~Writing Well Wednesday Tip~
Writers need to be sure they’re drinking water every day.
Studies have found that even slight dehydration can lead to fatigue, mood swings, and headaches—things that can make mush of your writing time.
Water can fight fatigue, ease stress, and clear brain fog. (Read more about how water boosts brainpower here.) To stay alert and focused, you should have water nearby at all times so you can sip throughout the day.
Here’s a warning though: try to avoid water in plastic bottles.
You may have already heard that water bottles can contain the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA), which can leach into the water. BPA has been linked to hormonal disruption, reproductive problems, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Many companies know that consumers are now aware of the dangers of BPA, so they’ve switched to substitutes like fluorene-9-bisphenol (BHPF) instead. A 2017 animal study, though, found hormone-altering activity with this chemical, too.
Other research has found that another BPA alternative—BPA-S—”can disrupt a cell’s normal functioning, which could potentially lead to metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity, asthma, birth defects or even cancer,” according to Scientific American.
As if that weren’t enough, yet another study has created even more cause for concern. Would you believe that you could actually be drinking plastic when you use a plastic water bottle?
In a new study of 259 water bottles from 19 locations in nine countries across 11 different brands, researchers found an average of 325 plastic particles for every liter of water being sold. Only 17 of the bottles were free of plastics. The scientists added that they found about twice as many plastic particles within bottled water as in tap water.
The World Health Organization (WHO) was so concerned with these findings that it has launched a new review into the risks of plastic in drinking water.
The bottom line is that it’s best to avoid plastic water bottles as much as you can. Instead, use stainless steel bottles to carry with you, and otherwise choose glass or ceramic water glasses.
Sources
Bilbrey, J. (2014, August 11). BPA-Free Plastic Containers May Be Just as Hazardous. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bpa-free-plastic-containers-may-be-just-as-hazardous/
Falck, S. (2017, May 25). Bisphenol A: Hazards and sources. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/221205.php
Readfearn, G. (2018, March 15). WHO launches health review after microplastics found in 90% of bottled water. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/15/microplastics-found-in-more-than-90-of-bottled-water-study-says
Zhang, Z., Hu, Y., Guo, J., Yu, T., Sun, L., Xiao, X., … Hu, J. (2017). Fluorene-9-bisphenol is anti-oestrogenic and may cause adverse pregnancy outcomes in mice. Nature Communications, 8, 14585. doi:10.1038/ncomms14585