Water is life. The human body is comprised of 65% water and it cannot survive without it for any great length of time. Water needs to be absorbed several times a day in order to stay healthy. While the body can go 3 weeks without food, it cannot go more than 3 days without water.

Studies show that women need to drink 2.2 litres of water a day while men need 3 litres. The difference is due to the fact that men, on average, have more fat-free body mass and higher expenditure of energy. Because it’s important to hydrate the body frequently, it’s also a good idea to be doing so with the water that is the best for the body. Between spring, mineral and distilled, which one is the healthiest choice for the human anatomy?

Spring wins.

No beating around the bush here. Without a doubt, spring water is the winner. It is considered the best water to drink, providing vital nutrients as it moves through the body.

This is, of course, spring water that is bottled at the source and proven to be actual living spring water. Only 55% of the bottled water that claims to be spring water actually is bona fide spring water. 45% is just treated tap water. This does not give us the same benefits, nor will it have the refreshing, unique taste that real spring water has. It’s important to check the authenticity of spring water.

Spring water provides much needed oxygen to the body and the brain, aids in good digestion, helps us maintain a healthy weight, and tastes great. Spring water never tastes flat or boiled. It makes for an excellent drinking experience and one that does wonders for the body.

Mineral water is right behind.

Mineral water is spring water that has had more minerals added to it. It has 250 minerals per million solids. Sparkling mineral water is bottled containing the same carbon dioxide that was at the source of the spring.

Because of the additives in this water, there can be a bit of a distinctive taste to it. Not all of the additional minerals are necessary for the body, and not everyone can process them. In addition, there is a distinct taste that is off-putting to mineral water, which puts it behind spring water. It doesn’t taste as natural or pure because of the additional minerals.

Distilled water’s little victory.

Distilled water may lack the minerals and nutrients of spring and mineral water, but the distilling process can be used to remove toxic metals and chemicals from the water. While there are home distillers, it is best to go with industrially distilled water instead.

However, distilling water also removes healthy minerals the body needs, which means drinking it for any length of time can lead to mineral deficiencies. Also, once it comes in contact with the air, distilled water absorbs carbon dioxide, which makes it acidic. When it is ingested, that goes into the body and causes excess acid. With all of this in mind, it’s clear to see why distilled water is the last on the list of waters to drink.

A quick word about reverse osmosis

While not as beneficial for the body as live spring water, filtered water is better than none at all. Reverse osmosis water filters are excellent tools for purifying water, even after a carbon filter has already been used on it. They remove many contaminates that are still left behind by the carbon filters and create healthy, fresh water for drinking.