Which Is The Best And Healthiest Water For You - Spring, Purified, Mineral Or Alkaline?

Water is the elixir of life, a key element required for human survival. However, with the increasing variety of available bottled water, selecting the healthiest option has become difficult.

Purified water (tap water devoid of nutrients that may be added later), improved fluids with minerals and electrolytes, alkaline water, and spring or natural water are also options.

There's your standard bottled water, but there's also a slew of health-related keywords to sort through. "We have the luxury of talking about the benefits of water where some folks (don't) have any water," says Caroline West Passerrello, a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson.

Which Is The Healthiest Kind Of Water To Drink?

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When it comes to hydration, Caroline explains that water is water "as long as it's a safe-to-drink choice, and one that you can afford and access, that's going to be what your (body) needs."

More than the type of water you drink, it is critical that you consume enough of it. According to Caroline, that's around 100 ounces daily for adults, or between nine and 13 cups daily.

You'll get some water from other fruits and beverages you consume during the day, but water should account for one-third to one-half of your daily water intake.

"If you're not intentionally adding water to your day, there's a good chance you're dehydrated," says Caroline. Fatigue, chills, constipation, dizziness, muscular cramps, confusion, migraines, and other health problems can result from dehydration.

Water helps maintain your body temperature regularly, cushions your joints, protects your spinal cord and tissues, and has even been linked to fewer chronic illnesses.

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However, if you have specific nutrition objectives, enhanced water, such as mineral water, can help with a tiny portion of those goals. Many mineral waters, for example, have sodium, potassium, or calcium added.

Water-containing electrolytes can benefit athletes or those recovering from diseases, according to Caroline. Not all improved waters are the same - to determine the amount of additional minerals, consult the nutrition facts panel.

"If it's something you want in your diet, look for around 20% daily value," adds Caroline. "If it's something you don't want in large quantities, you want it to be less than 5%." Bottled water typically contains only approximately 1% or 2% of a mineral's daily value, but it's a decent starting point for comparing different brands.

However, Caroline advocates receiving most of your vitamins and minerals from food rather than drink. Food will contain more and have a greater impact on your entire diet.

Do You Need Alkaline Water To Stay Healthy?

Alkaline water has a higher pH than regular water, which some feel helps balance our bodies or hydrates us more. Good news: your body is already adept at self-regulation and will make considerable efforts to preserve homeostasis even without adding alkaline water.

Is Water From The Tap Safe To Drink?

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While the FDA regulates bottled water, the EPA regulates tap water. Based on the Safe Drinking Water Act, the EPA has established criteria for pollutants in our water. These requirements differ from municipality to municipality. In general, the EPA states that tap water is safe to drink. If there are toxins in the water, towns will frequently advise citizens to boil or not drink their tap water.

"What should happen is that the municipality should say what's in it, and if it's unsafe, there should be an alert so you know something is going on," she explains.

However, scientists are learning more about PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds known as "forever chemicals" due to their persistence in the environment and possible danger. They've been connected to various health problems, including cancer, thyroid illness, high cholesterol, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and low birth weight.

According to research published in July by the US Geological Survey, nearly half of all tap water in the United States contains at least one kind of PFAS. Urban Americans are the most vulnerable.

According to the EPA, any detectable quantity of ISFAS is dangerous to ingest. Millions of people in other parts of the country, mainly in rural communities of colour, lack access to safe drinking water.

What You Need To Know About Drinking More Water

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Drinking adequate water regularly is crucial, and Caroline recommends making it a habit. Years ago, she began attaching her house keys to her water bottle with a carabiner so she would have to take it with her every time she left the house.

"Find something you do every day that you can incorporate water into," she suggests. "Adding a new habit is difficult, but adding a habit to an existing routine is less difficult."

This could mean always keeping a reusable water bottle in your car's cup holder or in the side pocket of your backpack.

It might be as simple as drinking a glass of water before idly perusing social media. Perhaps you could keep a full glass of water near your work-from-home workstation.

What do you think about it? Do let us know in the comments.

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