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Spring, mineral, healing and alkaline water. More and more items appear on store shelves, water producers are outdoing each other in advertising campaigns and marketing tricks, just to convince the customer to themselves. It turns out that which water we choose does matter! Why is it so important?
Water with or without minerals?
Pure water, obtained from the depths of the Earth, characterized by the presence of minerals – this is a working definition that could be defined as highly mineralized water (which we can find in supermarkets in the form of, among others, Muszynianka or Muszyna Zdrój). The rich content of ingredients is both a blessing and a curse in highly mineralized waters, which will be discussed in a moment.
Consuming a drink that is saturated with so many macronutrients can be extremely helpful for people with calcium and magnesium deficiencies. This reduces the need to reach for dietary supplements in the form of the aforementioned elements, which often fulfill a similar range of needs as the aforementioned water. Mineral water is also the optimal choice for athletes and people who work physically.
However, to paraphrase a well-known saying, it can be said that each water has two drops. Mineral water, which has a high mineralization index, and is drunk regularly by chronically ill people, can affect the efficiency of some internal organs, including the kidneys.
Due to the high degree of mineralization, it is also often perceived as soda water – that is, a drink with an admixture of carbon dioxide. It is supposed to provide a greater thirst-quenching sensation. Such water, however, irritates the walls of the digestive system, adversely affecting the membranes in the tract – it is not recommended for people with gastric problems to consume sparkling water.
Spring water or alkaline water – what’s the difference?
Coming from the underground, mined with holes (drilled or not) and characterized by a low concentration of minerals – this is the description of spring water that is clean, healthy and usually neutral in taste. Somewhat capricious consumers will describe it as “sterile” in taste and recommend drinking water from a domestic source, i.e. tap, because it allegedly does not differ in properties from the discussed one. Is it right? Not from the end.
Although spring water has properties similar to water obtained from the network, its chemical and biological purity should be at a much different level. We cannot be sure what is “lurking” in old, often decades-old, water pipes. Unless we use additional filtering protections, then of course we reduce this risk. Spring water is suitable not only for drinking, it is also perfect for cooking meals – we do not have to worry about changing the taste parameters of the dish.
The “new” sister of spring water is alkaline water, known as healing ionized water. It is a liquid that has been called “living water” that has been credited with healing and alleviating health ailments. Recently, you could notice a campaign of one of the brands on the streets of large cities.
This type of water is characterized by an altered pH. As the name suggests, it has an alkaline reaction (i.e. a pH above 7), while the more widely available mineral waters have a pH of approx. 6,5-7,2. In this case, it is indifferent, which in practice is supposed to regulate the acid-base balance in the human body. However, you must know that alkaline water alone does not affect the acid-base balance. Diet in healthy people is not able to disturb the acid-base balance, and the repeated slogan of “acidified organism” is a marketing gimmick. So is it the best mineral water for sick people?
Yes and no: One study found that alkaline water could benefit people from gastro-esophageal reflux. Alkaline water was able to inhibit the action of pepsin, which, along with the reflux of gastric juice into the esophagus, is responsible for the characteristic burning in the esophagus. It should also be emphasized that alkaline water is much more expensive than other mineral waters. It does not necessarily result from its beneficial actions, but rather from fashion and good marketing.
Table water – an improved version of the water?
As if that was not enough, we can also meet another type of transparent liquid – table water. And the point is not that it has to be placed on the countertop and await the consumer in this form 😅 The basic distinguishing aspect is that the table water is a blend, i.e. a mixture of mineral and spring water with specific physical and taste parameters. It can be both a mineral base with an admixture of spring water, or a spring base with the addition of mineral water – the manufacturer has complete freedom here.
Table water, for example Magnesiana, is a compromise for people who do not intend to diversify their water sources. It is a drink that is designed to provide a balanced amount of minerals in a universal way. If we do not want to increase the supply of magnesium, we do not have significant physical activity – table water should be just right.
And is distilled water safe to drink?
To put it simply and in a general way, distilled water is water that has been freed from mineral salts and impurities in the distillation process. The distilled water also loses its smell, taste and sediment. It is as clear and transparent as possible and you can see through it as if through the cleanest glass. For this reason, it is suitable as a diluent for car radiator fluid, as well as a cartridge for irons or air humidifiers.
Can I drink distilled water? First of all, it is sterilizing water that will “fly” through our body, flushing out some vitamins and minerals along the way. Regular consumption of such a liquid can quickly lead to serious deficiencies and significantly adversely affect the condition of the skin, hair or nails. Therefore, we personally do not recommend eating it.
How many liters of water per day?
The Nutrition standards for the Polish population and their application (here, the entire study: https://www.pzh.gov.pl/) lists the value of 2 liters for women and 2,5 liters for men. However, you should not stick to these values, because each organism is different. The water demand is influenced, among others, by physical activity, training activity, air temperature, or even our dietary goal.
A universal rule that should be followed is to drink a glass full to the brim every 2 hours (if our day lasts 16 hours). We can try to listen to our body, unfortunately in the context of water it makes itself known when it is a bit too late – do you associate the characteristic dry mouth, which is treated as a signal to drink water?
It is noticed with a 3% loss of fluids, and with a loss of fluids by 1%, thermoregulation and physical efficiency deteriorate. A safe assumption is therefore to drink a minimum of 2 liters of classic water (8 to 10 glasses a day), especially if you often eat dishes such as soups, smoothies or cocktails prepared on the water.
After all, which water should we drink?
The golden mean should be … diversifying the menu, also in the context of selected drinks. Let us choose water so that we do not get bored and, above all, that if consumed too regularly, it does not harm the body. If you absolutely want to drink water from the water supply, let’s take care of proper filtration. Drinking such water is a good solution because we also care for our environment.
When using bottled waters, buy those that are not exposed to sunlight. Let’s also look at the packaging markings – water sold in poor quality plastic may be saturated with synthetic microparticles. And we leave the sweetened drinks on the shelf, and of course you can afford them once in a while. We just don’t include them permanently in our menus.
Źródła:
https://www.wody-mineralne.com.pl/pl/blog/woda-zrodlana-czy-mineralna-ktora-wybrac-i-dlaczego https://allegro.pl/artykul/woda-alkaliczna-czym-jest-i-kto-powinien-ja-pic-77307 http://www.wodadlazdrowia.pl/pl/1096/0/woda-alkaliczna-pomoc-przy-zakwaszeniu-organizmu.html https://zdrowie.radiozet.pl/W-zdrowym-ciele/Zdrowe-zywienie/Zasady-zywienia/Woda-mineralna-zrodlana-stolowa.-Czym-sie-roznia-jaka-wybrac? https://prostozkranu.pl/Ile-wody-powinno-sie-pic-dziennie-blog-pol-1593506948.html https://www.kobieta.pl/artykul/woda-destylowana-czy-mozna-ja-pic-i-jak-wplywa-na-nasz-organizm