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Not all water is good for you

Six out of ten Belgians think that all bottled waters are equally pure

'Water' is so familiar and obvious to us that we seldom stop and think about it. The offhandedness with which we choose our brand of water is in direct antithesis to the very conscious manner in which we select our food. This is possibly due to the obstinate misconceptions that continue to exist about water.

Six out of ten Belgians think that all bottled water is equally pure, while significant differences exist in terms of both composition and purity. 69% of Belgians think that all brands of bottled water can be used in limitless quantities. But research has demonstrated that around 1 in 4 bottled water brands – even some of those traditional ones that are widely known– are quite simply not suited for daily consumption!

So please be aware and compare the mineral values to the prescribed maximum consumption. That will help you to make an informed and conscious choice.

Of the bottled waters, 27% is unsuitable for daily consumption.

The consumer organisationation Test-Aankoop investigated 48 brands of bottled water for fluouride, sulphate and/or sodium content. Of these 27% were not suitable for daily consumption becuase their mineral values are too high.

The following transgressions were exposed:

• The sulphate content was too high in no less than 21% of the brands. They exceeded the 250 mg/l threshold. An excess of sulphate can lead to dehydration and the intestinal tract being irritated
• In four brands of bottled water, the researchers encountered over 1.5 mg/l of fluouride. Such large doses can corrode the enamel on your teeth.
• An excess of sodium affects the kidneys and the heart, and could lead to high blood-pressure and other heart and vascular diseases. Sodium also affects calcium metabolism, and excessive concentrations could lead to osteoporosis.

Stricter standards for infants and pregnant women

Stricter standards apply for pregnant women and infants than it does for the population in general. The Belgian Association of Pediatricians recommend that only water with a dry residue of less than 500 mg/l be used for infants.

This strict standard means that 58% of the studied brands cannot be used. Tap water does not always satisfy this standard either!

Sip-Well crystal water is mineralised to an opitimum level. The mineral salts concentration is well below the prescribed standards; so low mineralized water (eg. Sip-Well crystal water) is an ideal partner for pregnant women, babies and kidney and heart patients.

So which water is suitable for daily consumption?

Sip-Well crystal water leads the pack in terms of satisfying all the prescribed values. That's nothing to be suprised about: we are not embarrassed to describe our focus on food safety as a fanatical one.

Sip-Well crystal water is one of the least mineralised waters in Europe and is well below the recommended maximum values for the limited minerals. And so it is perfectly suitable for daily consumption by everybody.

So take a moment to think about your choice of water. Always check the values of the water. Should the crucial mineral values not be stated on the bottle, we recommend that you do not drink the water. An excellent starting point for comparison is the detailed information on Sip-Well crystal water.