Marie Claire magazine recently pointed out the top myths about bottled water. Here are the Top 5 bottled water myths with some bonus info from your friendly water filter experts:

1. MYTH: Bottled water is better than tap water. In reality, nearly half of all bottled water comes from municipal water supplies. That’s right – it’s tap water in a bottle. Plus, while the EPA oversees tap water quality, the FDA regulates bottled water quality. In many cases, lax FDA regulations allow bottled water to be even more contaminated than tap water.

2. MYTH: Bottled water tastes better. Okay, so tap water and even well water can taste pretty funky sometimes. But you can get rid of unpleasant tastes with a home water filter. And have you ever sipped water from a plastic bottle that’s been sitting in the sun? Talk about bad taste! What you’re actually tasting are chemicals leaching from the plastic.

3. MYTH: Bottled water with added vitamins is healthier than tap water. Marion Nestle, PhD, professor of nutrition at NYU, explains, “Vitamins, color, herbs, protein, and all the other additions to water – those are a marketing ploy. If you’re drinking “enhanced” water, you’re likely drinking added sugar along with those vitamins. Oh, and don’t forget about those chemicals from the plastic.

4. MYTH: Bottled water is eco-friendly since plastic can be recycled. The sad fact is that most plastic bottles (nearly 90 percent!) are not recycled. They end up in landfills and oceans. There’s an island of plastic trash the size of Texas floating in the Pacific. Plus, the manufacturing and transportation of bottled water requires the same amount of oil that it would take to power 100,000 cars for an entire year.

If you really want to go green, use a reusable stainless steel water bottle or glass water bottle.

Green your office (and save money) with a bottleless office water cooler.

5. MYTH: Bottled water is worth the high price. Bottled water is about 4,000 times more expensive than tap water. And keep in mind that much bottled water is simply tap water in a plastic bottle! In fact, regular tap water may be even cleaner and safer than bottled water, since the plastic bottles can leach chemicals. To get the healthiest and most cost-efficient water, invest in a home water filter.

Hey guys, this Top 10 list comes from the producers of the documentary film Tapped the Movie, a critical examination of the bottled water industry:

1. Write to your U.S. Senator now . . . Email your U.S. Senator to voice support for the proposed federal ban on BPA in food and drink containers.

2. Donate to the Breast Cancer Fund.

3. Skip bottled water and use your own unlined stainless steel water bottles. Carefully choose a stainless steel water bottle, and make sure it’s unlined — some metal water bottles contain a plastic liner that may contain BPA.

4. Limit canned foods and beverages. The epoxy liners of metal food and beverage cans most likely contain BPA. Especially avoid canned foods that are acidic (e.g., tomatoes, citrus products, and acidic beverages, like colas) and canned alcoholic beverages, since acids and alcohols can exacerbate the leaching of BPA.

5. Skip the water cooler. Those hard plastic jugs that many companies use to provide their employees and customers with “pure” water are usually made with BPA. Drink filtered tap water instead.

(You can also ask your employer to invest in an eco-friendly bottle-less water cooler for your office.) 

6. Store foods in glass. Just be sure to wash the lids, if made of plastic, by hand and not in the dishwasher.

(Glass bottles are also safer than plastic when it comes to storing beverages, especially acidic beverages like many juices.)

7. Use your own unlined stainless steel travel mug. Heat helps toxins from leach into your beverage. Instead of accepting a polystyrene “to-go” cup for your hot beverage purchases, use a unlined stainless steel travel mug.I use a good ol’ cast iron skillet along with stainless steel cookware!

8. Avoid Cooking in Non-Stick Pans and Eating Foods Packaged with Non-Stick Plastics. Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are carcinogenic chemicals that make materials stain and stick resistant and persist in our bodies long after the packaging from such products like microwave popcorn or pizza is disposed or the non-stick pan is put away.

 (I use a good ol’ cast iron skillet along with stainless steel cookware.)

9. Minimize hard plastics in your kitchen. Hard plastic stirring spoons, pancake flippers, blenders, plastic cutting boards, measuring cups, and colanders regularly come into contact with both food and heat. Replace these items with wooden, metal, or glass alternatives.

