Drinking reverse osmosis water? Sure, but only with minerals! This is probably the thought of consumers who want to mineralize their ultrapure filtered drinking water. Here's everything you need to know about mineralized water.
Mineralizing osmosis water – why exactly?
1. It protects against corrosion: Reverse osmosis water is extremely pure, and its solvency is correspondingly very high. When this particularly pure water comes into contact with base metals in appliances, these corrode more quickly. This also applies to fittings.
2. It provides additional minerals: Unlike tap water, osmosis water is virtually free of minerals. This is best illustrated by an example: In Berlin, an osmosis system reduces the number of dissolved substances in the water from approximately 700 µS to around 35-70 µS*, i.e. by approximately 90-95%. A reverse osmosis process therefore also removes a large portion of the minerals. However, this point raises a question: Aren't minerals important for health? That's true in principle, but minerals/nutrients are usually absorbed through a balanced diet, not through drinking water. Nevertheless, there are situations in which mineralized water can additionally help meet a possibly higher mineral requirement. This is the case, for example, for competitive athletes and pregnant women, as well as in cases of an unbalanced diet (e.g., strict diets) or physical dysfunction.
*µS (microSiemens) quantifies electrical conductivity. Only charged ions in water conduct electricity; pure H2O does not. Other analogous units are TDS (total dissolved solids) or ohms (electrical resistance).
3. It could prevent over-acidification: Another reason for mineralizing reverse osmosis water is the belief of some people that reverse osmosis water, which is slightly acidic due to its purity, promotes over-acidification (acidosis). They then attempt to neutralize this over-acidification with mineralization and thus raise the pH again. However, physiologists doubt such a connection.
4. It's good for vitalizing: Scientific research, however, shows that extremely low-mineralized water is more difficult to vitalize. Researchers suspect that the minerals form the "core" for harmonious structures. Too few cores therefore offer little opportunity for well-structured water.
5. It tastes better: Last but not least, some people prefer remineralized water because of its taste.
6. In coffee connoisseur circles, certain amounts of calcium and magnesium are desired in otherwise absolutely pure water for the "perfect espresso." Manual addition of these substances is suitable here.
7. It provides your fish with nutrients: It's not just humans who benefit from mineralized osmosis water. Some fish species prefer specific water parameters, which can be precisely adjusted using pure osmosis water and the addition of minerals. This is why mineralized water is particularly useful for aquariums.
Does osmosis water need to be mineralized for drinking?
No, it's optional and not required for health reasons. Water's primary function is to transport nutrients throughout the body; it's not a primary source of minerals. In summary, remineralizing (reverse) osmosis water is especially beneficial for you if you:
- want to improve the taste of your osmosis water
- have a greatly increased need for minerals for certain reasons
- eat an unbalanced diet or follow strict diets
- own an aquarium and want to determine the water values yourself
Mineralized osmosis water no longer evaporates without leaving residue. Therefore, when used with kitchen utensils, minor water stains and limescale deposits may occur.
How do I mineralize my drinking water?
Consuming reverse osmosis water mineralizes itself to a certain degree when it comes into contact with food in the stomach. Nevertheless, there are various ways to artificially mineralize your reverse osmosis water. We'll introduce you to the two most popular methods here.
Mineralize with mineral concentrate
A mineral concentrate is a balanced combination of minerals and trace elements. With such a concentrate, it's important to ensure that the minerals are of plant origin. These are microscopically small and negatively charged, allowing them to penetrate cell walls unhindered. Compared to inorganic minerals, they are more easily absorbed by the intestines.
Coral calcium is also available as a fine powder to be sprinkled into drinking water or as so-called colloid solutions, which are mainly used for structuring.
Mineralize with remineralization cartridge
This is the simplest method for mineralizing your osmosis water if you already own a reverse osmosis system. Water remineralized in this way has an ionizing effect due to the special composition of minerals in the cartridge, thus counteracting over-acidification in the body.
What minerals does mineralized osmosis water contain?
Depending on the type of mineralization, different minerals can be present in osmosis water. In this section, we'll explain what these minerals are and their most important functions in the body. Please note, however: The amount of minerals generally absorbed through drinking water is very small compared to the daily requirement. In remineralized osmosis water, these minerals therefore have a structuring rather than a nourishing function!
Mineral ... Functions
Magnesium ... communication between nerve and muscle cells, formation of bones and teeth, cardiovascular system.
Calcium ... formation of bones and teeth, blood clotting, muscle contraction, energy metabolism.
Chromium ... carbohydrate utilization, fat metabolism, lowering of cholesterol levels.
Copper ... formation of hemoglobin, cellular respiration (energy production of cells with oxygen), electron transport.
Iron ... cellular respiration, blood formation, maintenance of healthy skin and hair.
Manganese ... component of enzymes, formation of connective tissue, cartilage and bones, metabolic processes.
Selenium ... Maintains thyroid and immune system function, protects cells from oxidative stress.
Zinc ... cell growth, wound healing, involved in metabolism.
Mineralize water for the aquarium
Mineralizing reverse osmosis water for aquariums is very common and also makes sense: Since many fish species cannot tolerate hard water, using reverse osmosis water is a good idea in the first place. However, in addition to the pollutants, the water also loses important minerals that sensitive fish and aquatic plants need to survive. For some exotic fish species, it is even necessary to meticulously recreate the natural composition of the water of their origin. To achieve the desired values, it is necessary to specifically mineralize the aquarium water. This process is known in the aquarium hobby as "salination" and is much more precise than mixing reverse osmosis water with tap water. With this method, the aquarium owner retains full control over their water parameters.
Conclusion
Reverse osmosis water is excellent, ultrapure water and requires no post-treatment. However, subsequent mineralization for specific reasons, such as unusual taste, use in gourmet coffee (baristas), pH raising, or use for special aquarium requirements, is easily possible. Both manual mineral addition and a special remineralization cartridge are suitable for this purpose.
