Water is essential for the healthy functioning of our bodies. Our bodies, blood, brain, muscles and cells constitute primarily from water. It makes up over 60% of our entire body. Therefore, finding the best bottled water that is beneficial for the health of your body, is crucial. But not all bottled water is the same.
Clever marketing tactics claim that each company’s bottled water is better than its competitors. One is better by for example, having more minerals in it, or a better pH alkalinity level, or a convoluted distillation processes. Don’t be swayed by these claims – they are all intended to mislead you into buying their water. Pure natural mineral doesn’t need any tricky selling techniques.
About a quarter of bottled water that is sold is just tap water, perhaps with some more purification, or added minerals and sometimes not. Even though a bottle may be labeled as ‘spring water’, do your brand research, find out where the spring actually is and support reputable brands that can backup their water source claims.
Debunking The Marketing Claims
Alkalinity
When you drink water, it goes directly into your stomach. Your stomach is highly acidic (1.5 – 3.5 pH) to help digest and process the food you eat. Consequently, it doesn’t matter what the pH level or alkalinity of the water we drink is. When the alkaline water enters your stomach, the stomach acids neutralises it. Don’t pay a premium for alkaline water, it does nothing.
Reverse Osmosis
It is created by pressure pushing water through a semi-permeable membrane to remove contaminants. As a result, most minerals and nutrients are removed from the water. It is not suitable for long-term human consumption as it lacks any mineral quality. So why drink it? Unless you are a small appliance like an iron or kettle, and your internal parts can be harmed by mineralised water, avoid buying this water when you see it. It has no value.
Examples of this type of water are Essentia Water, Dasani, Nestle Pure Life, Acquafina, Core Hydration Nutrient Water , LifeWtr and Pathwater. They all use reverse osmosis to purify the water.
Understanding Bottled Water Sources
What Is Spring Water?
Spring Water is considered the best water you can drink. Natural spring water travels over mountains and rocks, soil and leaves and picks up nutrients and minerals from these natural elements. It typically has a higher mineral content of certain nutrients like magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium and silica.
What Is Artesian Water?
Artesian water is the confined natural underground reservoir that contains water. The aquifer is the geologic layer of rocks or limestone that provides the source of the artesian well.
Such aquifers are commonly found underneath the surface of the earth. This is where they preserve deposits and massive amounts of the finest water.
The majority of the artesian aquifers around the world are replenished non-stop by the groundwater and the rain. The water flows down from the porous substances. Examples of these are gravel, rock, and sand. Around these porous substances are rock or other hard materials. As such, the water cannot escape and reach ground level.
What Is Tap Water?
The water that flows out of your tap comes from your local municipality. Depending on where in the world you live, your tap water can come from many different sources and/or a combination of any of these:
- Desalinated Water: Water that comes from the sea and is processed through a membrane to take out the salt and minerals. Some minerals can be added back
- Water Catchment: Rainwater falls into reservoirs which store the water for later use.
- Imported Water: Some countries have limited rainfall and/or limited water purification plants and therefore need to import their tap water.
- Highly Purified Reclaimed Water: Water that is produced from treated, used water that is further purified using advanced membrane technologies and ultra-violet disinfection, hence making it ultra-clean and safe to drink.
Best Bottled Water To Buy
Your bottled water should come from a natural spring source. Why? A natural spring will mineralise, which means that it will add essential minerals to your water naturally. Natural spring water travels over mountains, rocks, soil and leaves and picks up nutrients and minerals from these natural elements.
If you are thirsty and need to buy bottled water, buy the best you can afford. The best bottled waters are those that come from naturally sourced areas, full of essential minerals. So, choose natural and give your body the best minerals you can.
NATURAL ARTESIAN WATER
Fiji water starts as rain above the island of Fiji. It filters through dormant volcanic rock and luscious rainforests. It gathers minerals and electrolytes that create Fiji water’s soft and smooth taste. Collecting in an artesian acquifer. It is bottled at the source in the remote Yaqara Valley on the island of Viti Levu.
NATURAL MINERAL WATER
Bottled in France
Evian water starts as rain and snow that falls on the glacier plateau in the French Alps. The water naturally filters through layers of protected underground rock for over 15 years. When it emerges at the Evian source it contains already a natural and characteristic mineral composition, which gives Evian its unique, crisp taste.
NATURAL ARTESIAN WATER
Bottled in New Zealand
Antipodes water comes to the surface from an underground depth of 327m from an artesian aquifer. The water flows naturally to the surface through geological pressure. It’s extremely pure and requires only a simple filtration. The water can be about 50 – 300 years old. Antipodes water is very smooth due to its high silica content and tastes absolutely delicious.
NATURAL MINERAL WATER
Bottled in Italy
The unique flavour profile and mineral composition comes from a 14 year journey through the aquifer beneath the Tuscan hills. It’s a beautifully crisp water and absolutely delicious.
NATURAL MINERAL WATER
Bottled in France
Volvic Natural Mineral Water comes from one of Europe’s largest nature reserves in the Auvergne region of France. Starting as rain, the water falls over the unique mountainous landscape and is filtered for 5 years through 6 layers of volcanic rock, beneath a volcano.
NATURAL MINERAL WATER
Bottled in the United Kingdom
Rain water falls onto the lush English countryside on the Hildon Estate and commences its 15 year journey to the aquifer. The water passes through multiple layers of porous rock which removes any impurities and imbues the water with beneficial minerals. Having acquired its unique, balanced taste, the water is ready for extraction.The water remains untouched underground until it reaches the bottling plant on the Hildon Estate.
Hildon Water holds the prestigious Royal Warrant, which means it supplies bottled water to the Royal Households.
NATURAL MINERAL WATER
Bottled in Germany
Gerolsteiner comes from up to 250 meters deep below the earth’s surface. Filtered through layers of dolomite rock in the Volcanic Eifel, the water collects there, drop by drop, in natural aquifers that are protected from external influences. Here, it stays fresh and clean thanks to the natural carbonic acid, until finally it is unearthed and bottled directly at its source Gerolstein – pure and unaltered.
Remember, the BEST water for you, is the water YOU like to drink. If you enjoy the water you drink, drink that specific water, because nothing is better for you body and your health, than pure, simple water.
