What Are The Differences between Mineral Water And Purified Water?

Purified water, as the name suggests, is pure water, almost free of impurities. An important criterion for measuring purified water is its conductivity (i.e., the water's ability to conduct electricity). The more impurity ions in the water, the greater its conductivity (the H+ and OH- ions from the self-ionization of water can also conduct electricity).

 

Distilled water, which we often refer to, is purified water produced by distillation. Drinking purified water refers to water that uses water conforming to the hygienic standards for drinking water as the source water, and is processed using distillation, deionization, ion exchange, reverse osmosis, and other appropriate processing methods to remove minerals, organic components, harmful impurities, and microorganisms. It is directly drinkable water without any additives (except ozone).

 

1. Purified water is made from sources such as rivers, lakes, and tap water, using processing techniques such as distillation, electrodialysis, ion exchange, and reverse osmosis. It undergoes complex and deep purification procedures to achieve sterility and purity.

 

2. Mineral water is natural underground mineral water that flows naturally from deep underground or is artificially exposed and is uncontaminated. Under normal circumstances, the chemical composition, flow rate, and water temperature of mineral water are relatively stable within the range of natural fluctuations.

 

3. The common point between mineral water and purified water is safety and hygiene. The biggest difference is the content of mineral elements. Purified water removes various elements in the water to the greatest extent, retaining only water molecules. While removing harmful substances, it also removes beneficial substances; while mineral water retains some substances and trace elements in the water to a certain extent. So, will long-term consumption of purified water lead to trace element deficiency? Since the amount of trace elements the human body obtains from drinking water is very small, as long as a balanced diet is maintained in daily life, regardless of the type of drinking water consumed, there will be no trace element deficiency. Mineral water and purified water should be consumed in combination.

 

While purified water removes harmful impurities from the water, it also removes almost all trace elements and minerals that are beneficial to the human body. It not only fails to supplement the body with beneficial trace elements and minerals, but also, due to its strong ability to dissolve various trace elements, compounds, and nutrients, drinking it will dissolve trace elements in the body and expel them, causing an imbalance of substances in the body. If not replenished promptly, this can lead to illness. Therefore, drinking water is not necessarily better the purer it is. Natural mineral water contains many trace elements and minerals needed by the human body, and after multi-stage initial filtration, fine filtration, and sterilization, it is suitable for drinking. Mineral water can prevent some diseases and has certain health benefits. Because astronauts drank this type of water early on, it is also called space water.

 

Appropriate consumption of purified water by healthy individuals can help with microcirculation, but it is not suitable for long-term consumption. This is because it not only removes bacteria, viruses, pollutants, and other impurities from the water, but also removes beneficial trace elements and minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, which are almost completely removed. Therefore, long-term consumption can affect the body's electrolyte and acid-base balance, affecting nerve, muscle, and various enzyme activities, especially in the elderly and children. If nutrients and calcium are not replenished in time, it can easily lead to nutritional deficiencies and calcium deficiency. For people who are not overweight, long-term consumption of purified water is not recommended. Mineral water and purified water should be consumed in combination. Many consumers have this question: mineral water and purified water have similar color and taste, so what are the differences between them? Which type of water is more beneficial to the human body?

 

The common point of mineral water and purified water is that they are safe and hygienic. The biggest difference is the content of mineral elements. Purified water removes various elements in the water to the greatest extent, retaining only water molecules. While removing harmful substances, it also removes beneficial substances; while mineral water retains some substances and trace elements in the water to a certain extent.

 

So, will long-term consumption of purified water lead to trace element deficiency? Since the amount of trace elements the human body obtains from drinking water is only a very small amount, as long as a balanced diet is maintained in daily life, regardless of the type of drinking water consumed, trace element deficiency will not occur.