Distilled, Purified, Alkaline, and Mineral Water in the Spotlight
Even in drinking waters, the market offers us one whole wheel of variation of the “same” product to the point that we’re almost drowned with our choices we don’t really get to purchase based on important facts such as- what are they made from together with the benefits and the possible “harms” that included in such particular kind of water processing, anymore- instead, all that is presented to us are shallow forms of basis such as how “refreshed” you can also be based on the commercial actor’s reaction from his first gulp from that drinking bottle. Yay!
You see, what Panlasang Pinoy is trying to tell you is that, since water is a very significant part of our every day- it is much important that one must be knowledgeable on the kind of drinking water that he/she is choosing. For it is in these small options- that we take part in every day, which are capable of shaping the most significant part of our future’s state of health.
With that, here we have compiled a list of must-know information regarding the top available drinking waters in the country- starting from the basic facts, to their health-centered advantages and disadvantages to the consumers, and lastly, Panlasang Pinoy will be rating them- solely and objectively based on all the collected information we have gathered.
So, what are we waiting for? To enjoy best delicacies from chicken meals to desserts, let us now go and explore what’s the best water they should go along with! Here we go.
Top Must-Know Facts About Drinking Waters: Distilled, Purified, Alkaline, and Mineral
- Distilled Water– One of the first few things we would want to know is how distilled waters are generally processed. (The used term is “generally” because, of course, there are highly particular variations that each brand of distilled water are implementing within their water processing).
First, the preparation starts with separating the H2O (water) molecules from all the possible contaminants. These contaminants come in forms of either metals or minerals in inorganic form. Since the identified contaminants have a higher boiling point than water, only the water resulted from steaming process within the standard water boiling point (100 °C/212°F), are the steam that is captured and cooled- thereafter, the one that’s called as the “distilled water”.
Moreover, do you know that this distilled water is like the “mother-form” of all the other types of drinking waters? Well, this is how…
Despite the above water processing, there are still some impurities in the water which possess a lower boiling point than water molecules per se, which means that the produced distilled water that we have in the first processing part, still has some unwanted compounds in it. Hence, that is why there are additional purification methods that are implemented- and the variation among these “additional purification methods” is what identifies if the resulting water is a purified, alkaline, or mineral water.
ADVANTAGES:
- Absorbs as well as removes toxic substances
- Doesn’t smell like chlorine although has a “flat taste”.
- Prevents acquisition of possible unclean-water diseases.
- Eliminates some pathogen found normally in tap waters- including parasites, viruses, and bacteria.
- Removes heavy radioactive, unwanted organic and inorganic substances.
DISADVANTAGES:
- Eliminates naturally occurring minerals which are needed by the basic cellular functioning of the body.
- Has an acidic pH level- what the body requires for stabilized and efficient functioning is a slightly alkaline pH level.
- Might cause electrocyte imbalance due to removed minerals in the distillation process.
- The distillation process is not that energy-efficient.
- Regular consumers might acquire mineral deficiencies.
Panlasang Pinoy Rating:
4 out of 5- “Just Right”
- Purified Water- Among all the drinking waters here on the list, purified water is the one which undergoes the highest number of further purification method. In fact, the majority of these purified waters in the market uses up to 12 additional purification methods- mainly including deionization, reverse osmosis, and distillation.
For some degree, we could also identify distilled water as purified water- only that it’s purified water… on the making.
On the other hand, processing of many of the purified water is reported to consume less energy than the processing of distilled water.
ADVANTAGES:
- Cleaner than distilled water.
- There are absolutely no contaminants left in the resulting product.
- Many possible purification processes are available.
- Eliminates not only chlorine, iron, and even rust- but as well as particular kinds of bacteria that distilled water might have missed.
- Totally free of bacteria!
DISADVANTAGES:
- Might cause electrocyte imbalance that might affect the body’s proper functioning.
- Changes the water composition.
- Positive ions are left in the water which might cause losing energy when absorbed in the body.
Panlasang Pinoy Rating:
4.8 out of 5- What else on the list could ever be better?
- Alkaline Water- There are many claims that most of the individual’s lifestyle nowadays is deemed to be leading to the “acidic” side due to the kind preferred food and beverages of ours. Therefore, we are in need of the kind of water which could neutralize this not-so-good living of ours. The neutralization that alkaline water is capable of doing is the one that’s responsible with the detoxification of the body within the cellular level- that’s detoxification at the deepest level, bro!
