What Dr. Oz Didn't Tell You on Oprah … But You Need to Know
by www.SixWise.com
On July 21, Oprah featured an episode with Dr. Oz explaining how to treat your hair right. Along with suggesting you treat your hair gently “like a fine silk blouse” and cover it up if you’ll be out in the sun for long (sunshine can actually fry your hair!), he explains just how the water in your shower could be damaging your tresses.
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Chlorine in your shower water can not only dry out your hair, but also its byproducts have been linked to cancer, heart disease and more.
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Why? Because chlorine, which is used for water treatment purposes to kill bacteria, is not only likely in your drinking water, it’s in the water you use to shower and bathe with.
As Dr. Oz pointed out on Oprah, this can dry your hair out -- a valid point well made. But what he failed to mention is that very same chlorine is capable of causing much more damage than dry locks.
Why ELSE Should You be Concerned About Chlorine in Your Shower?
When chlorine comes into contact with other naturally occurring elements in water, it forms dangerous byproducts such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and chloroform. Studies have linked these chlorine byproducts to many serious health risks such as:
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Bladder cancer
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Heart disease
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Asthma
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Eczema
Chlorinated water itself has also been linked to increased risks of cancer, birth defects, stillbirth, and miscarriages.
Now, you may already know that chlorine is not a healthy chemical to drink, but here’s something you may not know: The danger comes not only from drinking chlorinated water, but also, and even more so, from showering or bathing in the water.
THMs can be absorbed by your skin, and when you shower or take a bath, the warm water opens up your skin's pores, making it like a sponge for chlorine. Meanwhile, the steam in your shower, which you readily inhale, is full of chlorine and its byproducts as well. Since your skin is the largest organ of your body, some estimates say that steam can transport into your body up to 100 times the toxic chemicals as you would get from drinking tap water.
Meanwhile, when you drink chlorinated water, some of these toxins get filtered by your kidneys, liver and digestive system. This is not so when you breathe in these chemical vapors; there is no filtering, just a direct route to your blood stream.
Take, for example, a study published in a 2007 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology. The study participants who drank chlorinated water had a 35 percent increased risk of bladder cancer. However, those who spent time swimming in chlorinated pools had a 57 percent increased risk, and those who took long showers or baths also had an increased risk of bladder cancer.
And, the following factors can actually increase your skin’s absorption of THMs and other contaminants:
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Any injury (cut, wound, etc.) or skin condition (psoriasis, eczema, etc.) will lower your skin’s ability to act as a barrier against contaminants.
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Skin absorption varies by region, and exposure during total immersion (such as in a bathtub or pool) may be underestimated. For instance, your forearm is thought to have an 8.56% penetration rate, compared to 100% for the genital area.
According to some estimates, by taking a hot shower you end up absorbing over 600 percent more chlorine and other chemicals than you would from drinking the same un-filtered water all day!
How to Get Super Hydrated Hair, PLUS Protection from Chlorine (AND Manufacture’s nearly 40% reduced price through July 31, 2009)
As Dr. Oz pointed out, the best thing you can do for you hair is to filter the water in your shower.
“Get a charcoal filter and put it in your showerhead," he says.
We’d take that one step further and suggest you settle not just for filtered water … but enhanced water using the Wellness Filter.
The Wellness Filter concept was developed in the 1980s by Harusuke Naito, a renowned Japanese sports physiologist and Olympic swimming coach who wanted to produce "perfect water" for his professional athletic clients.
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Say Goodbye to Bad Hair Days, Dry Skin and Brittle Hair!
Aside from removing toxic chlorine from your family’s water, The Wellness Shower increases hydration of your skin and hair by 115 percent. You'll notice the difference in your skin and hair after just one bath or shower.
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Haru believed that even subtle differences in water purity, surface tension and mineral content could affect body hydration, cellular function, and athletic performance. After extensive field research and study he began experimenting with various natural filtering media in an effort to produce the world's best water.
At Wellness, they believe not only in filtering water, but enhancing it to increase its performance on or in your body.
After water has been filtered to remove chlorine it is optimized with rare Japanese minerals to enhance your showering experience. First water proceeds through their patented magnetic treatment stage. Here reduced ions are generated that protect your skin from free radical attack and aid the body in repairing damaged skin and hair. This stage is also responsible for increasing hydration by 115% over tap water, moisturizing your hair and skin without the residue of lotions.
Once the water has passed through the magnetic treatment stage it passes through their proprietary Taicho and Bakuhan medias. Taicho stone gives the water bacterio-static and fungi-static properties, which help your body resist undesirable bacteria and fungus. It also promotes a healthier, sanitized shower.
The Number 1 Health Spa in the world, Hippocrates Health Institute, actually uses the Wellness Shower exclusively, and the Japanese Ministry of Health now uses the filter in over 100 of its hospitals. Japanese doctors even routinely prescribe the filter to their patients for general good health and to aid the body in fighting specific chronic conditions. Japanese life insurance companies have also recognized its unique qualities and now offer reimbursement programs for the filter when a patient gets a prescription from his doctor (the only filtration system ever granted this insurance status).
You owe it to yourself, and your family, to shower in the luxury of pure water. With The Wellness Shower you'll notice the difference in your skin and hair after just one bath or shower. It's like bringing a spa into your home.
What ELSE Did Dr. Oz Not Tell You?
On the same episode of Oprah, Dr. Oz pointed out that bad breath is often caused by stomach issues, but it can also be caused by your tongue. He suggested using a tongue scraper to clean off bacteria and fight bad breath.
What we found works better is to use a hospital-grade PerfectClean microfiber hand wipe to wipe your tongue – on the top and underneath, plus along both sides of your gum line -- to remove bacteria in areas a tongue scraper can't reach. Also, PerfectClean microfiber hand wipes are easy to carry with you and use before conversations with friends or business acquaintances when you want to assure you are not pushing people away due to bad breath you can't smell.
So while using a tongue scraper is a good idea, using a PerfectClean microfiber cloth to wipe off your tongue takes getting a clean mouth to a whole new level!
Related Articles
How to Avoid the Hidden Danger Lurking in Your Shower
What Your Tongue Says about Your Health: Nine "Tongue Signs" to Watch Out For
Sources
American Journal of Epidemiology 2007 165(2):148-156
HeartSpring.net: The Unhealthy Effects of Chlorinated Shower Water