What Makes Water Safe for Drinking?
Water is an essential component of the human body, one of the seven nutrients (minerals, lipids, proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, water, and dietary fibers), playing a crucial role in human health. Scientific, reasonable, and safe drinking water is essential for ensuring the healthy survival of life. From the perspective of drinking water and health, good drinking water should meet the following requirements: First, it must be clean, free of pathogenic bacteria, heavy metals, and harmful chemicals; second, it should contain appropriate amounts of minerals and trace elements; third, it should have fresh and adequate dissolved oxygen; fourth, it should be slightly alkaline, with small water molecule clusters and strong activity.
Currently, the main drinking water sources for residents in our country include tap water, purified water, artificial mineralized water, mineral water, and natural water. Tap water is directly sourced from natural water sources (surface water, groundwater) and is purified and disinfected through a series of treatment processes before being supplied to users, making it the most widely used domestic drinking water. Purified water typically originates from city tap water, filtering out harmful substances while also removing essential minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc, and is not recommended for excessive consumption.
Mineral water is enhanced by adding minerals artificially to improve its mineral content. While this water compensates for some of the mineral deficiencies found in purified water, whether the added minerals can be absorbed and utilized by the human body remains to be further studied. Spring water refers to naturally occurring or artificially extracted groundwater from deep underground that is uncontaminated. Spring water contains certain mineral salts, trace elements, and carbon dioxide gases, which are easily absorbed by the human body. Drinking an appropriate amount of spring water is beneficial to one's health.
What Should We Drink?
Plain water is essential for human hydration. The proper time to boil water is to maintain a rolling boil for 3 to 5 minutes after the water reaches a full boil. Studies show that as the temperature rises, the content of carcinogenic substances like halogenated hydrocarbons in chlorinated water also increases. Water at 90 degrees Celsius and just after boiling poses potential dangers. Boiling for an additional 3 to 5 minutes after it starts to boil can quickly evaporate these harmful substances. However, boiling water for too long is also detrimental as the longer it boils, the more water evaporates, and the nitrite content in the water may increase, posing health risks.
It is recommended to drink boiled water at a temperature between 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, avoiding extremes. Water that is too cold can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, while excessively hot water can scald the mucous membranes in the mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach, leading to congestion and inflammation. Chronic inflammation may be a predisposing factor for cancer. Raw water and water from steamers should not be consumed. Raw water refers to unfiltered, untreated water such as river, stream, well, and reservoir water, which may contain pathogenic microorganisms and can lead to intestinal diseases upon drinking, such as acute gastroenteritis, typhoid, dysentery, and parasitic diseases. Water from steamers is the leftover water from cooking rice or steaming buns. Due to the prolonged heating time, heavy metals and nitrites can concentrate, increasing their content and posing harm to the human body.
Choose beverages wisely. The primary function of beverages is to replenish the body's water needs while also providing a pleasurable taste experience. However, many beverage products contain sugar and protein, along with added flavors and colors, making them less likely to stimulate hunger. Therefore, replacing drinking water with beverages not only fails to hydrate the body but can also diminish appetite and affect digestion and absorption. Moreover, most beverages contain a certain amount of sugar. Excessive consumption, especially of high-sugar beverages, can inadvertently lead to excessive energy intake, causing an energy surplus in the body. Some individuals, particularly children and adolescents, drinking large amounts of sugary beverages instead of water daily is an unhealthy habit that should be corrected.
