Mineral water health benefits are out of this world. Well, its from under the surface of the earth to be exact. We get brainwashed through the media to eat junk food and pretty much DGAF about what we drink. However, the difference between large medical bills, and staying healthy naturally, requires a few simple changes. This includes drinking clean mineral water wherever possible.
Especially while traveling, it is easy to gain a few extra kilos because you’re away from home, trying out interesting foods, and exercise less than usual. Plus, if you are in a cold region you’ll automatically have the winter appetite. Thus you have to be more selective in what drinks you consume. To stay fit, healthy and in-shape, mineral water and its wide range of health benefits, is the perfect solution.
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Truth about Tap water
We are told often that tap water is drinkable. But for the health conscious consumer, drinkable and healthy are two different things. Tap water gets processed at municipal water treatment plants. Chemicals are usually added to improve water clarity, kill bacteria, and often also as a form of unsolicited medication (Sodium-Fluoride – which is also used as an insecticide). Gradually more people are waking up to the reality that tap water isn’t safe simply because your authorities say so.
The solution is to drink mineral water, or buy purified water (e.g. reverse osmosis). Although tap water in different cities are of varying quality, it’s not good enough to simply use a chlorine filter. There is more in the water than only chlorine.
The Problem with Other Drinks
In this article, we don’t only tell you why to drink more mineral water, but below, we also explain what drinks to avoid like a plague.
Got Juice?
No thanks. Juice contains a lot of fruit sugar without having the same nutritional equivalent of normal fresh whole fruit. It leads to weight gain. Thus, never drink packaged fruit juice.
Other Bad Drinking Habits
1. Sodas are even worse than packaged juices. Carbonated beverages contain:
- Sugar and/or artificial sweeteners
- Harmful chemicals in general
- Zero natural vitamins & minerals
- An acidic pH, harmful to tooth enamel
- It’s made with tap water, which generally isn’t a clean source of hydration.
2. Instant Coffee:
- Contains sugar and/or harmful artificial sweeteners.
- Coffee beans get processed into the instant soluble powder, thus nutritional value is lost, and chemicals are added during processing. Rather stick to freshly-ground coffee beans to maximize nutritional value. Plus don’t add milk nor sugar.
3. Milkshakes are terrible. Though it could be made in a healthier way with e.g. raw grass-fed dairy.
4. Alcoholic drinks add toxins to your body (unless it’s e.g. organic wine and one glass at a time).
Dangers of Sparkling Water
Don’t for a moment now think that ALL mineral water is good for you. Artificially carbonated mineral water contains an acid, namely Carbonic Acid. This is harmful to your tooth enamel. Thus, if you continuously drink sparkling water throughout the day, you may get sensitive teeth due to tooth enamel damage. The dentists and their reactive solutions will now sell you a “toothpaste for sensitive teeth”. However, typical of reactive and idiotic medical professionals, the underlying cause – carbonic acid – gets ignored.
Thus, always drink Still mineral water, instead of sparkling. If I absolutely had to drink sparkling water, I’d choose a naturally carbonated water, instead of artificial carbonation. As an added tip, check the pH level if it’s visible on the label of the bottled water. Specifically be very careful of sparkling water with a low pH. Generally, carbonated water will have an acidic pH of around 3 to 5. If you aren’t familiar with pH levels – anything below 7 is acidic, while 7 is neutral, and 8 or higher is alkaline.
Healthy Drink Exceptions
Apart from mineral water, the only healthy drink exceptions are:
- Freshly-made green juice.
- Freshly squeezed grapefruit juice for its weight-loss benefits.
- Whole fruit or vegetable smoothies, which contain a lot of fibre.
- Fresh coconut water.
- Tea, without refined sugar. If you need a sweetener, add honey or pure stevia instead.
Each region of the world has it’s unique tea blends, with plenty of health benefits. For example Chinese Green tea, Argentinian Yerba Mate, Ecuadorian Guayusa, Moroccan Mint tea, Russian Black tea, South African Rooibos and Turkish Pomegranate tea. Or simply Kombucha – a modern favorite.
With all the above examples, there’s no pasteurization and the vitamins are still intact. However, if the juice was packed months ago, it contains much less vitamins and your basically buying water with fruit sugar. Thus, avoid.
The Mineral Water Solution
The solution is to always have a bottle of Still pure mineral water with you while traveling. These bottles can be bought at supermarkets for cheap. Make sure what you are buying is explicitly called mineral water, and that you are not buying bottled tap water (what a waste of packaging). If you always have mineral water with you, you won’t get thirsty, and you’re less likely to drink anything unhealthy.
