, which translates loosely to anti-poisonous substances, and is meant to counter Visha (poison). This chapter doesn’t only discuss what happens when you may be bitten by a venomous snake or scorpion, or ingest certain plants from the plant kingdom such as Monkshood, but also what constituents are present in the elements of earth, water, air, and space themselves.
Regarding drinking water, we can not afford to drink tap water or even shower in this water. The skin is an organ of absorption. Therefore, whatever the quality of water your skin is exposed to will be absorbed into the skin. There is a saying in Ayurveda “if you wouldn’t eat it, why would you put it on your skin?” This can easily apply to what is ingested in any form. To drink unfiltered water and not have filtration systems in place for yourself is not an option in today’s day and age. Water is a primary component of each of our daily interactions with life. Groundwater in particular is of high importance and our exposure to what exists within this element must be taken seriously as this has many health implications.
In a 2009 study, the Environmental Protection Agency found 202 unregulated chemicals in at least 45 states, a study done over three years. Another 2008-2009 study found 44% of all stream miles, 64% of all lakes, and 30% of all bays and estuaries were considered heavily polluted. According to Vaidya Kashyapa of the Arogya Center in NM, his research has shown that the best drinking water in the world is found in Scandinavia, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland. The worst in the world is in Africa, Yuganda, Ethopia, and Nigeria. Within the USA, based on some of the research, the cleanest water is found in South Dakota, and the worst in Modesto, California; again being local to agriculture. See the below link for the EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency) list of main contaminants within the water system. According to the Environmental Working Group “In an update to its Tap Water Database published today, the Environmental Working Group warns, "Millions of Americans are unwittingly drinking water that includes an invisible toxic cocktail made up of contaminants linked to cancer, brain damage, and other serious health harms." EPA has power under the Safe Drinking Water Act to help protect the public, EWG said, but the group argued that the agency has fallen short of its mandate to do so.” Overall, further studies must be conducted to come to an agreement as some research list different states with the best and worst drinking tap water; yet there is an overall general theme and trend that we can understand from all of it. Another study, more local but can be applied nationally, and even internationally indicates PFA’s (also known as the “forever chemicals" and technically known as poly-fluoroalkyl substances) in the water and its effects on health that include but are not limited to higher cholesterol levels, increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer, and other health problems. (see FOREVER CHEMICALS below) A further article discusses an old naval ship to be sunk in the ocean as a means of “getting rid of it” contains high amounts of toxic substances, knowing that these chemicals will continue to bombard the oceans environment and eventually make their way into all other bodies of water and into the atmosphere through the earth’s natural cycles.
According to a study done by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), there are suggestions that drinking water and tap water can have negative health indications. Some of this depends on the type of plastic used for storage. When we combine different chemical constituents within the tapwater system or even systems used at water-filling plants, along with plastics and the different chemical components that comprise this plastic, this chemical combination can produce certain reactions, especially with long-term use. It is generally recommended to avoid plastic bottled water whether store-bought or tap water or even filtered home water.
Making the choice to stop using plastic bottles not only will have positive health benefits on your health but also support there is less plastic lingering in the environment that can contribute to contamination of air and soil due to degradation or processing plants to recycle, if at all.
Distilling water does not completely remove contaminants. Distilled water may have some benefits depending on where you live and the quality of water but distilled water also does pull materials from the plastic it is stored in as a chemical reaction. It also tends to be void of necessary minerals you could get from tap water, but again, drinking tap water is not recommended to consider what else is present. Hence, filtered water is best.
The seriousness of this water, and especially tap water issues, must be considered, and it is pertinent that all make more efforts in ensuring the quality of water that we expose our bodies, and our pets to, becomes more optimal. For some, this may be challenging especially financially but the long-term effects of not doing so would be more expensive, for sure!
What to do?
STOP STOP STOP drinking tap water anywhere!
Install water filtration systems in your house that include the faucets and shower heads. In some cases, you can have a filtration system installed at the main water inlet of the house.
You can find some of these types of systems for the whole home (which would cover all sink(s), toilet(s), shower(s), and washer), for the sink(s), and for the shower. The latter filters can be easy to install.
Avoid or minimize the usage of plastic bottles of water.
If you’re going to use some plastic like Nalgene bottles, be sure to research the quality of its effectiveness and chemical combination with water. Do your best!
Instead of using plastic bottles use stainless steel or even glass (just be careful.)
STOP drinking carbonated beverages/water, as this is not a pure form of taking in water and hydrating. The bubbles (carbonation) displace the digestive process like pumping air into the system and easily lends itself to digestive dysregulation, not only not allowing for proper absorption but also further aggravating tissue formation and overall health that starts with the digestive system and as simply as in the stomach.
Use the EWG link to look up your local water testing results.
Be in the know. You can’t afford NOT to!
Know the difference between alkaline and acidic. (see links above regarding testing bottles, and getting an idea of this in general)
Remember, not all filters are created equal. Therefore, you must research the best types available. Taking the time to do so would be worth it. I would suggest not using anything Brita related as this is the lowest end of filters and not very effective. Pur water filter is better, at least a step up. Waterdrop is great! Naples Naturals is pretty good. New Wave Enviro is definitely up there. Know that in this case, generally, the more you pay for filtration system(s) the better the quality of water and it’s worth it. Some of these have filters that don’t have to be changed in less than a year’s time and up to two or three. Research!
If it isn’t financially feasible, start slow and work your way up. Some effort is better than no effort depending on the effort but definitely stop the tap water!
Remember, do your best, and there’s always room for improvement.
Know the water that you’re bathing in, not just in your home but when you’re out and about swimming.
Increase your awareness of what liquids you expose your body to from colognes/perfumes, and anything you apply to the body in liquid form as this is making its way into your body over time and would be considered a type of Visha (poison) slowly introduced to your body.
It is rarely ever the cause of one “thing” that causes you to become unhealthy. Similarly, it is never the cause of one “thing” that causes you to remain or regain health. It is truly in the little things that accrue momentum over time and depends on what side of the scale you are on.
RESOURCES
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
General Best Drinking Water in the World
Worst Drinking Water in the World
GENERAL LIST OF BEST WATER IN THE USA
FOREVER CHEMICALS and MONTCO/BUCKS/PA/NJ
DISCLAIMER: This information is meant for educational purposes only and not considered medical advice. Any changes in lifestyle should be reviewed by a qualified practitioner and/or primary care physician if you are currently under their care for specific conditions.