Demineralized Water

Aelyssa1989
Aelyssa1989 Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm not sure where I've heard this.. and I can't find any credible sources to tell me whether it is true or not.

Is demineralized water bad for you? From what I've read - because it has no minerals, it will actually leech minerals from your body causing you to excreet them, therefore actually dehydrating you. Long term it's very bad for you.

Water cooler water only has the option of demineralized water for the office where I work. A couple types of bottled water I've looked at are purified and then remineralized. I don't want to spend lots of money on bottled water if I can drink the stuff at work for free. But if it's not really helping me, i'll buythe bottled remineralized water.

Does anyone have any credible information on this?

Replies

  • JJMorrocco
    JJMorrocco Posts: 43 Member
    By far not an expert here, but I would think you get enough minerals form other sources if not in your water.

    I have a distiller at home and pretty much all I drink is distilled water. I clean it once a year and am disgusted by what is removed from the city water.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    I haven't seen much hard evidence for those claims. We do get about 10% to 20 of our dietary magnesium & calcium from water, so drinking demineralized water will reduce your total mineral intake by that much - and that could cause health problems if you don't eat healthy.

    Here is a (very long) WHO report that appears to support the claims in your post:
    http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutrientschap12.pdf

    Keep in mind that all the negative effects he cites can be accounted for by the simple reduction in dietary intake of minerals. You'd probably get the same effects if you reduced minerals from food instead of water.

    Also, he admits that the human studies cited are old and "may not meet current methodological criteria".

    The bottom line is if you eat an unhealthy diet low in magnesium & calcium, and high in sodium, then you probably shouldn't drink demineralized water.. or if you do, at least take a multi-mineral supplement.

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