Dangers of Plastic Bottles
It’s good to be concerned about the very real problem of plastic pollution. Thus when you can, rather buy your mineral water in glass bottles. Glass is more environmentally-friendly than plastic.
Moreover, new research tells us that plastic bottles can leech chemicals such as Bisphenol A (BPA) and micro-plastic particles into the mineral water. Since glass is a pure nonporous substance, this is impossible with glass bottles. On the other hand, plastic is porous. Thus, caring for the environment by avoiding plastic, also translates to caring better for yourself.
However, while traveling, since tap-water is unsafe, a plastic bottle of mineral water may be the only safe drinking water option available. It’s not always possible to avoid plastic, but in general an effort can be made to reduce single-use plastic container usage.
When I’m Home
In my own case, whenever I’m home, I fill up water in reusable containers at a local free mineral water spring. Obviously this is much harder while traveling.
Either way, read the label on the bottle, and be sure to not purchase mineral water which contains added Sodium-Fluoride. South-American cities like Buenos Aires are forcing fluoride toxic “medication” on consumers by adding sodium-fluoride chemicals even to bottled mineral water.
I avoid sodium-fluoride in my drinking water whenever I can, and have not had any cavities all these past years. This is since the time I’ve started to avoid Fluoridated water.
General Benefits To Travel With Pure Water
- When you visit restaurants or takeaway cafes, only buy food, as you already have your bottle of mineral water with you. It’s stingy, but helpful for budget traveling.
- Interesting types of mineral water are available in different regions. Such as naturally (not artificially) carbonated mineral water at Vichy mineral springs in central France. As well as mineral-rich spring water at the mineral springs of Georgia or Russia.
- You’re likely to drink more water than you otherwise would, by keeping a bottle of clean water with you all the time. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends 3.7 liters of fluids per day for adult males, and 2.7 litres for females. Some foods (e.g. fruit) help boost daily fluid intake. Of course, keep in mind that drinking too much water can also be dangerous. However, if you walk around a lot while traveling, especially in Summer, you need more water than usual. Thus, it could be extremely hard to drink too much water.
- By drinking more water, you are speeding up your metabolism thus improving your physical appearance.
- If you drink more clean water, you gradually kill your desire for other unhealthy drinks.
Nature provided mineral water to ensure your optimum health. We discuss this further in the next paragraph.
Health Benefits Of Mineral Water
- The minerals in Mineral water are necessary for your mental health. In Portugal, they have found Lithium in their Mineral water, which boosts mental health if consumed in a natural form (2). The reason so many people are on anti-depressants nowadays, is because tap water and junk food are depleted of naturally occurring minerals. On the other hand, essential minerals for mental health do occur in mineral water.
- Calcium in Mineral water leads to healthier bones than you’re likely to have if you drink tap water. A study (3) found the bio-availability of Calcium in Calcium-rich mineral water to be at least equal to, or potentially even better than in dairy products.
- Magnesium-rich mineral water helps prevent heart disease, high blood pressure and Atherosclerosis (hardening & narrowing of arteries).
- Naturally occurring fluoride in mineral water helps with healthier teeth. Take note, that we see artificial “industrial” water fluoridation as destructive to teeth, thus beneficial to your local dentist’s fat pockets. But NATURAL fluoride is good for dental health.
- Mineral water is a calorie-free way to quench thirst. As a further healthy habit, specifically drink a glass or two before every meal. This’ll help you feel a little more full, and eat less food.
- Some mineral waters may improve digestion, due to the presence of natural sulphates.
- Mineral water contains Potassium (K) – a versatile nutrient with benefits such as optimizing nerve function and keeping the brain healthy.
- You’ll be detoxing while you travel by walking a lot, drinking clean water, and sweating (in Summer) or urinating it all out again (in Winter).
- Drinking water helps your body break down food in your digestive system, combatting constipation, sluggish metabolism, bad nutrient absorption, and so on.
Conclusion – Mineral Water Health Benefits
Mineral water contains essential natural trace minerals. Instead of consuming sodas and processed fruit juice, remember that nature provided mineral water for your hydration needs. Consume only the purest liquid sources. In this way, the water you drink will boost your health. This is as opposed to regular tap water that wrecks your health. Unless you live in a country like Finland or Sweden with clean tap water.
What is your favorite health-centric drink while traveling? Or even better, what’s your favorite brand of mineral water? Perhaps you get clean water at a local well, instead. Either way, post your questions, suggestions and thoughts in the comment section below!
Sample some of the finest mineral waters in the world over at Amazon. However, take the recommendations of this article into account and opt for (a) glass bottles, and (b) Still mineral water.