Tap water and liver problem

[phompen]

Do you drink tap water in Thailand ?

It happened to me sometimes when no more bottle of water at home,

and each time I feel sick : pain to my liver, it has to detoxify something...

so I've never drank tap water again, I even cook the rice with a cheap bottle of water

but because I eat often at the restaurant, sometimes I feel my liver overworking few hours after,

usually it happen when I've eaten 2 kind of things : vegetables cooked in water, or rice...

so I think they cook with tap water... (I cannot imagine a restaurant using mineral water for the rice or for vegetables...)

This is what I've found on wikipedia :

"water pollution is most serious in the populous Central Region of Thailand, with high levels of industrial and domestic wastewater."

"Exposure to toxins and heavy metals in water causes skin disease, liver cancer and birth defects."

What is your experience with the tap water ?

Do you eat often at the restaurant or street food ?

You don't drink alcool and you have problem with your liver sometimes ?

[WitawatWatawit]

First time I've heard of that one. But nothing surprises. I use tap water (from Lake Mabprachan) for cooking and have never noticed anything. Then again, those osmosis thingy vending machines for water are more common than 7/11s on the darkside, so maybe I'm unaware of the real situation.

[lopburi3]

You do not even say where you are talking about - water standards vary greatly but here in Bangkok I have been drinking tap water for over 40 years and still going - no liver issues and have frequent tests due to other medications - I do use a simple filter for what I drink directly however. You are aware most bottled water starts from a tap?

[phompen]

What kind of filter do you use ?

is it expensive ?

[phompen]

You are aware most bottled water starts from a tap?

I don't drink cheap water in bottle : mainly Minéré, Aura, Montfleur, which are the most expensive one (excepted Evian really too expensive)

but I cook with the brand 7/11 (green bottle) for the rice

[lopburi3]

I use the old three section stainless steel which originally designed to hold charcoal/resin/cermatic filter. Have it filled with only Charcoal in the two main chambers and use cermatic or newer plastic micro filter as last stage. Believe these cost about 3-4000 baht and are what most Thai have used for decades (ours is more than 30 years old). But these days there are such filters available in every market of the newer plastic cartridge type or RO or whatever you want. Can see no reason to buy imported waters for anything. But if you have never exposed yourself to any bacteria the RO process or UV systems might be better for you than the basic system I have.

As an aside independent tests of tap water here in Bangkok more than 30 years ago were consistently more pure than the local bottled waters. There is always a small chance of contamination en route however so most home filtering is based on that. At source Bangkok tap water is drinkable and well tested.

[NBD]

I use tap water through a filter in Bangkok. Never had any problems.

[KhunBENQ]

Upcountry:

Tap water is only used for washing/cleaning/brushing teeth. We don't drink it and I think none of the neighbours does (they drink collected rainwater).

So I only use a simple sediment filter. Even if I would buy a fancy filter, I could probably not convice the locals to drink from tap.

For drinking we buy Singha water in glas bottles (24 * 0,5l = 60 Baht). Empty bottles/crates returned to shop.

I would never pay ridicolous prices for imported tap water from France or wherever with a nice label (most expensive part of the purchase).

And we almosy completely got away from drinking water out of PET (soft plastic) bottles, as this is an objective health risk.

(BTW: the imported expensive stuff is in PET bottles, isn't it?)

For cooking/coffee (heated) we use collected rainwater which by theory would be the best quality (setting aside the hygienic problem in collecting and storing). Gives the best taste for coffee/tea.

In almost three years no serious problems, except food poisining (seafood stored overnight without cooling, meat overdue).

Such a hefty/quick reaction just from consuming tap water (even when cooked)?

Very unlikely, I guess you some kind of special "condition".

You are sure that you feel your liver?

Theory says, that pain does not come directly from the liver (no pain receptors) but from sorrounding organs.

