Mineral water is water that contains naturally occurring minerals that can help to improve your health. Generally, it is harvested from natural springs, usually in mountain ranges and other scenes of natural beauty where the sources of minerals are naturally high.
The question then is whether mineral water is good for you or whether it is a big waste of money. In this post, we will attempt to answer that question, while also looking at some other important considerations.
First things first: water is good for you. Like, really good for you.
That might seem obvious and maybe it’s something you don’t give a lot of thought to. But the truth is that most of Western the population is dehydrated and doesn’t get enough water. This in turn leads to a wide range of different health complaints.
Dehydration can cause all kinds of problems. These include but are not limited to:
- Poor absorption of nutrients (leading to malnutrition)
- Lethargy (water is used in the energy processes throughout the body)
- Weight gain
- Headaches (as the brain loses water it shrinks and pulls away from the inside of the skull)
- Poor sleep
- Damaged skin, hair, teeth, and nails
- And much more
Remember, the cells and the human body are made predominantly from water. It should come as no big surprise then that water is needed for us to be healthy.
Mineral Water is Extra Healthy
Mineral water meanwhile though is extra healthy.
For one, mineral water is a great source of naturally occurring minerals. These come from the rocks and vegetation near the natural water sources and include things like calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and more.
Each of these minerals plays a crucial role in the body. For instance, calcium is used in order to fortify and strengthen our bones. Without calcium, problems like osteoporosis are common. Calcium can also strengthen muscle contractions and has a role in energy and brain health.
When you consume mineral water, you are obtaining these nutrients in a natural manner. That means they are correctly balanced to ensure optimal absorption: so you will receive the maximum amount of useable calcium and magnesium.
Problems With Mineral Water
But mineral water is not perfect. The shop-bought mineral water that you get from bottles for instance has the unfortunate negative of being obtained from bottles. The bottles themselves contain estrogenic compounds that can increase the production of estrogenic in the human body to a very large extent.
This is a serious issue, especially for the male population which is currently losing testosterone at a rate of 1% per year partly for this very reason.
Mineral water also has a number of other inherent problems when obtained from a bottle. For starters, it is actually highly environmentally unhealthy. If you drink bottled water, keep in mind that it can take thousands of years for the bottles to biodegrade.
Another issue is that a lot of the mineral water you buy actually does not come from beautiful mountain ranges, but is instead actually fortified with the minerals after the fact. While this is not inherently a bad thing, it does mean that a lot of the water is going to lack the ability to be absorbed. When you combine minerals in the wrong quantities, the body can’t utilize them to the fullest. They become less ‘bioavailable’.
At the same time, these waters might have numerous other substances added to them: such as salts and preservatives that you don’t want.
Filtered Water: A Solution
One solution then is to drink filtered tap water. This has a lot of the benefits that come from mineral water but with none of the drawbacks.
Filtered water for starters comes from your taps. It is not stored in bottles and so has no parabens or estrogenic compounds added. Tap water contains a LOT of unwanted and unnatural substances: just read our post on what’s in tap water. But at the same time, you can get rid of a lot of these unwanted substances by drinking filtered water.
This works in one of several ways in order to remove harmful agents. It might for instance use a filter that is made of activated charcoal or another carbon. This will filter out the unwanted elements by trapping them in the microscopic tunnels that exist in porous activated charcoal for instance.
Another option is something called ‘reverse osmosis’. This process forces water through a membrane that actually lacks pores. It does this by applying immense pressure, which is actually enough to remove even the most microscopic unwanted particles. Some filters even work by doing both things!
The best news? Your tap water actually contains minerals like calcium as well: you’ll get these from the rocks and minerals in your area.
How to Get Started
If you want to get the very best benefits from your health today then, consider investing in a water filtering dispenser.
A water dispenser is a large container that holds water and then allows you to empty that into a cup or glass via a faucet as it is needed. This has a lot of practical benefit, being a very convenient way to get the water you want. Read more about water dispensers in our guide.
At the same time though, these water dispensers also often include water filters. These then allow you to filter the water ready for use and then have easy access to it as needed around the home or office. It will improve your health, while also offering a convenient way to enjoy refreshing water at any time. This is a great investment and one that comes highly recommended.
So, is mineral water good for you? Yes: but getting a water filter might be even better!
