The Healthiest Water To Drink (for you): Learn To Make The Best Decision

Out of all the water in this world, only about 3% is fresh and only 1% is actually accessible to us as drinking water. This water comes under many forms and different compositions. Not to mention there’s an increasingly dizzying amount of fancy new “healthy” water types on the market. It gets really confusing to figure out which is the healthiest water to drink.

Roughly speaking, any type of water will be good for you, just so long as it’s clean and free from impurities and contaminants (small miracle, these days).

But I think that for most people, what we really want to know are things like: “tap or bottled”, “what purification system is better”, “what exactly IS the difference between ionized, alkaline, reverse osmosis, what-have-you-new-fancy-top-of-the-line gizmo??” and “is it worth the (often times) ridiculous price tag?”.

Below I’ll try to give you some basic information about the different types of drinking water and the most common water purification methods available.

Hopefully you’ll be able to get a better idea of the “types” of water out there and which ones would be more suitable for you (and your wallet). Also, which ones would work best for your lifestyle and concerns, because – (FYI) it’s complicated!

What is the healthiest water to drink? (the common sense answer)

First and foremost, the healthiest water to drink is any water that’s clean and free from contaminants. Period.

Those contaminants can be anything from microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, parasites), to heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, radioactive substances, chlorine, sulfates, man-made contamination of any kind, to even too high a level of dissolved natural minerals (aka the hardness level of the water in any particular area).

This in theory is all very good, but the world is such that it’s also increasingly harder to find naturally. We’re filling the Earth with all kinds of toxins and it all shows up in our food supply and drinking water, sooner or later.

The healthiest water to drink is also the one that’s most suited to your individual needs. And this would be the second part of the puzzle. One we can only solve for ourselves, after having done a good amount of research.

So, and on that note, let’s get started with the specifics.

The basic health benefits of (any) water

Roughly 60% of our body is made up of water, divided into intracellular (inside the cells) and extracellular (outside the cells) compartments. This water is mainly responsible for: (*)

Lubrication and structural support of joints and tissues.
That also includes the improvement of surface and deep hydration levels of the skin. Hydrated skin is plumper and more youthful looking. (*)
Transport of nutrients and other substances through the circulatory system to all the cells in the body. It literally feeds your cells.
Elimination of waste and toxins, through urine (or no. 2), sweat, or lymph waste.

Before considering what is the healthiest water to drink, know that any water will do that for you. Not only it literally keeps you alive, when you’re properly hydrated your brain functions better, your body is able to absorb nutrients better, you’re more focused, emotionally stable, healthier and stronger.

The Healthiest Water To Drink – TYPES OF DRINKING WATER

Now, aside what hydration with clean water can do for you, there are also the added benefits to certain “types” of water over others, when considering the healthiest water to drink.

Of course “types” will depend on how you’re classifying it to begin with.

According to its state (ice, liquid, gas), source (spring, well, river, glacier, … ), purification method (ionized, distilled, reverse osmosis, carbon filtration, … ), mineral content (bicarbonate, chloride, calcic, sodium-rich, … ), end even CO2 level (sparkling or still).
Generally speaking you can get your water from nature (like natural springs, rivers, rainfall), from a well, from a bottle, or from a tap.

1 – Tap water

Tap water can be sourced from rivers, wells, or rainfall. It’s usually gathered and kept in reservoirs and it goes through a water treatment facility, so that it can be filtered and disinfected.

It’s usually safe for things like cooking, cleaning, and laundry. But depending on the original condition of the water and the water treatment methods used, it may or may not be advisable to drink it.

It often contains levels of the chemicals used to treat the water, such as chlorine, chloramine, and fluoride. For many people the taste alone is deeply unpleasant.

Tap water is probably not the healthiest water to drink, but in many locations it might be better and cleaner than the other water available.

The good thing about it is that it’s cheap, readily available and usually free of microorganisms and dangerous levels of heavy metals or chemicals (though not always!)
The downside is that it might have pesticide residues, plastic particles, xenoestrogens (estrogen mimicking chemicals) and other endocrine disruptors.

2 – Well water

If you have access to your own well, it could be a better alternative to the tap water in your area. But it’s dangerous to drink from it without having it thoroughly tested.

