What about mineral water?
Traditional health springs often had high contents of minerals in their waters. Whether the waters actually cured people or not is not clear, but it is clear that many people believe that minerals in water are beneficial to the body – at least some kinds of minerals.
The human body needs constant replenishment of a large number of minerals. All minerals are originally found in the ground. Plants assimilate minerals from the ground into their biological structure. Animals do not lick rocks or eat soil and sand to obtain minerals. Nor do they drink mineral water. They eat plants or other animals. The human being also gets all necessary minerals from eating plants and animals.
Even if you drink water with high mineral content, at least 95% of your minerals will come from food. So, there is no harm in drinking mineral water, but it probably does not add to your well-being either.
What about well water?
Some wells are very good, but many natural ground waters are polluted. Even natural minerals which have always been present in sea and most ground water, such as sodium, have been found to have negative consequences for health.
Another natural component of well water is radon. Even more negative are minerals such as aluminum which is leached out from the soil by acid rain and cadmium which is leached out of water pipes by soft water. Well water is also easily contaminated by bacteria and other organic pathogens.
What about tap water?
Tap water varies in quality. At some places it is clear, taste- and odorless and at some places it is foul. However, in most circumstances it is chlorinated to kill bacteria and given an extra dose of chlorine to protect it from bacterial infection while it travels in the pipe.
Chlorine in itself is a very strong cancerogenic substance and water treatment plants must be very careful in administering it. When chlorine breaks down bacteria and other biological substances in the water, as it is supposed to do, the residue is a family of chlorinated carbohydrates called trihalomethanes which are strongly cancerogenic.
What about distilled water?
Plants and animals thrive on rain. Also human beings have been drinking rain water from puddles, streams and lakes – for millions of years. Rain water is therefore what is natural for the body. Rain is distilled water from the oceans.