Are you drinking reverse osmosis (RO) water but not sure it’s good for you? Here are seven benefits you can get from drinking RO water:
1. It Helps To Reduce Your Sodium & Heavy Metals Intake
Sodium is an essential mineral for our bodies, but too much sodium can lead to health problems like high blood pressure and stroke. Drinking reverse osmosis water helps to reduce your sodium intake and keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.
That said, the chances that there’ll be too much sodium in tap water is quite low. However, that’s not the case for harmful heavy metals like lead and mercury.
Lead is one of the most problematic contaminants found in U.S. water systems. It also presents a serious threat to public wellbeing, as exemplified by the case of Flint. Mercury, on the other hand, is one of the most toxic contaminants found in water, and you can never be too careful about it.
By reducing lead and mercury levels in drinking water, RO systems help prevent several health issues, including nerve and muscle damage, fertility problems, and blood pressure spikes. In this sense, RO water is indisputably good for you and your family.
2. It Removes Many Other Harmful Contaminants
RO filters are highly effective at removing contaminants. They’re great for people who want to drink water from a filtration system and have it be ultra-clean.
Reverse osmosis removes more than just particulate matter from drinking water. It’s also capable of removing pesticides and radionuclides like radium and uranium. The number of contaminants it removes and the removal ratio is even higher when used in conjunction with carbon filtration. In the end, the water is purer and safer to drink.
3. RO Water is Free of Chlorine
Reverse osmosis water filters remove chlorine, which improves taste and odor of the water.
Chlorine is commonly used to treat drinking water, but it’s not completely removed from the water once it’s treated, and it isn’t harmful in and of itself in small quantities. However, if it mixes with specific organic compounds that are frequently present in drinking water, Trihalomethanes (THMs) can be produced.
THMs are dangerous in even small amounts as they make free radicals, which can lead to colon and rectum tumors and even colorectal cancers. Moreover, some people, especially those with sensitive skin, have allergies to chlorine.
Thankfully, RO filtration can reduce its presence to a great deal for the benefit of people who are sensitive to chlorine.
4. RO Water Has Been Proven to Taste Better
The University of California, Riverside conducted a blind-taste test study to determine whether or not RO-filtered water has a better taste than its alternatives. In the final result, “Groundwater-based water” was less liked than RO-treated water.
The reason why most people don’t like the taste of tap water is because it contains many different substances like hydrogen sulfide, metals like iron, and minerals like magnesium and sodium that can affect its taste.
The best RO systems are capable of removing these thanks to their low-micron membranes. That said, most systems on the market also come with a remineralizer that adds back lost minerals to the water since some of these are actually healthy minerals.
5. It Kills Parasite and Bacteria
In some areas, people that drink untreated tap water suffer from gastrointestinal issues, especially children who come into contact with parasites like cryptosporidium; and bacteria like giardia might cause diarrhea, cramps, and high fever.
RO filters are especially good at tackling such bacteria and other microorganisms that can cause illness.
6. It Helps Combat Inflammatory Skin Conditions
Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition that causes the skin to become dry, cracked, and inflamed, and can be harrowing due to the itchy rashes it results in. Bathing acidic water, like the one gotten from reverse osmosis, has been proven to help such inflammatory issues.
Conclusion
There are several benefits of RO systems. They remove dangerous chemicals and metals such as sodium, mercury, and lead, reduce chlorine levels, and kill disease-bearing microorganisms.
Moreover, since it’s slightly more acidic than tap water, it can kill the bacteria in fruits and vegetables and prevent inflammatory skin issues and dandruff. As a result, the water tastes better, smells better, and it’s healthier overall, be it for drinking, bathing, laundry, or dish-washing.