Healthiest Water to Drink: What’s the Best Drinking Water? (2024)

September 21, 2021

As you already know, hydration is essential to health. But what type of water—spring, purified, mineral, artesian or alkaline—is the best water to drink? What’s the healthiestwater to drink? It’s a question few people stop to ask themselves.

The healthiest water to drink is water that’s free of pathogens and contaminants, yet rich in key nutrients. Sounds simple, right? Well, you’ve got more options than you realize. Here’s a look at the different options people have when it comes to hydrating, and what makes each type of water special.

• Tap: Tap water is what you get right out of your faucet. Its source varies based on where you are in the country but can include nearby dams, rivers, reservoirs, and lakes. It’s typically managed by a city or local government, and it’s the most common type of water consumed in American households. Tap water varies surprisingly in terms of quality—again, it depends on where you live. In addition to fluoride, tap water can contain anywhere from trace contaminants to heavily concentrated pesticides, lead, VOCs,microplastics, and more. Tap water isn’t the healthiest water to drink, but it’s often what most people have access to.
• Spring: Springwater—also referred to as “raw” water—has different mineral profiles that vary based on the source’s location. The benefits of spring water include delivery of oxygen to the brain, healthy digestion and can help people maintain a healthy weight. This is because spring water is unfiltered—meaning it still contains the beneficial minerals that many municipal plants and water treatment processes strip out. From a pure source, spring water is an extremely healthy hydration option.
• Purified: Purified water is treated tap water. The purifying process removes noticeable contaminants including parasites, bacteria, fungi, and dissolved solids. Unfortunately, the purification process might also remove beneficial minerals and probiotic bacteria from the water. Most purified water is safe to drink, but it’s not necessarily healthy. You’ll get clean, safe hydration, but without those beneficial minerals that optimize bioavailability.
• Mineral: Mineral water comes from springs that are rich in magnesium, sulfur, calcium, and manganese. To be deemed mineral water, it must have at least 250 parts per million of dissolved solids and have a consistent level of minerals in the spring. Mineral water intake can help lower blood pressure, boost bone health, and may benefit heart health. Again, this is because these minerals are good for the body at appropriate levels. From a natural, uncontaminated source, mineral water ranks above tap water and purified water, but below spring water.
• Artesian: Artesian water is a type of free-flowing, spring water that comes from underground wells. Unlike traditional wells that require a pump, artesian wells move water to the surface naturally due to their pressure. Although it’s become popular in recent years, artesian well water does not differ much from most regular well water and there’s no conclusive evidence to suggest it provides noticeable health benefits.
• Distilled: Distilled water has been boiled into a vapor, condensed, and collected as a liquid. The distillation process separates contaminants and provides ultra-pure water. It’s often used for industrial applications where mineral buildup can affect a product. But for human consumption, distillation removes almost all the beneficial minerals your body needs. Most people don’t drink distilled water—you’ll get more out of purified water at a fraction of the cost.
• Alkaline: Alkaline water has higher pH levels, which can improve the body’s homeostasis. Some of the health benefits of alkaline water include boosting your immune system, while other studies show positive improvements in blood viscosity, blood pressure, and acid reflux. Alkaline water is often considered healthier but needs to be carefully treated to remove contaminants and maintain a healthy pH balance.

So, what’s the healthiest water to drink? Is there a “best” drinking water? Again, the healthiest water to drink is water that’s free of pathogens and contaminants, yet rich in key minerals. But, if there was one water option to pick, it’s likely going to be spring water or clean artesian water—water that still contains healthy mineral content and is free of pathogens.

One of the simplest ways to get mineral-rich, clean, safe water is to filter it using discerning filtration products, like those from Aquaspace^®. Point-of-use purification systemsor purifying water bottles like the Aquatomic Water Bottle offer peace of mind in every sip thanks to their ability to cleanse water while maintaining healthy mineral content.

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