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Is It Safe To Drink Reverse Osmosis Water
Is Reverse Osmosis Water Good For You
Imagine experiencing fatigue, muscle cramps, or even cardiovascular issues after just a few months of drinking water that’s supposed to be clean and pure. This is exactly what happened to people in the Czech Republic and Slovakia when they began using reverse osmosis (RO) systems for their tap water in the early 2000s as part of a government initiative to address water contamination. Within weeks, they reported symptoms of magnesium and calcium deficiency—essential minerals stripped away by RO filtration. The symptoms, including weakness, tiredness, and heart problems.
Scientist Warning: Many people recognize that Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems are among the best at filtering out impurities from drinking water, but far fewer are aware that these systems also remove important minerals that are beneficial to health. The reverse osmosis process can strip away as much as 92-99% of essential minerals like calcium and magnesium, which are vital for maintaining strong bones, proper muscle function, and overall well-being. Even more concerning is the loss of trace elements, which are removed at an even higher rate. But why should this be a concern for those seeking cleaner, safer water?
A growing body of research highlights the potential risks of drinking demineralized or reverse osmosis-treated water. After analyzing hundreds of studies, scientists published a report indicating that consuming water lacking in essential minerals "has a definite adverse influence on the animal and human organism."¹ In essence, the absence of these minerals can disrupt normal bodily functions and may lead to long-term health concerns.
What’s particularly concerning is that drinking reverse osmosis water for even a short period can lead to serious health consequences. While most chemicals found in drinking water tend to cause harm after long-term exposure, studies suggest that "only a few months exposure may be sufficient to observe 'consumption time effects' from water low in magnesium and/or calcium."¹ As noted earlier, a clear example of this comes from small European communities, who in 2000-2002 began using reverse osmosis systems in their homes as part of a government initiative to address water contamination. This rapid and controlled implementation of converting people from drinking traditional tap water to reverse osmosis water provided a unique case study to observe the health effects of demineralized water in a relatively short time. Within weeks to months of switching to RO-treated water, many individuals began reporting symptoms consistent with acute magnesium and possibly calcium deficiency.
These symptoms included cardiovascular issues, fatigue, weakness, and muscle cramps.¹ What makes this alarming is the speed with which these adverse effects appeared—within just a few weeks or months of exposure. This example underscores how quickly the lack of essential minerals in water can impact health, even with short-term consumption of reverse osmosis-treated water.
why is reverse osmosis water bad for you
In the pursuit of purer water, consumers have become increasingly focused on removing as many substances from their water as possible, assuming that fewer contaminants automatically means better health. However, this narrow focus may overlook an important truth: not all things removed from water should be discarded, and not all purified water is equal in terms of health benefits. As the scientific findings suggest, drinking water isn’t just about removing contaminants but also about preserving or replenishing the vital minerals that contribute to overall well-being.
The question becomes: does purified water from an RO system truly support good health, or could it be missing something essential? While RO systems are excellent at purifying water, this process might inadvertently reduce the health benefits of drinking water, turning it from a source of essential nutrients into a liquid that lacks the minerals our bodies need to function optimally. With this in mind, it’s important to consider not just how clean your water is, but how healthy it is for daily consumption.
To make matters worse
Since reverse osmosis (RO) water lacks sufficient minerals, it actually draws minerals from the body. This means that instead of absorbing the essential nutrients from food and supplements, the body excretes them through urine. The result is a double impact: fewer minerals are ingested, and more are lost, leading to significant health risks and side effects. In a scientific study examining whether the minerals in food could compensate for the lack of minerals in RO water, researchers found that "reduced mineral intake from water was not compensated by their diets...low-mineral water was responsible for an increased elimination of minerals from the body."¹
Research has also clearly shown that drinking water with low mineral content disrupts the body’s balance, negatively affecting homeostasis and impairing the body's ability to regulate minerals and water. This leads to the dilution of vital electrolytes within the body’s water. As electrolytes become unbalanced, the body's ability to properly distribute water between its compartments is compromised, which can disrupt the function of essential organs.
Early signs of this condition include fatigue, weakness, and headaches. If left unchecked, more severe symptoms such as muscle cramps and irregular heart rhythms can develop.¹ These findings highlight the dangers of relying solely on reverse osmosis water, as its lack of essential minerals can significantly impact overall health in both the short and long term.
