Are you conscious about what you eat? Do you rely on a steady stream of supplements to meet your recommended dietary intake of minerals? If you watch what you eat, start drinking better water too because drinking demineralised and low-mineral content water is considered detrimental to your health according to science. 

In 2005 the World Health Organisation published an extensive study titled Nutrients in Drinking Water, because over the last two decades, little research and attention has been given to the beneficial or protective effects of drinking water substances. The main takeaway from the 200 page report? Your drinking water should contain minimum levels of certain essential minerals and other components such as carbonates – just like Aava water does, naturally.

DRINKING WATER AFFECTS YOUR DAILY MINERAL INTAKE

The contribution of water to total dietary intake of trace minerals and electrolytes is between 1 and 20%. The micronutrients with the largest proportion of intake from drinking water are calcium and magnesium. For these elements water can provide up to 20% of your RDA. In fact minerals such as calcium and magnesium in drinking water are considered so important for human health that the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) has made it mandatory for Packaged (IS 14543) and RO processed drinking water brands to re-add these minerals to bottled water. The WHO report concludes that the removal of essential minerals like calcium and magnesium from water by softening or RO can result in lower life- time intakes of essential elements, especially in the absence of a proper diet or supplementation.

HOWEVER NOT ALL DRINKING WATER IS THE SAME

Aava is a certified natural mineral water (IS 13428) which means it is ethically sourced from protected aquifers to preserve its original mineral composition. Aava absorbs minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, silica , bicarbonates etc from the earth. This bioavailability of such naturally-occurring minerals is far more in your body than re-added minerals.  90% of bottled water available on shop shelves is RO purified packaged drinking water or ionized alkaline water. Such bottled water has no fixed water source. Reverse Osmosis removes bacteria but it also removes all healthy minerals from water by completely demineralising it.  Even if minerals are re-added to RO filtered or ionized alkaline water, studies show that, almost none of the commonly used methods to remineralise water after purification can be considered adequate to positively impact health the way natural minerals do. 

BENEFITS OF CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM IN AAVA WATER

Did you know that a whopping 90% of humans don't consume enough magnesium and could be deficient? Every cell in your body needs magnesium to function. The mineral is responsible for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, as well as impacts blood pressure, metabolism, and immune function. Magnesium deficiency can lead to multiple health problems including high blood pressure and heart disease, diabetes , osteoporosis, etc. In fact, even for your body to adequately absorb Vitamin D, it needs enough magnesium. Every litre of Aava contains at least 11-13 mg of magnesium. If you drink 3 litres of Aava water everyday, that’s almost 10% of your magnesium RDA intake. In fact drinking water can provide a baseline lifetime contribution to dietary magnesium intake – especially if it’s naturally-occurring magnesium and well within permissible limits like Aava natural mineral water contains. 

The same goes with calcium. Did you know that one of every two women above the age of 50 suffers from calcium deficiency and is at risk of Osteoporosis? According to the Osteoporosis International Journal, Indian’s consume less than 400 mg of calcium per day. The daily recommended intake is 1000-1200 mg. A study published in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine, spotlights how natural mineral waters are especially important for those who are marginal for calcium and magnesium intake. By drinking Aava natural mineral water everyday, that’s approximately 60-75 mg of calcium ingested just from your drinking water. 

There are several publications that show how the ingestion of mineral waters with sodium bicarbonate along with calcium, magnesium is beneficial in lowering cardiovascular diseases and risk factors, including blood pressure. Sodium in your drinking water is very different from sodium in your food. Aava natural mineral water contains unprocessed, natural sodium that does not raise your blood pressure. Whereas fast food, sodas contain processed salt and consuming too much of processed salt has serious health implications. 

Drinking water is not a cure, medicine or supplement replacement– however it is as essential for your diet as food is. So the next time you think about your diet and resolve to be healthy, take a minute to re-look at the role your drinking water plays in your regular dietary mineral intake. Staying healthy is an inside job, and it starts with better drinking water. Especially if you are reliant on bottled water for everyday hydration, make sure it’s naturally alkaline and mineral-rich like Aava is.