10. Join an advocacy group. Food & Water Watch and Environmental Working Group will keep you up-to-date with current research and legislation regarding plastics and food and water safety.

Thanks to the work of people like the folks who produced Tapped the Movie, the bottled water industry is losing ground. One popular bottled water company recently reported a 24 percent loss in annual revenue. Keep up the good work, people!

Mike Adams of NaturalNews.com recently wrote about what he calls the FDA’s “conspiracy of silence to avoid admitting that BPA is dangerous for human health.”

In the article, Adams points out that the FDA has ignored over 100 studies which show that BPA is dangerous. FDA conclusions about the safety of BPA are based on just two studies that were funded by the chemical industry.

“That’s how the FDA operates across the board,” Adams explains. “Ignore all the science you don’t like, and cherry-pick the science you want to believe, even if it’s all been funded by the chemical companies.”

Unfortunately, we Americans are bombarded by dangerous chemicals until they are proven to be dangerous. It seems like chemicals would be banned from use until they are proven safe. However, as Adams points out, such a position would drastically reduce profits for chemical companies.

Thanks to health advocates like Mike Adams, the BPA conspiracy won’t be able to continue for much longer. Too many regular folks are learning about the studies which show that BPA is a dangerous endocrine disruptor associated with cancer, diabetes, developmental problems, and other health problems.

BPA, or bisphenol-A, is a chemical that makes plastics more durable. It can be found in water bottles, baby bottles, aluminum food cans (in the lining), and other food containers, as well as other products like DVDs.

Kelly Wallace from CBS News recently showed that the BPA levels in her blood spiked to five times the average level after she ate a single sandwich made from canned tuna.

Consumer awareness about the dangers of BPA is creating change. For example, many baby bottle manufacturers have stopped using BPA in baby bottles. And many stores now offer BPA-free products.

When it comes to protecting the public from dangerous synthetic chemicals, your choices as a consumer are even more powerful than your choices as a voter. The political process is often slow and cumbersome, but when consumers demand change and speak through their consumer choices, change can occur rapidly.

Here’s how you can help to end the BPA conspiracy:

Stop buying canned food products. Eat fresh food; it’s better for you! You can also buy some products (like marinara sauce) in glass jars instead of cans lined with BPA.

Avoid food that comes in plastic containers. Again, whole foods are better than processed foods. Also, never microwave plastic containers.

Stop drinking bottled water. Plastic water bottles pollute your body and the environment. Instigate change by switching to reusable glass water bottles and stainless steel bottles. (By the Way, Mike Adams recently featured our glass water bottles in his 2010 New Year Health Product Guide!) Avoid aluminum water bottles because they are lined with plastic. For convenient, cost-effective access to healthy, safe water, invest in a home water filter and bottle your own water at home.

Choose glass baby bottles rather than plastic bottles. Even “BPA-free” may be contaminated, and BPA is not the only chemical in plastic. You can buy protective covers for glass baby bottles to keep the glass from breaking.

Replace conventional office water coolers with eco-friendly bottleless water coolers. Bottle-less water coolers provide a never-ending supply of healthy water. By switching to a bottleless office water cooler, you’ll save money and eliminate the need for regular deliveries of plastic water jugs.

Happy New Year! The year 2010 has started with a bang here at AmbrosiaWaterFilters.com.

We’re proud to report that the “Health Ranger” Mike Adams featured our Aquasana glass water bottles in his 2010 New Year’s Health Product Discount Guide at NaturalNews.com.

We’re big fans of Mike Adams here at AmbrosiaWaterFilters.com, and we’re honored that Mike is a fan of our products!

Here’s the description in the NaturalNews.com product guide:

These stylish glass water bottles come in a pack of 6. Each reusable bottle holds 25.4 ounces of water. At only $3.99 each, these Aquasana bottles are a real bargain! Think about it: you pay nearly as much for disposable plastic bottles that pollute your body and the environment. When you invest in reusable glass bottles, you never have to throw them away, and you can rest assured that you’re drinking chemical-free water.

MSNBC reports that bottled water sales slipped 3.2 percent in 2008 and are expected to drop another 2 percent this year.

Because of environmental concerns about plastic water bottles, many famous restaurants now serve filtered tap water instead of bottled water, and consumers are investing in reusable water bottles like glass water bottles and stainless steel water bottles.

