In order to maximize your health, it’s important to get your recommended doses of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. When it comes to minerals, many people believe that you can get a large portion of your daily intake by drinking a lot of water. This can make some people weary of installing water softeners or water filtration systems, because they remove minerals from tap water. Today we’re going to talk about the minerals that are found in tap water, what percentage of your daily intake you can get by drinking water and whether or not it’s safe to remove minerals from tap water!
Minerals that are commonly found in tap water
There are a variety of healthy minerals that can be found in trace amounts in tap water, including:
It should be noted that the concentrations of each of these minerals can vary greatly depending on the source of your tap water.
What percent of your daily intake of minerals can you get from tap water?
According to a study performed by the USDA, which tested for mineral concentrations of tap water in 144 randomly-selected water supplies in the country, only four of the above minerals were found in concentrations high enough to get more than 1% of your daily intake by drinking two liters of water per day. Those minerals were copper (10% daily intake), calcium (6% daily intake), magnesium (5% daily intake) and sodium (3% daily intake). None of the other minerals that were tested for showed up in a high enough concentration to have a measurable impact on your daily intake when consumed through drinking water.
Is it safe to remove minerals from tap water?
So given the fact that there are a few minerals in tap water that can contribute a small amount to your daily intake, does that mean your water is less healthy if you remove them? Definitely not! Although filtering your water will remove those minerals, it will also remove all of the dangerous contaminants that are commonly found in tap water that can negatively affect your health. In addition, calcium and magnesium are what make your water hard, and high concentrations of them in your home’s water can cause all sorts of problems in your home.
As a rule of thumb, you should not rely on water for your daily intake of vitamins and minerals. Food is the primary source of nutrients in your diet, and you should base your mineral intake on either the food you eat or supplements you take.
If you have any questions about tap water minerals, or if you’d like a water system serviced or installed in your home, contact North Carolina Water Consultants, your water softener and water filtration system dealer in North and South Carolina. We provide service all over the Carolinas, including towns like Cornelius, Huntersville and Charlotte, NC.