Does it matter what water we drink? A comparison of tap water, filtered water, and Kangen water.
Being hydrated is important for so many aspects of our health, but do you feel like no matter how much you drink, you’re still thirsty? So you drink more, and end up feeling bloated, and still not hydrated?
We need to drink water for digestion, temperature regulation, removal of waste, hormone production, blood pressure regulation, and much more. Our blood plasma is over 90% water and our bodies are over 55% water.
But all water is not the same, so it’s worth considering the quality of the water you drink, not just how much.
Let’s compare different types of water to see if it matters what water we drink.
Tap water
In its most basic form, water is a molecule of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. But depending on where you live and what your water is treated with, tap water can contain many different chemicals.
These can include:
Calcium, sodium, and other trace minerals
Chlorine, which is typically added as a disinfectant and to kill bacteria
Fluoride, which is added for dental health
Heavy metals like lead or copper, which can enter the water from older plumbing
Nitrates and phosphates from agricultural runoff
Contaminants that may find their way into our tap water supply can include E.coli and giardia, which can cause gastrointestinal illness. Local governments monitor the water supply for these harmful contaminants.
Tap water typically has a neutral pH of around 7, meaning it is neither acidic nor alkaline.
Water filters
Many people choose to filter their water to remove some of these additional chemicals, and to improve the taste. A traditional water filter will remove chlorine, fluoride, heavy metals and any dirt or sand that may be present. Traditional water filters work in several different ways; they filter the water through a membrane to remove particles and sediment, and use chemical filtration which removes chemicals by attracting them like a magnet to a porous substance, often activated carbon.
Alkaline Water
Some water filtration systems take the further step of separating the water into acidic and alkaline water. This removes hydrogen ions from some of the water to make it more alkaline, also known as increasing the pH, and adds hydrogen ions to some of the water to make it more acidic, also known as decreasing the pH.
> pH is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution
> pH is measured on a scale from 1 to 14, with 1 being very acidic and 14 being very alkaline.
This allows you to drink alkaline water, and use the acidic water for other purposes such as cleaning.
The benefits of drinking alkaline water come from its antioxidant properties.
To understand why this is beneficial, let’s first understand what free radicals are:
Free radicals are unstable molecules that are produced by many normal processes in the body, and also as a result of stress, smoking, alcohol consumption, excessive exercise, and poor diet. These unstable molecules cause inflammation and damage cells in the body. Under normal circumstances, our body is able to counteract these negative effects with antioxidants, which are found fairly widely in foods. However, in times of chronic stress, our production of free radicals outpaces our ability to neutralise them with antioxidants. This is known as oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress may be involved in the development of several diseases in humans, and studies have shown beneficial effects of molecular hydrogen intake on these diseases.
There are many antioxidants, including vitamin C and E, zinc, and selenium. They’re found in fruits and vegetables, nuts, and dark chocolate. However, our body doesn’t store them efficiently or in large amounts, so it’s recommended to have some sources of antioxidants every day.
Kangen water
Kangen water is a type of alkaline water, produced by an Enagic water filter. The way this filter works is to first filter the water to remove chlorine and sediments, while retaining beneficial minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
The water then undergoes electrolysis where the water is split into alkaline and acidic streams.
In the alkaline stream, the hydrogen atoms gain electrons to form H2, or molecular hydrogen, which makes it alkaline. This stream becomes hydrogen-rich drinking water with a pH of 8-10. This water is a rich source of antioxidants due to its molecular hydrogen content.
In the acidic stream, the hydrogen ions lose electrons to form O2, making it acidic.
Types of water at a glance
> Tap water has had basic filtration to remove contaminants, and has a neutral-slightly acidic pH of 7. It has low antioxidant activity. It may contain fluoride, chlorine, and other chemicals.
> Filtered water has had sediment, heavy metals, fluoride, and chlorine removed. Depending on the filter it may retain beneficial minerals such as calcium. It has a neutral pH of 7 and low antioxidant activity.
> Kangen water has been filtered to remove sediments, heavy metals, and other chemicals. It has been separated into alkaline and acidic streams, and the alkaline water may be beneficial to health due to its antioxidant content, which comes from molecular hydrogen.
So you can see that water can vary widely in what it contains, and what health benefits it may have, so it’s important to choose the best quality water available to us. Drinking enough water every day is so important, not just for our overall health but for feeling well and energised.