Google has eliminated bottled water from its progressive campus, and state governments in New York, Illinois, and Virginia have banned bottled water at public events and in state offices.

“In some ways, bottled water has become the SUV of the ecological movement,” one environmental advocate told MSNBC.

But plastic water bottles don’t just pollute the environment. They pollute your body, too. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals leach into the water from the plastic. Studies show that much bottled water is no cleaner than tap water.

Want a steady supply of cost-effective, healthy water? Invest in a home water purifier.

It’s not too late to order aquasana glass water bottles from Ambrosia Water Filters and receive them in time for Christmas. (But time is running out! Place your order today!)

These stylish glass water bottles make great gifts for eco-conscious and health-conscious individuals.

The bottles are not only eco-friendly but also budget-friendly. The 6-pack of bottles costs just $23.99. Place your order now, and you’ll receive 6 great Christmas gifts for only $3.99 each!

Your friends, family members, and colleagues will appreciate such a thoughtful gift (and they’ll never know that you only spent $3.99 on it!).

Our glass water bottles are extremely popular among green shoppers and people who are trying to avoid exposure to toxic chemicals.

Americans throw out over 60 million plastic bottles each day – in just one day. That adds up to a lot of plastic waste over the course of a year. Plastic bottles end up in landfills and in our rivers, lakes, and oceans. The problem has gotten so bad that there’s an island of plastic trash in the Pacific Ocean that’s bigger than the state of Texas. Google “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” to learn more about this environmental disaster.

But plastic pollution hits much closer to home. Plastic pollutes the human body, too. When you drink water from a plastic bottle, you swallow toxic chemicals from the plastic. Some of these chemicals are endocrine disruptors and may cause cancer. In fact, endocrine disruptors from plastic have been associated with prostate cancer, breast cancer, bladder disease, liver disease, diabets and reproductive and developmental problems.

Show your concern and your Christmas spirit by giving the gift of better health this year!

You can also get creative with your gifts by filling up the bottles before you give them out. One of my more creative friends ordered several glass water bottles as Christmas gifts, and she is going to fill them with her own homemade coffee liquer.

If you’re interested, here’s her recipe for coffee liquer:

- 2 cups coffe

- 1 1/4 cups sugar

- 2 cups vodka

- 1/2 vanilla bean (split)

Add the sugar to hot coffee and mix until dissolved. Let cool and add the vodka and vanilla bean. Transfer liquid to bottle. After 2 to 4 weeks, strain out the vanilla bean and pour liquer into a new bottle.

Yum! Now that’s a thoughtful gift!

Order your glass water bottles today.

I’ve written about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch before:

Did you know that there’s an island of plastic garbage in the Pacific Ocean that’s twice the size of Texas? It’s known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. That’s right, the world’s largest landfill consists of millions of pounds of plastic floating in the ocean near Hawaii.

On 09/02/2009, the San Jose Mercury News reported that scientists recently returned from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with samples of the water and marine wildlife. What did they find? Plastic, plastic everywhere – an “inconveivable amount of tiny, confetti-like pieces of broken plastic.”

“Marine debris is the new man-made epidemic. It’s that serious,” said biologist Andrea Neal.

Neal, lead researcher on the project, found that jellyfish are eating the pieces of broken plastic. The jellyfish, in turn, are eaten by fish like salmon. Then we humans eat those fish!

That’s right, your wild-caught salmon may contain toxic bits of plastic on top of those healthy omega-3 fats. And the pieces of plastic not only contain toxic, hormone-altering chemicals, but they’re also thought to absorb long-banned carcinogenic chemicals like DDT and PCBs.

Nobody knows exactly when the Great Pacific Garbage Patch formed, but it’s there now, and it’s huge. Last month, two ships went to the patch to carry out the most extensive research to date.

“Every day, every night, we’d pull up samples and pour the water through a sieve. It would be completely clogged with tiny pieces of plastic,” said of the California Environmental Protection Agency. “It was so disturbing!”

If you’d like to stop contributing to this environmental disaster, stop buying disposable plastic products. Stop drinking from plastic water bottles! Take your own reusable grocery bags to the store, and invest in a reusable stainless steel bottles or glass water bottles.