What about RO systems that reintroduce
minerals after filtration?
Since the harmful side effects of drinking reverse osmosis water have been scientifically proven, a popular solution has been to add minerals back into the water after filtration. However, scientists have noted that "none of the commonly used methods of re-mineralization can be considered optimal, as the water still lacks many of its beneficial components. Even a relatively low intake of essential elements through drinking water can provide a protective health benefit, especially when there is a borderline deficiency of that element."¹
In reality, it is nearly impossible to fully recreate the mineral and trace element composition of natural water after it has been processed through reverse osmosis. Given the challenges of properly re-mineralizing RO water, why take the risk of its potential side effects when there are healthier, more natural alternatives available?
is reverse osmosis water safe
Calcium and magnesium are both crucial elements for maintaining good health. Calcium is a key building block of bones and teeth, but it also plays essential roles in neuromuscular function, heart and muscle contraction, the transmission of intracellular signals, and blood clotting. Magnesium, on the other hand, is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, including those related to glycolysis, ATP metabolism, the movement of sodium, potassium, and calcium across cell membranes, protein and nucleic acid synthesis, and muscle contraction. While food is the primary source of calcium and magnesium, the intake of these elements through drinking water can still have important health benefits.
Even in developed countries with generally well-balanced diets, the absence of calcium and, more notably, magnesium in drinking water may not be adequately compensated by food alone. This is because minerals in water exist as free ions, making them more easily absorbed by the body than those bound to other substances in food. Therefore, even a modest intake of these elements through water can have a protective effect, especially in cases of marginal deficiency.
Since the 1960s, numerous epidemiological studies have linked low-calcium and low-magnesium water to higher rates of cardiovascular disease and mortality. More recent research has suggested that drinking water low in calcium, such as reverse osmosis-treated water, may increase the risk of fractures in children (Verd Vallespir et al. 1992), neurodegenerative diseases (Jacqmin et al. 1994), pre-term births, low birth weights (Yang et al. 2002), and certain cancers (Yang et al. 1997, 1998). Magnesium deficiency in drinking water has also been associated with increased risks of sudden death (Eisenberg 1992; Bernardi et al. 1995), motor neuron disease (Iwami et al. 1994), pregnancy complications like preeclampsia (Melles & Kiss 1992), and various cancers (Yang et al. 1999a, 1999b, 1999c, 2000).
Recent studies also suggest that reverse osmosis water may contribute to the risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, gastric and duodenal ulcers, chronic gastritis, goiter, pregnancy complications, and health issues in newborns such as jaundice, anemia, fractures, and growth disorders. Moreover, using reverse osmosis water for cooking can significantly reduce the essential mineral content of food. For instance, up to 60% of calcium and magnesium can be lost, and even higher losses occur with trace elements like copper (66%), manganese (70%), and cobalt (86%). In contrast, cooking with mineralized water tends to preserve these elements, and in some cases, it can even increase the calcium content in food.
Given that many modern diets are lacking in essential minerals, any factor that further depletes these nutrients during food preparation—such as using demineralized water—can be detrimental to health. A multi-city study found that women in cities with low-mineral water were more likely to experience cardiovascular issues (as indicated by ECG changes), higher blood pressure, somatoform autonomic dysfunctions, headaches, dizziness, and osteoporosis compared to those living in areas with higher-mineral water.
In the end, the focus should be on finding a balance between water purity and health benefits. While reverse osmosis systems excel at removing contaminants, they also strip away the essential minerals that our bodies need for optimal function. The potential health risks associated with drinking demineralized water, from cardiovascular issues to fatigue, highlight the importance of these minerals. Instead of relying solely on RO water, it’s worth considering water sources that retain or reintroduce beneficial elements, ensuring that the water we drink supports not just cleanliness, but also our overall well-being.
Sources:
1. Health Risks From Drinking Demineralised Water
Hyponatremic Seizures Among Infants Fed with Commercial Bottled Drinking Water
Calcium and Magnesium in Drinking Water and Risk of Death From Cerebrovascular Disease
Magnesium deficiency and sudden death
Association between calcium content of drinking water and fractures in children