Depending on your area, the mineral content will be higher or lower (harder or softer water) and more or less medicinal (according to the particular minerals naturally present).
However, it could also be contaminated with anything from heavy metals, arsenic, pesticides, or dangerous microorganisms.

Just think that everything sprayed on crops, for instance, will be absorbed by the earth and eventually leach down to the underground water supply.

If you get it tested and it’s safe to drink, it might still be advisable to put it through some kind of filtration system to remove any larger debris or sediments.

3 – Mineral water

Mineral water can be from a natural spring, from a surface or underground water source. It’s called mineral because, as it comes into contact with the earth, stones and rocks around it, it will pick up the minerals naturally present in them. It’s generally considered some of the healthiest water to drink.

Depending on the geographical location, these minerals will vary, but usually they will contain trace amounts of things like sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium.

Interesting side note: in general, North American waters seem to have a much lower mineralization level than European waters. (*)

Most types of mineral waters are considered beneficial to health in one way or another, since mineralization usually implies the water is more alkalinizing to the body.

The trace minerals it contains also seem to absorb more readily, than when they’re consumed as food. (*)

Types of mineral water

Mineral waters can be classified according to different parameters. (*)

a – According to mineral content level (amount of residual salts after evaporation)

Very low mineral content (< 50 mg/L)
Low mineral content (50–500 mg/L)
Medium mineral content (500–1500 mg/L)
Rich mineral content (> 1500 mg/L)

b – According to pH

Acid water (pH under 7)
Alkaline water (pH over 7)

c – According to hardness (presence of alkaline metals and minerals)

Very soft: 0–100 mg/L of CaCO3 (calcium carbonate)
Soft: 100–200 mg/L of CaCO3
Hard: 200–300 mg/L of CaCO3
Very hard: > 300 mg/L of CaCO3

d – According to the presence of a higher amount of any particular mineral, over the others

Bicarbonate-rich water (bicarbonate content over 600 mg/L)

An alkaline water type. It’s beneficial for the digestive tract, especially in cases of too much acidity (dyspepsia).
Helpful in reducing total cholesterol and fasting glucose (sugar) levels. Also helpful for bone remineralization, especially when calcium is also present. (*)

Sulfate-rich water (sulfate content over 200 mg/L)

It helps bowel movements, stool consistency and relieves constipation. (*)

Chloride-rich water (chloride content over 200 mg/L)

It helps stimulate bowel function and intestinal movement in general. (*)

Calcium-rich water (calcium content over 150 mg/L)

It’s helpful for bone mineral density and the nervous system. May contribute to preventing osteoporosis and hypertension.
Calcium rich mineral waters seem to have an equal or even higher calcium bioavalibility than dairy. This helps increase bone mineral density and decrease bone resorption (that usually increases with age and leads to bone loss). (*)

Magnesium-rich water (magnesium content over 50 mg/L)

It’s helpful in reproductive hormone regulation and beneficial for the nervous system in general. It also promotes digestion. (*)

Fluoride-rich water (fluoride content over 1 mg/L)

It may be beneficial for bone and teeth remineralization, but may also have toxic effects on the body, if levels are too high. (*)

Sodium-rich water (sodium content over 200 mg/L)

When the sodium content is lower than 20 mg/L you usually get a label of “appropriate for low sodium diets”.
Sodium rich waters may help protect against metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases. (*)
It’s best avoided in cases of hypertension, but recommended in case of intense physical activity, because it will help replenish the salts lost through sweating.

Acid water (if the CO2 content is over 250 mg/L)

This is naturally carbonated (sparkling) water.

4 – Sparkling water

Sparkling water may be naturally carbonated or artificially infused with carbon dioxide gas (CO₂).

Because naturally carbonated water comes from natural sources, it will also contain trace minerals to varying degrees – it’s another type of mineral water, as I mentioned above.

Artificially carbonated waters may or may not be good for you, depending on the rest of the ingredients. If it’s plain water and CO₂, maybe even with added minerals to enhance the taste, it’s fine.
However, if it’s flavored, colored, or sugary in any way, most likely it has other ingredients you may not want to be consuming, like artificial sugars.
Carbonation, natural or artificial, in itself does not seem to be damaging to your health, despite the fact that it’s naturally more acidic. (*)
In fact, many studies suggest that it’s beneficial for digestion, helps relieve dyspepsia and constipation. If it’s also naturally rich in things like calcium and magnesium, it will also help bone remineralization.

