Recently I’ve found myself obsessively addicted to mineral
water. Never much of a fan for soda, but still an enjoyer of that bubbly
feeling in your belly you get after downing a carbonated drink, I was very
pleasantly surprised when I recently discovered mineral water. It was an odd and
unexpected discovery as I’ve absolutely detested the stuff my entire life, and
quite honestly I do not know what spurred this sudden change of heart. At any
rate, I’ve heard circulating myths about the health benefits of mineral water,
some of which claim that it’s the elixir of life and the solution to all of
your health woes, and others claiming that it destroys the enamel on your teeth
and should not be a staple of your diet and lifestyle. Getting to the point of
this blog post however, I’ve never read anything from a credible source on the
subject, so I decided to do a little research.
Before getting into the health benefits of mineral water, I’d
just like to briefly explain what mineral water is. Mineral water is defined as
water that originates from a spring, and is characterized as having a high
content of minerals such as various types of salts and sulfur compounds. It’s typically
captured from a naturally carbonated spring; both the water and the carbon
dioxide are captured separately, and then are re-combined during the bottling
process. Then, via typical economical and commerce routes, the water eventually
ends up at your grocery store or in my case favorite coffee shop, which you
then purchase and consume. Tap water on the other hand, comes from a natural
body of water, is stored at a watershed, goes through a series of both natural
and chemical treating processes, travels varying distances through (sometimes
very old and rusty) pipes before ultimately coming out of your faucet and
reaching your glass. Some people have filters on their faucets which add an
additional, final, filtering step to the process. Depending on where you live,
substances such as fluoride may or may not be included in your water, and,
depending on the quality of your city or town’s infrastructure and water
processing facilities, you may or may not be ingesting other harmful chemicals
and substances.
Anyways, getting back to the point; is mineral water good
for your health? In short, there isn’t really a straightforward answer. One of
the best qualities of mineral water is the naturally high calcium content. As
most of us know, calcium is essential for the growth and maintenance of health
and strong muscles and bones. As osteoporosis (essentially “weak” bones) affects
such a huge percentage of our population, it’s apparent that adding more
calcium to our diets may be a really good idea for many of us. Increasing our
calcium intake via our water may also serve an additional benefit in our quest
against obesity as mineral water has zero calories and is fat free - a huge plus
when compared to dairy products’ high caloric and fat content.
On the other hand, I’ve heard many people talk about how
mineral water is corrosive to your teeth. Upon investigating this however, I
found several studies that actually suggested the opposite effect. Often,
mineral water contains both fluoride and calcium ions that actually serve a
protective role against enamel erosion. It is true that the carbonation and
dissolved gas in the mineral water contribute to enamel degradation, however many
studies have suggested that not only is this counteracted by the fluoride and
calcium content, but that the positive effects strongly outweigh the negative.
After my research I will definitely continue to down my
Perrier guilt-free. Particularly as a woman with numerous osteoporotic
relatives, I need the increased calcium intake and really enjoy the taste. I am
a little bit worried about the slightly increased risk of developing kidney
stones, but it’s a gamble I’m willing to take for now. Before deciding whether
or not you should add or remove mineral water from your diet, as always, it’s
best to learn about these chemical interactions for yourself and make your own
educated decision based on your own health needs. As a good starting place for your research,
consider checking out this study on pubmed.
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