Water is definitely the body’s lubricant. But is it also a source of nutrition? Do you need the minerals found in most tap water? This is a myth widely propagated. There are at least 4 reasons why you don’t need the minerals found in water.
- The minerals are not in a form useable by the body. Consider how the minerals got into the water. Pure rain water falls to the ground and dissolves some minerals found in the soil and in rock. Humans and animals are not designed to get minerals from rocks. You can suck on a rock that has calcium, but you won’t get much benefit. Instead, humans and animals get their minerals from plants … and from animals that themselves have gotten their minerals from plants. These minerals are called “bioavailable”, or “chelated.” They come from an organic form. Look at the ingredients on any good mineral supplement, for example, and it will say that it’s from “calcium citrate” or some other organic form. Basically, eat a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables and nuts and meats, because this is where we get minerals. Dr. Andrew Weil says this, “We get our minerals from food, not water.”
- Some minerals in water are harmful. All minerals are not good for you. There are many parts of the country that have high levels of arsenic or nitrates, which have both been linked to many different forms of cancer.
- Minerals in the water are often mixed with other chemicals. There are over 85,000 chemicals registered with the EPA, and an increasing amount are being found in our water supplies. So even if you could get good minerals from water, it would be like dropping a vitamin on the ground and getting it all dirty before you take it. You simply don’t know what other bad stuff is in the water.
- Mineral quantities found in water are too small to benefit you. Anyone who still thinks that they want minerals in their water has to consider that they would have to drink a ridiculous amount of water to get anywhere close to the recommended Dietary Allowance of minerals in their diet. If you live in Boston, for example, you’d have to drink over 650 glasses of water each day just to meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance. This view is backed up by The American Medical Journal that states, “The body’s need for minerals is largely met through foods, not drinking water.”