5 – Electrolyte water

This is basically water (that could be naturally sourced or plain tap water) that’s been purified through one method or another and then infused with electrolytes (essential minerals).

Most of these drinks sold commercially will contain some amount of sugar and even other ingredients like caffeine for extra energy. Needless to say that might not be a very healthy thing to be consuming on a regular basis.

Although you can make your own healthier DIY electrolyte water if, due to weather or physical activity, you’re sweating a lot more than usual. There are many ways to do it, but it can be as simple as adding some lemon juice, pinch of salt and baking soda.

6 – Bottled water

Bottled water can be any type of water already mentioned, from spring to glacier water, to any other type of mineral surface or groundwater, to sparkling water, or even just very well marketed tap water!

Depending on the source of the water, it may or may not contain trace minerals. In the case of glacier water, naturally sourced from a glacier, it may be much purer than anything else you’re likely to come across (with the corresponding price tag, of course).

However, if it’s bottled, it’s not strictly speaking 100% natural.

Bottled water is commercialized and therefore subject to health and safety standards. This means not only is it tested (excellent), but it’ll also have to undergo a certain amount of treatment to make sure it keeps “clean and safe” throughout its production and life cycle.

These treatments are usually minimal and have to be explicitly authorized (some amount of filtration or purification). (*)

However, the biggest problems with bottled water are:

It’s not sustainable and it has a high environmental cost. Putting aside the huge faults with the plastic recycling industry, it also takes 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water (*)
If it’s bottled in plastic, the water will probably contain some toxins leached from the plastic, after some time and due to storage conditions (temperature, exposure to sunlight). The most studied are plasticizers (additives used to increase the flexibility and handling of plastics) and xenohormones (hormone mimicking chemicals) that can disrupt our endocrine system and wreak havoc. (*) (*)

The Healthiest Water To Drink – WATER PURIFICATION METHODS

So, both “natural” water and bottled water can contain microplastics, toxins, and hormone disruptors. So, not the healthiest water to drink.

Since buying bottled water is more expensive and also bad for the environment, ideally we would be getting our water from either tap or directly from a natural source, and putting it through some kind of filtration and/or purification system. There are several purification methods that can help you obtain the healthiest water to drink possible in your situation.

What are the best purification systems? Depends on the state of the water in your location and what you need filtered.

Below are the most common home filtration types available and what they’re best suited for.

Different types of water purification are good for different types of impurities. Very generally speaking they fall under two main categories:

Physical filtration, where a filter is used to remove larger impurities.
“Chemical” filtration, where some type of active material with adsorption ability is used to pull impurities and maybe replaced them with other ions.

Sometimes they’re a mix of both.

1 – Distilled water

Distillation is one of the oldest ways to purify water and produces one of the healthiest water to drink, because it is so pure. It’s done by heating the water to a certain temperature and as the water vapor rises, it’s captured, cooled down and condensed back to liquid form, into a separate container.

This effectively eliminates all solids and heavier contaminants, also bacteria and heavy metals.
It does not eliminate pesticides or other volatile compounds. These also have a boiling point under 100°C / 212°F and therefore are also vaporized and condensed back into liquid, along with the water. A separate carbon filter would have to be used to filter that.

Since the trace minerals and natural salts are heavier, they’re eliminated through distillation. That means the water is more on the acidic side, which some people feel nervous about. There is a controversy on whether or not this would be a benefit or a problem in the long run. Some people say it’s a wonderful “detox” water, other people say it might leach important nutrients from the body.

Also, every time you lose water (urine or sweat), you lose sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium and calcium ions. If all you’re drinking is distilled water, which lacks minerals and ions, you might be negatively influencing your metabolism that needs these trace minerals and salts to function well.

On the other hand, if you’re eating a nutrient dense and healthy diet, with plenty of minerals, then the minerals you get from water are probably not that relevant. Especially since solid foods also contain water.

2 – Reverse osmosis

Reverse osmosis (RO) forces water at very high pressure through a semipermeable membrane, to separate it from dissolved inorganic solids.

It effectively removes minerals, heavy metals, microorganisms, chemical contaminants (including pharmaceutical drugs that end up in the water system), and some pesticides.
It does not remove all pesticides, or things like chlorine and solvents (these can be removed with a carbon filter as well).

