(NaturalHealth365)  A devastating new study has uncovered something that will completely change how you think about your drinking water: the “safe” water coming out of your tap may be causing your baby to be born prematurely or underweight.

Researchers analyzing over 350,000 birth records have discovered that even tiny amounts of nitrates – far below what the government considers “safe” – are dramatically increasing the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight babies.  And here’s the part that’ll make your blood boil: this has been happening for decades while authorities looked the other way.

The government’s “safe” levels are a dangerous lie

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has maintained since 1992 that nitrate levels up to 10 mg/L in drinking water are perfectly safe.  But this new study from Iowa – published in the prestigious journal PLOS Water – just obliterated that claim with hard science.

Babies exposed to just 0.1 mg/L of nitrates – that’s only 1% of the EPA’s so-called “safe” limit – showed significantly higher rates of preterm birth.  Think about that for a moment.  Your government is telling you that 100 times this amount is safe, while research shows harm at levels so low they’re barely detectable.

Dr. Jason Semprini, who led this massive study, put it bluntly: “There is no safe level of prenatal nitrate exposure.”  Yet pregnant women across America are unknowingly poisoning their unborn babies every time they turn on the tap.

This isn’t just Iowa’s problem – It’s everywhere

Before you think this is just a problem for farmers in Iowa, think again.  This study focused on Iowa because it has some of the highest nitrate contamination in the country, but nitrates from agricultural runoff are contaminating water supplies nationwide.

The same industrial farming practices that poisoned Iowa’s water are being used across the entire Midwest and beyond.  States like Nebraska, California, Texas, and Illinois all have documented nitrate contamination problems.  If anything, Iowa’s data from the 1970s and 1980s represent the “good old days” before contamination worsened even further.

Since this study period ended in 1988, nitrate levels have only continued rising. The researcher found that during the study period, contamination was increasing by 8% every single year.  Imagine how much worse it’s gotten in the 35+ years since then.

The shocking truth about what this does to babies

The study’s findings paint a horrifying picture of what these “safe” chemicals are doing to developing babies:

• Exposure to just 0.1 mg/L increased preterm birth risk by 0.66 percentage points
• Exposure to 5 mg/L increased low birth weight risk by 0.33 percentage points
• The harm occurs during the most vulnerable period – the first 30 days after conception

To put this in perspective, Dr. Semprini noted that prenatal nitrate exposure causes about 15% of the harm that cigarette smoking does to babies.  But while we spend millions warning about smoking during pregnancy, we completely ignore this chemical assault happening through our water supply.

The timing couldn’t be more critical.  The first month after conception is when the placenta is still developing and can’t protect the baby from these toxins.  This means many women are exposing their babies to dangerous chemicals before they even know they’re pregnant.

The regulatory cover-up that’s endangering millions

Here’s what’s truly outrageous: the EPA’s nitrate standards were never designed to protect pregnant women or developing babies.  They were created solely to prevent a condition called “blue baby syndrome” in infants who drink contaminated water after birth.

The agency has completely ignored the mounting evidence that much lower levels harm babies in the womb.  Their 10 mg/L limit hasn’t been updated since 1992, despite decades of research showing problems at far lower levels.

Dr. Semprini’s research adds to growing evidence from California, Texas, and other states showing reproductive harm from nitrates.  Yet, regulatory agencies continue to pretend that these chemicals are harmless at current limits.

Natural solutions to protect your family

While we wait for authorities to wake up and protect us, here’s what you can do right now to safeguard your family:

Install a high-quality reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration system.  This is the gold standard for removing nitrates from drinking water.  Unlike simple carbon filters, RO systems can eliminate these dangerous chemicals at the molecular level.

Test your water before you get pregnant.  Many areas offer free or low-cost water testing.  If you’re on well water, this is absolutely critical since private wells aren’t regulated like municipal supplies.

Use filtered water for everything during pregnancy.  Cooking, drinking, and even making ice should all use filtered water.  Boiling water won’t remove nitrates – it actually concentrates them.

Consider a whole-house filtration system.  If your area has high contamination, protecting your entire home’s water supply may be necessary.

Support regenerative agriculture.  Conventional farming practices that rely heavily on synthetic fertilizers are the primary source of nitrate contamination.  Supporting organic and regenerative farms helps address the root cause.

Your body needs help detoxifying this chemical assault

The reality is that nitrates are just one piece of the toxic puzzle.  Our water, food, and environment are saturated with chemicals that our bodies were never designed to handle.  While filtration helps reduce exposure, supporting your body’s natural detoxification systems has never been more critical.  This is especially crucial during pregnancy when your detox systems are working overtime to protect both you and your developing baby from environmental toxins.

Jonathan Landsman’s Whole Body Detox Summit features 27 leading experts sharing breakthrough strategies for safely eliminating toxins from your body.  Discover science-backed protocols for supporting your liver, kidneys, and other detox organs while protecting your family from environmental threats.  Get lifetime access to cutting-edge detoxification strategies that address the root causes of toxic overload – because in a world where even “safe” water isn’t safe, comprehensive detox support isn’t optional anymore.

Sources for this article include:

PLOS.org
Medicalxpress.com