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    Water used to be just water, tap water to be precise, now you have so many different options! Let’s see if I can help you make sense of it!

    Roxane Melancon • Aug 16, 2019

    When I was growing up there was only one type of water that we drank, tap water!  We didn’t wonder if it was good or bad for you, that’s what we had. Of course, I remember that on special occasion my mother would buy some sparkling water or club soda but nothing like the options that we have today.

    I guess my first question would be, is our tap water safe to drink?  I have done some research and in Canada and specifically in the Toronto GTA areas, the tap water is safe to drink.  Tap water is regulated by Health Canada and the provinces and territories.  The guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality spell out the maximum levels of potentially harmful substances that are allowed in drinking water.  Municipalities test their water sources constantly to make sure they are within these limits.

      Is Our Water Safe to Drink?

      Toronto test water samples every four to six hours and checks for more than 300 potential chemical contaminants¹.   The City of Vaughan, where I currently reside and have my wellness centre collect close to 2,000 microbiological samples each year, which is more than the 1,596 required by the Ministry. Samples are also analyzed for physical, chemical and inorganic parameters. The samples are representative of the entire distribution system and are collected across the city. ² So we should feel confident to drink our tap water.  But some people are still concerned; they don’t like the fact that we have hard water or that there is acceptable level of chlorine added or they just don’t like the taste, which is OK because we have other alternatives now.

      Let’s talk about all the different options we have:

      • Bottled
        • Filtered/Reverse Osmosis
        • Sparkling
        • Spring
      • Alkaline (Kangen)
      • Flavoured or Nutrient Added Water

      What are the differences and is there some pros and cons about them?

      Bottled water comes in different varieties:

      • Distilled
      • Purified
      • Spring

      Distilled water tends to be much cleaner than other types of water, with the distillation process being more effective than conventional filtration systems for water purification, it will remove all minerals and salt by the process of reverse osmosis and distillation. However, a negative factor regarding distilled water is the lack of healthy minerals typically found in other types of water, it can cause mineral deficiencies because it is devoid of all salts and most of the natural minerals in the water are gone as a result of this process. Drinking this water may cause a rapid sodium, potassium, chloride, and magnesium loss.

      Reverse osmosis or deionized water is where unwanted impurities are eliminated through the removal of mineral ions.   It is very similar to distilled water in that the nutrients that are beneficial to the body, like calcium are also removed during the purification process.  It would also be considered to have more acidity in it, which could exacerbate certain conditions like acid reflux or even digestive issues.

      Spring water  is the most recognizable type and you can find iteverywhere, like in your local convenience or grocery stores? There is a multitude of brands and what it means is that they claim that the source of the water is from an underground formation where the water naturally flows to the earth’s surface. Spring water like alkaline water may also contain more beneficial nutrients like calcium, potassium and fluoride, which would also affect the taste.

      Alkaline water is water that has a PH balance more than 7, what does that mean for us? Pure water/tap water is considered to have a PH of 7.   So, we understand what the difference is let’s define what PH is, it is a measure of acidity and alkalinity.   Lower number than 7 indicate increasing acidity and higher numbers would indicate increase alkalinity. Alkaline water is richer in alkaline base minerals such as Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium and trace minerals such as Copper, Manganese, Iron and negative oxidation reduction potential. On a side note, here is a little known fact for people that wonder what Kangen water is, it’s alkaline water, it is a brand name that was created by the manufacturer of the water system; Enagic Corporation®, nothing else!  If you are looking for an Ionizer water system, there is a lot of options out there that are as reliable and more affordable than Kangen, but that would be another topic by itself!

      Now the latest fad, flavoured or nutrient-added water . It’s appealing for giving plain, bottled water a little taste plus some added vitamins and minerals, just be careful and read the nutrition content/label carefully as some of them may have more sugar content than pop and be wary as it contains calories.

      What do I do with all this information? Was it helpful?

      I hope so, but at the end of the day, here are my thoughts on the subject? We need water to live, main focus is to make sure that you stay hydrated and to ensure you drink enough water on a regular basis, now the amount of water you need will vary by individuals and will also depend on your eating habits. Choosing tap, bottled, filtered, alkaline, reverse osmosis, Kangen, flavored or nutrient-added water is a matter of beliefs, taste, convenience and price, not necessarily health related. While you may have a preference for which type of water is best, generally, there’s no one type that promises greater health benefits than the others. So long as you drink clean and safe water, regular amount, not in excess of one type vs. another you will be fine!

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