Like distilled water, RO water does not contain any of the healthy trace minerals and natural salts the body needs. Since it is free of minerals, it’s also slightly more acidic (just like distilled water).

3 – Ionization/water electrolysis

This process separates the oxygen and hydrogen in water, which creates ionized alkaline water (for drinking) and ionized acidic water (usually for external use and great for disinfecting).

Water ionizers are the ones that give you the option to adjust the water pH, usually between 3 to 12, for different purposes.
Ionization keeps all natural trace minerals and salts, since it does not remove dissolved solids. Keep in mind that it also does not remove organic or pharmaceutical contaminants.

Some claim that this alkaline water is the healthiest water to drink. It’s supposed to be good for blood and oxygen circulation and beneficial for people with high cholesterol, high blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

These claims are not very well supported yet, so take it with a grain of salt. It’s also possible that if you regularly drink very alkaline water you might be reducing the natural stomach acidity needed to break down food for nutrient absorption.

4 – Ion exchange

Not to be confused with the previous ionization method. Ion exchange purification is the process of exchanging the calcium and magnesium ions, typically found in hard water, with other similarly charged ions, usually sodium or hydrogen.

It’s basically a process to soften hard water (demineralize it), to remove heavy metals and negatively charged contaminants.
It usually will require further filtration to make the water drinkable (if it wasn’t previously), since it does not remove sediments, organic contaminants or microorganisms.

5 – Sediment filtration

This is a physical filter with specific pore sizes, ranging from 1 to 100 microns, very effective for removing different sized sediments that may be present, like sand, heavy metals, rust, etc.

It doesn’t remove chemicals or anything smaller than 1 micron and, therefore, usually needs to be combined with another purification system.

6 – Ultrafiltration

Another type of physical filtration, which has a 0.01 micron pore size.

It effectively removes most contaminants, including microorganisms. But it cannot remove dissolved solids or trace minerals, so it maintains the natural mineral and salt content.
However, it also cannot remove things like fluoride or volatile organic compounds.

7 – Carbon filtration

This basically works through the adsorption ability of activated carbon.

The carbon is very porous and acts like a sponge, pulling and trapping impurities from the water. It’s great for chlorine, chemical solvents, pesticides and bacteria.
It does require an extra sediment filter, since it cannot remove large sediments, minerals or dissolved solids. It’s also not effective against viruses.

8 – Activated alumina

Acts through a very porous aluminum oxide filter with highly adsorbent properties.

It was created specifically to remove arsenic, thallium, fluoride and selenium from drinking water.
It will require further purification to remove anything else.

9 – UV filtration

This type of purification method uses an ultraviolet lamp (UV rays) that destroys practically 100% of all microorganisms in the water – bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
It does not remove any other type of contaminant.

So what is the healthiest water to drink after all?? (final thoughts)

As you can see (annoyingly) no water purification system is 100% and one-size-fits-all, so depending on the type of impurities you need or want to filter out, you might have to pair more than one together.

The best thing is to consider your main concerns (plastic, microorganisms, chemicals – all of the above?!) and the state of your water supply options.

Most of us don’t have our own wells, so we basically will have to choose between tap water or bottled water. If we want to avoid bottled water at all costs, it means picking one, two or three purification methods to treat the tap water available in our area, in order to get the healthiest water to drink.

What’s my personal choice?

What is the healthiest water to drink for me? For context – I always drank bottled water growing up and throughout most of my life, but I’d grown very concerned and weary of the health and environmental costs of all that plastic.

I wanted to STOP buying bottled water of any kind, but I also know that tap water is full of chemicals I definitely DON’T want in my body either.

I weighed the pros and cons of all the above choices, my particular lifestyle and current situation, and I decided to go for distilled water with an incorporated carbon filter.

This is the water I’ve been drinking and I’m very happy with it so far. I can make as much as I want and it tastes amazing (to me). In Summer, I will add electrolytes to part of the water simply because I sweat a lot! But in Winter I mostly don’t bother.

Now, there is controversy over drinking distilled water. If you want to try it, make sure to read about all the potential pros and cons I alluded to earlier, before you make your decision. However, you should do that no matter the water filtration method you choose, since none solves all the potential issues with the current state of the water.

I hope that helped!

Let me know what’s your choice of healthiest water to drink, or you have chosen to drink. As always, let me know if you have any questions or if any of the information above wasn’t clear to you.