The Independent reports that plastic trash releases toxic chemicals into the ocean as it breaks down.

Speaking about the results of his recent study, Katshuhiko Saido of Nihon University in Japan said, “Plastics in daily use are generally assumed to be quite stable. We found that plastic in the ocean actually decomposes as it is exposed to the rain and sun and other environmental conditions, giving rise to yet another source of global contamination that will continue into the future.

“The present study was conducted to clarify that drift plastic does indeed decompose to give rise to hazardous chemicals in the ocean.”

Plastic garbage, like disposed plastic water bottles, releases dangerous chemicals like bisphenol-A (BPA), which has been shown to disrupt the hormone systems of animals and humans. Styrofoam also releases styrene monomer, which is a known carcinogen.

“This study clearly shows new micro-pollution by compounds generated by plastic decomposition to be taking place out of sight in the ocean. Thus, marine debris plastics in the ocean will certainly give rise to new sources of global contamination that will persist long into the future,” said Saido.

But is plastic pollution in the ocean really a big problem? It’s probably a lot bigger than you might think. There’s an area of ocean in the North Pacific twice the size of Texas that’s permanently covered in plastic! In Japan alone, 150,000 tons of plastic wash ashore each year.

What can we do?

Minimize the use of plastic. Stop buying plastic disposable water bottles! Invest in a home water filter and reusable, non-toxic water bottles like glass bottles and stainless steel bottles.

In the latest issue of Mother Jones, journalist Anna Lenzer exposes the marketing scam of Fiji Water.

Fiji is now America’s leading brand of bottled water, even though it’s shipped from the other side of the globe and costs three times more than basic bottled water (and 30,000 times more than tap water!). The company, led by marketing guru Lynda Resnick, has spent millions on “green” marketing efforts. As a result, celebs like Paris and Diddy can be spotted sipping Fiji Water. The trendy Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan pours only Fiji Water into its dog bowls, and at the last SXSW festival, you could enjoy a Fiji Water Detox Spa. I’m not making this stuff up!

I’ll give Lynda this much credit: If she can push bottled water that’s shipped halfway around the world as a “green” product, she truly is a marketing genius.

Here at AmbrosiaWaterFilters.com, we don’t have to employ genius-level, flamboyant marketing strategies. We like to keep things simple. For a cleaner planet and a healthier body, invest in a home water filter along with reusable water bottles (glass bottles or stainless steel bottles). This way, you’ll avoid polluting the planet with plastic bottles and avoid polluting your body with plastic toxins.

Lynda’s slick, green marketing materials don’t tell you that every Fiji bottle is made from Chinese plastic in a diesel-powered plant and shipped thousands of miles to eco-conscious consumers. Wanna be green (not just fake, plastic green)? Ditch the plastic bottles.

Tapped, a new documentary from the producers of Who Killed the Electric Car?, explains the true cost of bottled water.

In a review of the film at grist.org, Claire Thompson writes:

I knew bottled water sucks, but I didn’t know it sucks this much. Not only is it a clear waste of resources (only 20 percent of plastic water bottles used in the United States are recycled, and far too many of the rest probably end up in the Pacific Garbage Patch), it’s an incredible waste of money for consumers, who pay more than the price of gasoline for water that’s marketed as “pure,” but in reality is largely unregulated, full of harmful toxins like BPA, and far less safe for drinking than free tap water. (In fact, 40 percent of the time, bottled water is nothing but municipal tap water, freed from the government oversight that keeps it safe.)

At tappedthemovie.com, the filmmakers explain how you can take action:

• Buy a water filter.
• Buy a reusable water bottle, like a glass water bottle or stainless steel water bottle.
• Replace your office water cooler with a bottleless water cooler that connects to your water line to provide hot and cold filtered water. It works like a traditional water filter, minus the risk of BPA and other toxins. And your boss will appreciate the fact that filtered tap water is so much cheaper!

At tappedthemovie.com, you can also send messages to Jennifer Aniston and Tom Brady to ask them to stop endorsing Smart Water.

Unfortunately, I haven’t seen the entire documentary yet, but I hope to see it soon.

Have you seen the film? If so, what did you think?

Can you believe there’s a floating island of plastic garbage twice the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean!?