With alkaline water in the scene, less energy is needed for the body to perform such a critical function of neutralization.
Also, do you know that high mineral content is almost the same as “alkaline water” defined? Indeed!
ADVANTAGES:
- Balances pH within the cellular level.
- Causes the individual to be more energetic.
- Incorporates a better and much-balanced lifestyle inside out!
- Improves the rate of healing.
- Safe for children since no additional chemicals are being added.
- Prevents experiencing acid reflux.
- Helps people seemingly age “slower” because of the elimination of toxic substances and other harmful chemicals.
DISADVANTAGES:
- Is still not capable of fully changing the stomach pH- therefore excess stomach acids could possibly be negated but stomach’s pH remains as acidic as originally it is.
- Can lead to the development of minor gastrointestinal issues.
- Can cause some forms of skin irritations.
- Development of metabolic alkalosis is possible and could further lead to vomiting, hand tremors/muscle twitching, and a tingled sense in some parts of the face.
Panlasang Pinoy Rating:
4.8 out of 5- What else on the list could ever be better?
- Mineral Water- Mineral water, as the name suggests, is infused with different minerals- are gathered from mineral springs. Mineral springs produce water which has gone through various layers of earth which in itself gives us the hint with regard to the many possible minerals which could be found in it.
Ions which could be originally found in from mineral springs are potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sodium. These minerals are added up with another set based on the chosen process by a specific brand- vitamins could also be included.
ADVANTAGES:
- Helps the supplementation of certain needed minerals which cannot be found in tap or even other kinds of processed waters.
- Increases the level of minerals and vitamins in your body that could help you perform better.
- Can be 4 times better in terms of minerals and vitamins that it could even serve as a temporary supplementation for one’s diet.
- Helpful for pregnant women and even sick people who are in need of an additional source of nutrients such as those that are added within this drinking water.
DISADVANTAGES:
Is good only for “supplementing” but not totally replacing the other sources for acquiring the nutrients that your body needs.
You could be getting “more” than what is advertised.
Panlasang Pinoy Rating:
4.9 out of 5- Heh, just when purified and alkaline thinks they’re the best…
The rating that we have used here is undeniably still subjected to a certain form of bias- still the best way to identify what kind of water is best for you is to first identify what is it that you really need: Are you experiencing acid reflux? Are you in need of additional vitamins and minerals? Ask yourself inquiries such as those. Again, since we are within different conditions which require us to go for a different kind of water- we ask you to acknowledge these Panlasang Pinoy Rating of us with a grain of salt.
We hope that you’ll choose your drinking water- and all the other health-concerning foods and beverages you need for every day the cautiousness and may you not be swayed with just what seems to be “popular”.
Remember that as Marcus Valerius Martialis states it: Life is not just about on merely surviving or keeping ‘alive’, rather it’s about being well which really makes life, living.
References:
Alkaline Water Plus. (2019). Why & How Alkaline Water Works. [online] Available at: https://www.alkalinewaterplus.com/blog/why-how-alkaline-water-works/ [Accessed 14 Mar. 2019].
Keep Fit Kingdom. (2019). 5 Pros and Cons of Drinking Distilled Water! – Keep Fit Kingdom. [online] Available at: https://keepfitkingdom.com/5-pros-and-cons-of-drinking-distilled-water/ [Accessed 14 Mar. 2019].
Phox Water. (2019). What are the Pros and Cons of Alkaline Water?. [online] Available at: https://www.phoxwater.com/blogs/water/pros-cons-of-alkaline-water [Accessed 14 Mar. 2019].
ALL ABOUT WATER FILTERS. (2019). Distilled Water vs. Mineral Water vs. Purified Water –
Santevia Water Systems USA Store. (2019). Types of Water: Ionized, Zero, Mineral, Spring, Distilled, Alkaline. [online] Available at: HTTPS://WWW.SANTEVIA.COM/BLOG/TYPES-OF-WATER-IONIZED-ZERO-MINERAL-SPRING-DISTILLED-ALKALINE/ [Accessed 14 Mar. 2019].
DrinkMore Water. (2019). Types of Water. [online] Available at: https://www.drinkmorewater.com/types-of-water [Accessed 14 Mar. 2019].