Edited October 25, 2013 by KhunBENQ

[ToddWeston]

You could be suffering from an allergy to chlorine or chloramines which is added to sanitise tap water, and deter bacteria growth. Esteogen in the water supply could be a small factor as the liver breaks down esteogen, contrary to popular belief birth control pills account for <1% of the esteogens - and should have been removed safely from the water supply. The only way to really known is to have your water tested. There are many things in our tap water but hydration with mineral water is paramount when you're ill. Some of us can drink tap water, some only bottled and perhaps it's mineral water for your hydration needs.

Pick up some activated charcoal tablets at your local Pharmacy, easy to locate 18 baht for 10 tablets. Next time you have a tummy ache take 2 - charcoal works wonders in removing toxins, its used in almost every emergency room around the globe to treat OD patients and used in water filters. Take two tabs make a note how long it takes for the pain to subside and if you wouldn't mind post back. Try with different water sources tap water, boiled tap water, regular cheap bottled water and mineral water.

Edit: I mentioned esteogen because our house tap water was a little high for my liking but with RO all problems were eliminated.

Edited October 25, 2013 by ToddWeston

[KhunBENQ]

esteogen

Do you mean estrogen, the hormone?

That is the problem with the PET bottles BTW.

Edited October 25, 2013 by KhunBENQ

[ToddWeston]

esteogen

Do you mean estrogen, the hormone?

That is the problem with the PET bottles BTW.

Yes, not to be an alarmist but it's a good read. Sadly I'm not able for a few days to get onto my peer sharing group (pharmacy) site, they are blocking out of country IP's

http://chestsculpting.com/the-dangers-of-estrogen-in-your-drinking-water/

Edit: I only chose the above site as a general quick reference, there is lots of decent information available with medically credible content which I will locate later today when I'm at a computer.

Edited October 25, 2013 by ToddWeston

[phompen]

due to estrogen in the rivers : a lot of male fish become female...

I have the feeling there are more estrogen in water than in another countries :

1 - thai women use more contraceptive pills than in the west, the condom is less used

2 - 2% of male are transsexuals in the west, 20% in Thailand... they take contraceptive pills to feminize them

3 - urine go back to water system, the systems to clean water able to treat estrogen seem to be very very expensive...

the estrogen responsible for feminization of the society ?

by the way it does not explain the pain I can have to my liver,

I feel better since I've stopped to take probiotics

Today I've read that butyric acid that I take in the olive oil could be involved... so I stop it

[wpcoe]

2% of male are transsexuals in the west, 20% in Thailand...

One in five males born in Thailand becomes a transsexual???

[Sheryl]

Of course not.

[thaiexpat21]

2% of male are transsexuals in the west, 20% in Thailand...

One in five males born in Thailand becomes a transsexual??? alt=blink.png width=20 height=20>

Total Nonsense !

[cheeryble]

esteogen

Do you mean estrogen, the hormone?

That is the problem with the PET bottles BTW.

Yes, not to be an alarmist but it's a good read. Sadly I'm not able for a few days to get onto my peer sharing group (pharmacy) site, they are blocking out of country IP's

http://chestsculpting.com/the-dangers-of-estrogen-in-your-drinking-water/

Edit: I only chose the above site as a general quick reference, there is lots of decent information available with medically credible content which I will locate later today when I'm at a computer.

Now we're using Chestsculpting as our medical reference book?

[thaiexpat21]

esteogen

Do you mean estrogen, the hormone?

That is the problem with the PET bottles BTW.

Yes, not to be an alarmist but it's a good read. Sadly I'm not able for a few days to get onto my peer sharing group (pharmacy) site, they are blocking out of country IP's

http://chestsculpting.com/the-dangers-of-estrogen-in-your-drinking-water/

Edit: I only chose the above site as a general quick reference, there is lots of decent information available with medically credible content which I will locate later today when I'm at a computer.

Now we're using Chestsculpting as our medical reference book?

At least we have some insight into the quality of "advice" to be expected from this peer sharing "pharmacy" group

[tim armstrong]

I don't usually drink tap water, even though ours is very filtered. But recently I did and today I'm a bit sick, however it could be something else from eating out yesterday. I rarely have problems with water and have only got sick once in 13 years from a roadside restaurant. If you drink enough alcohol then for sure your liver won't like it.