Much has been made of the health benefits of drinking natural mineral water and spring water. There have been reports of tap water containing nitrates, ammonia and flouride. Many people worry about bacteria in tap water and choose to drink bottled water or attach inline filters to their water supply.
Is there any reason to drink bottled water?
In many countries and regions the tap water is unsafe to drink. If you have ever been on holiday to India or Cambodia for instance you would know that bottled water is essential. Water from taps there contains many contaminants and parasites.
We all know that we need water to survive so imagine being in a tropical country with no mains supply. Bottled water can be delivered or purchased in supermarkets. In Thailand and Laos the households have large 5 gallon water bottles delivered and they are an affordable way to get clean water for cooking and drinking. In other countries it is safe to drink from the tap like England or Italy. Luckily in the states you can also buy large bottles for your home and office from companies like Diamond Rock spring water.
Differences between purified water and spring water
All drinking water is filtered. Tap water or any type of bottled water is filtered to some degree before is judged to be safe for consumption. So both purified water and spring water are filtered, however there are other big differences between the two types of water.
Purified water must be treated intensively to remove any substances or particles that would make the water potentially harmful. Only after it has been micron or carbon filtered and processed with reverse osmosis can it be called purified water.
Spring water is sometimes marketed as artesian water or groundwater or well water. These confusing names are all referring to the same type of product. For a water company to name their product spring water it must come from an underground aquifer. Water companies like to talk about their Ice Age aquifers and the benefits to the water it makes. And indeed many people swear by spring water.
The truth is that spring water must come from an underground aquifer and the mountain rocks through which the water flows act as a natural filtration system. Because of the natural filtering spring water is not subject to the same intensive processing that purified water is. Any treatment the water receives will preserve the naturally occuring minerals and remove any impurities that may have been in the water.
What benefits do both these waters have?
Purified water is perfectly safe to drink and indeed has to meet very high standards before it can be deemed as being pure. It will rehydrate you and is easily available.
Spring water may have other benefits in that it is natural and contains minerals such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and sodium. The water comes from deep underground and therefore has no pollution and has been untouched by the modern world. It has a higher oxygen content and other micronutrients.
Which water is better for you?
All drinking water is safe for consumption. Although there are different levels of regulation on tap water, purified water and spring water they all have met certain standards before they are approved for human consumption. Water is a necessity for survival and essential to keep the body running efficiently. It keeps our skin healthy, hair shiny and eyes bright.
Purified water is easily and readily available and spring water is more expensive however there are many benefits to spring water such as minerals. Spring water tends to taste fresher and indeed many consumers when asked will mention the taste first and say it is more refreshing. The water comes as Mother nature intended instead of being treated and processed. When using spring water to make other drinks you may notice it has a cleaner taste and doesn’t contaminate the flavour of the drink. You may see spring water on a dinner table alongside wine as it is becoming more popular.
Summary
As you already know and have read we need to drink water to survive and for the health benefits it brings and some waters have more benefits than others. All drinking water is good for us but tap water has less strict controls than purified water. However, spring water is natural and comes from an unpolluted source and contains naturally occuring minerals and micronutrients. It supplies more oxygen than purified water and as many people will testify it just tastes more refreshing. The only negative is that it is more expensive but for many that price is worth paying for the health benefits it brings.
