What’s healthier – Bottled, filtered or tap water?
Bottled vs filtered water? Is filtered water healthier than tap water and bottled water? What are the benefits of filtered water vs bottled water? We decided to compare the three and find a scientific answer to the questions. The study is based in North America for the purpose of simplification but will also be valid in many other regions of the world.
For information about Europe switch to UK English.
This article is an extensive piece of research. If you don’t care about all the details then fee free to skip to the conclusion at the end. Also read our shorter article about bottled water vs tap water.
Nutrients in water
Before looking at the individual sources of drinking water it’s important to understand what the potential nutrition contribution of drinking water is. Many people consume mineral waters because of the perception that they may be more healthful. But are they?
In 2005 WHO held a conference with experts from around the world to investigate. At the conference, information was shared from over 80 epidemiology studies of varying quality over the last 50 years. The studies addressed the issue of hard water consumption, mineral impact on health and possibly reduced incidence of ischemic cardiovascular diseases in populations.
Water supplies for tap and bottled water are highly variable in their mineral contents and, while some contribute appreciable amounts of certain minerals either due to natural conditions (e.g., Ca, Mg, Se, F, Zn), intentional additions (F), or leaching from piping (Cu), most provide lesser amounts of nutritionally – essential minerals.
With all of these considerations in mind, the nutrients sometimes found in drinking water at potentially significant levels of particular interest are:
- Calcium–important in bone health and possibly cardiovascular health
- Magnesium–important in bone and cardiovascular health
- Fluoride–effective in preventing dental caries
- Sodium–an