Here is Why You Should Never Drink “Overslept-in-Glass” Water

Do you drink water that’s been left sitting out overnight, or even for another day? Have you noticed it tastes different?

Tap water that has been left to sit out slowly begins to acquire an off taste. Many assume that this is because of microorganisms. Treated water’s added chlorine will take care of small communities of these little guys, but at room temperature they begin to multiply rapidly and can really get the party started. Even with clean water and a clean glass; one sip introduces a host of germs to the mix, in addition to whatever the water may have picked up by ambient dust.

But that’s not what makes old water taste stale. For that we can thank carbon dioxide. After about 12 hours tap water starts to go flat as carbon dioxide in the air starts to mix with the water in the glass, lowering its pH and giving it an off taste. But it’s most-likely safe to drink.

However, back to those microorganisms. If you use a dirty glass day after day, there is more of a chance of unruly bacteria making themselves known; a risk that increases if you share the glass with another mouth as well. But assuming you use a fresh glass every few days, you likely won’t have a problem. Unless. Unless the rim of the glass has been touched by dirty fingers; and especially if those dirty fingers went unwashed after using the bathroom. With those kinds of germs left to multiply in a left-out glass of water, who needs enemies?

As for plastic water bottles that have been left out in the sun or the car, step away from the bottle, warns Dr. Kellogg Schwab, director of the Johns Hopkins University Water Institute, if it’s a reusable water bottle that may contain BPA. “A chemical called bisphenol-A, or BPA, along with other things used to manufacture plastic can leach into your water if the bottle heats up or sits in the sun,” he explains. BPA, as you likely know, is a hormone disruptor has tentatively been linked to everything from heart disease to cancer. Schwab also adds that plastic used for commercial bottled water isn’t meant to be washed or refilled, so use only one time and recycle. Or way better, don’t buy them at all; use a refillable water bottle instead.

Now imagine this scenario….

My husband never goes to bed without a glass of water lying on the nightstand. I thought everything is fine with that. He is getting thirsty through the night and he drinks it. A couple of days earlier, I saw him drink it first thing in the morning. I’m completely positive that everyone needs to do that in the morning, but I wasn’t so sure about that glass water that stayed there the entire night. I mean, the water has been there the whole time. In the glass. Something was stuck on my mind and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

I asked him why he does that. He said, why wouldn’t I? – Aren’t you the one who says to drink a glass of water in the morning? I then explained what I meant by that. He just listened and walked off. After I finished my morning workout routine and made a delicious smoothie, I sat down on my computer.

The research took some time, but I finally found a shocking truth about this habit. It seems my husband wasn’t the only one drinking water that stayed in a glass overnight. Many people were concerned about this. I think the following scientific explanation answers all the frequently asked questions.

The Discovery News said that microbes could easily pollute plain water. Food contains proteins and sugar to prevent that, but water does not. When the water gets in touch with air after some time it absorbs a small amount of CO2. This means that the water partially is transformed in carbonic acid with changed chemical properties. In other words, if you drank a glass of water that stayed overnight, you probably noticed how the taste has changed.

This is because the carbonic acid releases 2 protons and converts into bicarbonate or carbonate. This leads to decreasing of the water’s pH levels. That’s why the taste has changed. Plus, the water is exposed to bacteria and dust for several hours. This reacts and changes the taste, too. Maybe the side effects won’t be shown right away. Maybe your body is resistant to that bacteria and dust in your water. But why risking?

Isn’t it better when you drink fresh water in the morning? Avoid water that stayed in the glass for several hours as much as you can. Fresh is always better. Do you know some friends with the same habit? – Sharing this with them could change that.

Source: http://holisticlivingtips.com