Is Reverse Osmosis Water Bad for You?

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Many people believe reverse osmosis water is bad for you because it removes minerals from the water. However, there are two sides to every story. In fact, reverse osmosis water has its benefits as well.

I’ll explain why reverse osmosis water may be beneficial for you and why you should consider buying it instead of drinking regular tap water.

Reverse Osmosis Water Bad for You?

There are actually two sides to the story regarding whether or not reverse osmosis water makes your drinking water safe. On one hand, it does remove minerals from the water. But on the other hand, it also filters out harmful contaminants.

So how can you tell if reverse osmosis water really is bad for you? Well, the answer depends on where you live. Some places may require that you only buy bottled water. And others may allow you to purchase tap water through reverse osmosis systems.

In either case, however, reverse osmosis is still considered safe. There are no known health risks associated with using reverse osmosis systems to filter your drinking water.

For Health:

Tap water isn’t healthy for you or your family. But how bad is it? According to an investigation by the NYTimes, American tap water contributes to tooth enamel erosion and skin rashes.

And according to the EPA, toxic chemicals such as lead, arsenic, and fluoride are common in tap water, contributing to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and birth defects.

So what should you do? You can either drink bottled water or filter your tap water using a reverse osmosis system. Either option is great for your health, but filtering your tap water is probably the easiest solution.

A reverse osmosis system removes harmful contaminants from tap water, leaving only pure, safe water behind. Reverse osmosis systems are affordable, easy to install, and maintenance free.

Plus, they remove chlorine and chloramine, two chemicals commonly found in municipal water supplies.

Tooth enamel erosion and rashing are signs of poor oral hygiene. If you notice any changes in your teeth, schedule an appointment with your dentist right away. He or she may recommend a dental sealant to prevent further erosion.

Environmentally:

Reverse osmosis is a great choice for anyone concerned about the environment. Not only does it save energy and resources, but it also reduces waste. And if you’re worried about the cost of running a reverse osmosis system, there are plenty of options out there that will fit any budget.

For example, Nature’s Nutrition offers a variety of reverse osmosis systems that are affordable and efficient. You can find out more about them here.

Beyond the home, reverse osmosis is an environmentally sustainable option for commercial applications as well, including restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals, and offices.

Large systems can reduce the need to buy thousands of plastic bottles every day, saving tons of landfill space and reducing the impact on the environment.

So whether you’re interested in learning more about reverse osmosis or you already know a lot about it, we’ve got lots of articles and resources to help you along the way.

Financially:

At American Home Water & Air, we believe that reverse osmosis should be affordable for everyone. Our four-stage systems start at only $299, and our five-stage systems start at $359. Both include a five-year warranty and taxes.

As far as yearly maintenance goes for your water softener, you’ll pay $98 for the four stage and $100 for the 5 stage. These are negligible costs compared to the savings you experience compared with buying bottled water.

We also recommend checking out our article about water softening system maintenance if you‘d like to maintain your water softener yourself.

Downsides of Reverse Osmosis?

Reverse osmosis is a great way to purify drinking water. But if you’re concerned about losing certain minerals or nutrients, you might want to consider buying bottled water instead.

There are two main concerns about reverse osmosis. First, it can remove some beneficial minerals and nutrients from your water. Second, it can cause problems with your teeth.

With reverse osmosis, you can lose some important minerals and nutrients. These include calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, and iron. You can still get plenty of these nutrients through a balanced diet, though.

As for fluoride, you may actually lose some of the tooth protecting benefits. Fluoride helps protect against cavities and gum disease. However, reverse osmosis removes some of the fluorides from your water.

But if you take the proper steps to prevent cavities and gum disease, you shouldn’t experience any negative effects from using reverse osmosis.

Of course, those who oppose reverse osmosis will point to this issue as a reason why it’s bad for you. But if you’re looking for reasons why reverse osmosis is bad for you, this is the only one to speak of.

Will drinking water from a reverse osmosis filtration system harm my health?

If you drink water filtered through reverse osmosis, you won’t be harming yourself. There is virtually no tried- and- tested evidence to suggest that reverse-osmosis water is harmful to health.

However, if you do require water with higher pH levels, there are reverse optimization systems that feature optional filters fortified with minerals and electrolytes. These will increase the pH level and help reduce the effects associated with conditions exacerbated due to acidic foods and beverages.

Does reverse osmosis water remove healthy minerals from the water?

Does Reverse Osmosis Remove Healthy Minerals From Drinking Water?

Reverse osmosis does remove unhealthy minerals from drinking water, but it’s unlikely that these minerals would cause any long-term harm.

According to Dr. Jacqueline Gherhart of UW Health Family medicine, “removing these essential elements from drinking water doesn’t pose much of a problem,” since a well-rounded dietary intake provides these same nutrients anyway.

Only people who don’t eat a diet that is high in vitamins and minerals,” she explains, are at any risk for vitamin or mineral deficiencies.

While reverse osmosis does filter out certain minerals, it also filters out harmful chemicals and contaminants like chlorine and fluoride, which the Water Quality association lists as common water-borne contaminants.

If these contaminants are consumed regularly over a prolonged period of time, they may lead to chronic health issues including kidney problems, liver problems, and reproductive difficulties.

Other contaminants that can be filtered out by RO systems include:

Sodium
Sulfate
Phosphate
Lead
Nickel
Fluoride
Cyanide
Chloride

Before worrying about the healthiness of your drinking waters, think about whether you’re actually receiving any nutrients from them. If you aren’t, then you might be better off consuming fewer drinks rather than drinking less.

FAQs

What are the dangers of drinking reverse osmosis water?

Water that comes through reverse osmosis (RO) filtration has a low alkalinity level. Drinking this type of water for prolonged periods may cause health issues including increased risks of developing certain types of cancer and digestive problems.

Can you drink reverse osmosis water every day?

According to the World Health Organization, distilled or reverse osmosis purified water is not suitable for long-term human consumption and may cause negative side affects to people who consume it.