Do you think your tap water is healthy? Water is the most important liquid we put into our body, yet millions of us take it for granted. We can’t live more than three days without water. It makes up around 60% of our body, and it’s essential to all life on our planet. Besides the hydrogen and oxygen, is there more than meets the eye to our water? The answer is yes, and today we’re going to look at what those nutrients and minerals are.
Is tap water healthy compared to bottled water?
We all know water is far healthier than fizzy drinks, fruit juices and of course, alcohol. The reason is that without it, we cannot survive. But is tap water healthier than bottled water? Is it all the same? Often buzz words such as ‘filtered’ or ‘distilled’ allow us to think that bottled water is ‘pure’ and ‘clean’ compared to tap water.
If you ask us – it’s a great way to sell you something you don’t need. Not to mention the unnecessary plastic bottle that comes along with it too! Our tap water contains multiple minerals in it, and water actively seeks mineral content when it is in our environment. It’s why tap water tastes different worldwide, and throughout the UK. The mineral content of the earth varies and it’s where we source our water from.
When you drink filtered, purified or distilled water, you are drinking water that has lost all its mineral content. When you drink it, the water will seek these minerals (the same way it does in the environment) and absorb them from your body. This is why tap water is healthier to drink than bottled; it replenishes these minerals in your body. Minerals that your body needs and uses in various ways.
What minerals can you expect to find in water?
The typical minerals you will find include calcium, magnesium, potassium, and silica – all minerals that your body needs. What’s more, is that they’ll benefit you in a variety of ways.
- Calcium: Many of us know calcium helps build and maintain our strong bones; but our heart, muscles and even nerves all need calcium to function properly. Our bodies do not naturally produce calcium so we must seek it from foods and drinks.
- Silica: While calcium helps bring strength to our bones, silica helps to control the flow of calcium in and out of them. It also helps build collagen; a protein found in our skin that helps keep our skin elastic and our joints, healthy.
- Magnesium: Every cell in our body needs magnesium to function. It is an essential nutrient that helps create over 600 reactions in our body. Including converting food into energy and muscle contraction and relaxation.
- Potassium: Classed as one of the most important minerals in our body, potassium helps regulate fluid balance and nerve signals. In turn, it can help reduce blood pressure and protect against a series of health issues such as strokes and kidney stones.
Did some of that seem a bit familiar? For decades we have been told to drink water to purify and help cleanse our skin – that’s the silica in tap water. People with kidney stones and other trapped infections are often advised to ‘flush’ out their system first by drinking a lot of water – that’s the potassium. Want to feel more awake? We’ve been told to drink water – that’s the magnesium.
Is tap water healthy?
For years, many people have been led to believe that bottled water is healthier because it is rid of minerals from the earth. However, removing those minerals actually makes bottled water less healthy. This doesn’t mean that drinking from a lake is good for you – there are still some impurities that need to be removed before you can drink water. Thankfully, water companies in the UK do this for us, and we’re just left with the good stuff in our taps.
We know that tap water has many scientific benefits, but water is valuable worldwide for many different reasons, not just health. You only have to look at your local church to realise this – holy water. Could it be that water’s natural health benefits have influenced religion and other areas of life for generations? Whether you’re religious or not, it’s something to think about. A great example of this is in Zac Efron’s Down To Earth documentary on Netflix where one episode is dedicated to exploring the incredible benefits of water – where in some cases, it’s said to create miracles.
Now you know, tap water is healthier than bottled water – for you as well as the planet. When you taste different tap water from across the country, try and imagine what minerals you’re drinking from the local landscape and appreciate the properties of health they’re providing.
