Don't you wish you were the person who came up with the idea of mass-marketing water in plastic bottles all those years ago? For many of us back then, a drink of water came from 3 sources; out of the tap, out of a drinking fountain, and out of a garden hose.

Younger people today may turn up their noses at the idea of drinking water from the tap, and are probably grossed out by the thought of drinking from a hose in the backyard, but that's all we had, and most of us didn't mind a bit because we didn't know any better. If you want older folks to buy more bottled water, make the bottle look like a section of garden hose. We can't say no to nostalgia.

What we can and should say no to, at least according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a brand of alkaline water known as "Real Water." And the reasons to take a hard pass on this stuff are attention-getting, to say the least.

The FDA announced it is investigating a number of reports of "non-viral hepatitis," or inflammation of the liver not caused by a viral infection, linked with consumption of Real Water. Non-viral hepatitis may not sound all that bad, but it most certainly is.

AuroraHealthCare.org:

Non-viral hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that can cause scarring on the liver (cirrhosis), liver cancer, liver failure and death. There are 3 types of non-viral hepatitis: Toxic hepatitis, Alcoholic hepatitis, and Autoimmune hepatitis.

LiveScience.com reports that notice was taken at the tail-end of last year when 5 infants and children (from different households) were found to have acute liver failure, with 6 more people (3 adults and 3 kids) from those homes developing less serious symptoms.

What did all those people from different households have in common? The only thing was their consumption of Real Water, according to a statement from The Southern Nevada Health District.

So, to bottom-line it here, the FDA says they're looking into the Nevada-based company, and consumers, retailers and restaurants should not "drink, cook with, sell or serve" the product.

 

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