Reverse osmosis is a very popular water filtration system that many people rely on for their drinking water needs. It helps take out contaminants to ensure water remains safe. The end result is is similar to what you find in bottled water. Despite being so advantageous, many experts still raise concerns over the reverse osmosis feature. You have to make sure that reverse osmosis does not remove the minerals that the body requires.
Is Reverse Osmosis water safe?
The Reverse Osmosis system is effective in getting rid of more contaminants than any other water treatment method. For example, the reverse osmosis system helps remove lead, sodium, chlorine, fluoride, and other minerals.
If you have biological or inherited issues with any of the compounds that the reverse osmosis system helps eradicate, then it can even potentially save your life. However, one downside of the reverse osmosis system is that while all of the unwanted contaminants vanish, it also removes 90 percent of the minerals in the water.
Before you begin discounting the reverse osmosis system, it is important to remember that water is not the only source of your daily minerals. However, there are many concerning aspects of drinking water. For instance, minerals such as lead, chromium, arsenic, and other heavy metals and chemicals can be detrimental for your health.
On the flip side, 90 percent of minerals that reverse osmosis removes can produce health risks in the long term. While the science is still out, experts say that a lack of minerals in the water can also harm the body.
According to a study, a person’s diet cannot compensate for the decreased mineral intake from water consumption. In other words, the lack of essential minerals such as calcium in the water can make you deficient over time.
Solutions
You are then stuck with a decision. Do you risk your health by avoiding reverse osmosis water and letting unwanted chemicals and contaminants enter your body? Or do you continue relying on the reverse osmosis system and compromise on your chances of being deficient.
If a lack of minerals is a big concern for you, then there are other solutions that you can resort to. One of the solutions involves remineralization filters. These filters infuse your water with the specific minerals you require.
Therefore, you can install a remineralization filter and run the water through it after it flows through the reverse osmosis system. This will help make your water healthy for consumption after it has undergone ultrafiltration by the reverse osmosis system. However, this is not as simple as it seems since adding the minerals back in the water may affect its PH levels and oxidation rates.
Verdict
To simply put it, drinking reverse osmosis water is indeed the healthier choice. If you believe that retaining minerals is very important, then this shouldn’t mean that you should give up on the RO system. You have to keep in mind that retaining minerals in your water will not fulfill your daily mineral requirements regardless.
This is because water is not the primary source of your mineral intake. Overall, by not drinking reverse osmosis water, you will be doing more harm than good, as it exposes harmful particles such as lead, arsenic, and others to your body.
