With the improvement of living standards, people's material lives have become increasingly abundant. Since the introduction of water dispensers, many families now choose to drink purified water or distilled water. So, what kind of water is actually the healthiest to drink? Let's find out together.
What kind of water should you choose to drink?
(1) Mineral water. Authentic mineral water is good and has certain health benefits. However, some mineral waters have an imbalanced mineral content, which may not be good. Especially, some mineral waters are actually made by adding a few mineral elements to purified water, making it difficult to ensure a natural and normal balance. They may also lack certain necessary trace elements. You should choose to drink water from reputable brands.
(2) Purified water (distilled water, space water). This type of water has all harmful and harmless substances and elements removed. If you use purified water for both drinking and cooking, all the various trace minerals will be gone. Over the long term, this could potentially be harmful. It is good for brewing tea as it maintains a good taste, but it should not be used excessively. In particular, it is not suitable for long-term consumption by the elderly and children.
(3) Refiltered tap water. Tap water from the treatment plant has already been monitored for 35 items, including bacteria. However, by the time it travels through the water pipe network and tanks to your tap, it is best to use a simple and economical activated carbon purifier to filter it before use.
Daily water use should also be noted. In the morning, let the water that has been sitting in the pipes overnight run out. Drinking water can be left to sit for a few hours before use (but not for more than a day). Water that has been stored for more than 3 days is considered "aged water." Its molecular structure may change due to a lack of impact and agitation, making it unsuitable for drinking. Boiled water should generally be boiled for 3 minutes; do not boil it for too long. Water that is not fully boiled or has been boiled for too long is not good. Water that has been repeatedly boiled or has been sitting in a thermos for several days should not be consumed.
Therefore, experts suggest that from a health perspective, it is best to drink warm water below 30°C.
Although water is an important component of the human body and plays a crucial role in transportation and balance within it, it is not true for everyone that "drinking more water is beneficial for health."
The following groups of people must control their daily water intake:
Kidney disease patients
Patients with chronic renal insufficiency or kidney disease should not drink too much water. Patients with chronic renal insufficiency or kidney failure gradually lose their kidney function and cannot properly excrete water and salt. Kidney disease patients experience a large loss of protein in their urine, which lowers blood osmotic pressure. If they drink excessive water, it will make edema (swelling) worse.
Heart disease patients
Heart disease patients, especially those with heart failure, may have abnormal kidney blood flow and perfusion functions, which prevents the body from expelling water smoothly. This can easily lead to swelling throughout the body. Drinking excessive water will increase the burden on organs like the heart and lungs, and can even induce hyponatremia, leading to dangerous symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, body convulsions, and coma.
Patients with abnormal liver function accompanied by ascites
Patients with abnormal liver function cannot synthesize blood protein in the body, and other factors can also cause edema. Therefore, blood osmotic pressure is lowered, and water tends to accumulate in tissues, often leading to fluid in the abdomen and chest. Such patients should not drink too much water to avoid worsening edema symptoms. If edema occurs, daily water intake should be restricted based on the actual situation.
Water intoxication patients
Water intoxication is mainly caused by excessive water intake, which leads to excessive water retention and triggers hyponatremia. Additionally, too much water in the body increases the burden on the heart. Especially in daily life, when a person is severely thirsty and dehydrated, drinking large amounts of low-mineralized water or purified water can easily disrupt the body's electrolyte balance, leading to hypotonic dehydration and thus causing water intoxication.