According to a recent “New York Times” trend report, untreated, unfiltered “raw water” will once again be popular in 2022 as a health and wellness trend.
People are shunning tap and bottled water in favour of a refreshing glass of untreated spring water, also known as “raw” or “unprocessed” water.
Supporters claim that this type of water contains beneficial minerals that are absent from treated or filtered water and is free of chemicals found in tap water, such as fluoride, and does not pass through lead pipes or other infrastructural facilities.
For the luxury of drinking water that might not include fluoride but might contain toxins from pesticides and potentially harmful germs, some people are paying significantly more.
The raw water trend is part of a bigger movement that, in addition to embracing everything “natural” as healthful, also fosters shrewd business people who figure out how to profit greatly from it.
The “Times” article doesn’t go into great detail regarding the number of people who are participating in this fad and purchasing and consuming expensive, untreated spring water.
However, the market for unproven, unscientific “cures” is expanding and refutations frequently have little impact.
True believers in raw water are unlikely to change their minds. One of the businesses listed in the “Times” article claims that demand has already increased significantly.
Drinking untreated spring water is a terrible idea.
The raw food movement gave rise to the raw water movement, which has been around for a while but recently gained notice after businesses began bottling and selling untreated spring water about five years ago.
The “smart juicer” that the internet liked to criticise was created by Juicero, whose inventor Doug Evans declared a five-day “water fast” in September 2018 in which he would only consume raw water.
Proponents of raw water claim that it includes beneficial minerals that are stripped out during the filtration and treatment processes that take place with tap or bottled water.
One supporter of raw water told the “Times” that she noticed her skin is “plumper” and that she felt like she was “getting greater nourishment from the meals she consumes” after making the transition.
A TikTok user commented: “It has a vaguely mild sweetness, a good smooth tongue feel, nothing that overwhelms the flavour profile.”
For supporters of raw water on TikTok, the argument is that bottled or tap water is similar to processed foods, while raw water is all-natural, even if flawed, and has distinct advantages.
Furthermore, it’s not quite accurate to say that raw water is a sought-after all-natural panacea that technology has ruined. Societies have been trying to cleanse water for ages, as The Verge’s Rachel Becker explains in a YouTube video.
Although studies have proven that these substances are not dangerous to individuals in such minute amounts, it is true that trace amounts of prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as additives from shampoo and soap, can end up in water in low concentrations.
Additionally, there is a long-standing myth that fluoride is a medication used for mind control.
Fluoride was formerly thought to be a communist scheme before becoming a “mind-control medication” – which isn’t true.
Due to its ability to aid in the prevention of tooth decay, particularly in children and low-income households who may not have easy access to dental care, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention of South Africa ranks fluoridation as one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century.
Drinking untreated water carries significant dangers since it contains germs, parasites, pesticides and other pollutants.
The National Water Act 36 of 1998 South Africa intends “to provide for fundamental reform of the law relating to water resources; to repeal certain laws; and to provide for matters connected therewith”.
It establishes safety standards for the numerous public wells, boreholes, dams and natural springs used by South Africans.
Although water-related illness outbreaks are rare in South Africa, access to sanitary water is a major problem for both public health and human rights in various regions of Africa.
Cholera and other water-borne illnesses continue to be concerns on a global scale. In Yemen, where a severe famine has impeded access to clean water, an outbreak of cholera, which is spread by drinking water or eating food contaminated with a specific bacteria, reached one million probable cases in 2017.
The raw water craze might be short-lived since people may tire of the idea of drinking water with remnants of animal faeces, but it shares a few characteristics with other pseudoscientific beliefs that promote “natural” over “chemical”.
A more extreme version of the same beliefs that underpin worries about GMO foods and riskier behaviours like the anti-vaccination movement also motivate people to seek out potentially contaminated spring water.
Some of these fraudulent methods only serve to pointlessly deplete your bank account, while others may have negative health effects. Those who choose not to vaccinate, for instance, despite the extensive scientific evidence supporting the benefits of vaccines, endanger the most vulnerable by reducing herd immunity.
And once people are convinced that fluoride is a government effort to control their minds, it is difficult to convince them that they are mistaken.
Regardless of the evidence, once people are convinced of the truth of their views, they frequently stand by them. These false beliefs can become firmly ingrained for a variety of reasons, such as providing a satisfying explanation for a phenomenon that otherwise wouldn’t exist (vaccines cause autism, for example), or because they are consistent with values (such as personal liberty).
Not proving the proponents of raw water or those who are concerned about GMOs is the bigger issue. It’s because these concepts frequently emerge from the periphery and raise scepticism among the populace.
As an illustration, consider the anti-vaccine movement. Vocal opponents of vaccination probably make up a smaller group than those who are affected by their opinions.
Although they continue to largely support the value of vaccinations, some immunisations may be postponed or skipped due to worries that they are either excessive or unneeded.
The raw water trend might just be a fad. However, creating doubt about water infrastructure or the value of treated water is dangerous and might have serious repercussions.
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