"Do you know how to drink water?" - This is something we do every day, but we may not always do it correctly. Is the water you drink really safe? Let me introduce to you some types of water that should never be consumed in our daily lives. Let's take a look.
Untreated water - The chlorine in tap water can react with the organic matter in untreated water, which can lead to bladder cancer and colorectal cancer. Water from natural sources in the wilderness may contain harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Drinking such water can cause acute gastroenteritis, hepatitis, typhoid fever, dysentery, and parasitic infections.
Unboiled water - Drinking unboiled water can increase the risk of bladder cancer and colorectal cancer by 21% to 38%. When the water temperature reaches 100°C, the harmful substances will evaporate with the steam, reducing the risk significantly. To ensure safety, continue boiling the water for three more minutes.
Over-boiled water - Drinking water that has been boiled for too long or boiled multiple times can affect blood circulation and nerve function, causing fatigue and nausea. This is because, during prolonged boiling, the water decomposes substances named "silver nitrite" and "arsenic." Excess silver nitrite and arsenic can enter the body through the bloodstream and cause chronic blood poisoning.
Air-exposed water - Plain boiled water should not be exposed to the air for too long, as it will lose its biological activity and many special functions. If exposed for an extended period, it may also increase the amount of certain harmful substances.
Water stored overnight - Water kept in a thermos that is not freshly boiled has a similar effect to air-exposed water.
Aged water - This refers to stagnant water that is stored for a long time. Drinking such water can significantly slow down cell metabolism and affect growth and development in children, while accelerating aging in middle-aged and elderly people. It can also increase the incidence of esophageal cancer and gastric cancer.
Repeatedly boiled water - This refers to water that has been boiled on the stove overnight or for a long time, or water that has been repeatedly boiled in an electric water heater. Drinking such water can interfere with gastrointestinal function and cause temporary diarrhea and bloating.
Water from steaming pots - This refers to the water left at the bottom of the pot used for steaming buns, rice, and other foods. Drinking such water or using it to cook porridge can cause nitrite poisoning. Scale commonly enters the body along with water and can lead to digestive, nervous, urinary, and hematopoietic system diseases, and even premature aging.