Testing bottled water: which is better. What is bottled water? What is bottled drinking water

In this article, we will look at the types and features of drinking water packaged in bottles. Mineral waters - table, medical and medical table - constitute a separate class, so we will talk about them separately. Drinking water differs from mineral water in a reduced salt content, as well as in the presence of existing standards for the general composition and properties.

natural water

There is no definition of natural water in the existing technical regulations, and, in principle, any manufacturer can write “natural” or “natural” on the label, because, in fact, all water is of natural origin. However, the concept of "natural" is usually applied to water from an underground source that has undergone minimal treatment (in foreign practice - water without treatment).

Purified water

The liquid obtained by osmosis is devoid of not only harmful, but also beneficial substances. Demineralized (desalinated, distilled) water is not suitable for daily use. The pH of such water shifts to the acid side, and to maintain the acid-base balance in the blood, minerals begin to “wash out” from the bones and teeth.

Ozonation - effective method, which allows you to oxidize microorganisms and at the same time preserve the original mineral composition of water. In addition, ozone has an aftereffect - it prevents the growth of bacteria in the bottle. The main risk is that ozone can create a suspension of soluble organic matter in the water, and if it is not removed, bacteria will again colonize such water as a nutrient medium, but already more dangerous.

Mineral composition of water

The value of drinking water is determined by micro and macro elements - about 50 substances in total. For a person, there is a certain physiological norm in terms of the amount and composition of mineral salts dissolved in water. Almost all drinking bottled waters indicate the general level of mineralization. From the point of view of daily water consumption by a person, the level of 200-500 mg / l can be considered optimal. With drinking water, a person can get up to 20% of the daily dose of calcium, up to 25% magnesium, up to 50-80% fluorine, up to 50% iodine - on the basis that a person consumes two liters of water per day.

Bottled water containers may be labeled as:

"bottled"
"drinking"
"artesian"
"mineralized"
"purified"
"key"
"well"
"carbonated".

Bottled water is also divided into water for personal and household use. The latter, as a rule, still water in PET bottles (3 or more liters).

Bottled water is divided into mineral and drinking.

Mineral water- this is the water of a properly registered underground source (well) with the original composition of mineral substances preserved. Mineral waters have a therapeutic effect, but subject to a number of conditions (a certain temperature, intake patterns and, often, immediate consumption at the source). Drinking liters of mineral water and considering it a cure is a delusion, and sometimes harm. It is possible and necessary to be treated with water, but preferably at a resort or, if outside the resort, then under the obligatory supervision of a doctor.

With the awareness of this problem, having carried out market research, bottled water manufacturers are now increasing their offer table and drinking water in the market of absolutely harmless in terms of mineralization, that is, in promoting their product, they focus on the purity of bottled water in comparison with problematic tap water and better “thirst-quenching” as opposed to carbonated drinks. The average mineralization of such water 0.1-0.35 g/l is considered safe and recommended for everyday consumption. When bottling natural water according to SanPiNam, it is not allowed to change the composition of the produced water. If the manufacturer purifies water with the help of equipment, then the requirements for the composition, and not for the source, become more stringent. In any case, the quality of water can only be assessed using chemical and microbiological analysis.

Bottling of bottled water is carried out using special machines. There are both semi-automatic filling machines and complete fully automatic filling and packaging lines for finished bottled products. Depending on the required productivity and the amount of use of manual human labor, the most suitable composition of machines and apparatuses of the bottling area is selected.

Water is an inorganic, inherently unique substance that determines the existence of life on our planet. It is the basis for all biochemical processes, the universal solvent. This substance is unique, because it can dissolve both inorganic , and organic substances.

Throughout life, it accompanies a person, and our body mostly consists of it. Therefore, it is impossible to live without it.

The article below will discuss why drinking water is good for you, how to do it right, and why you need to choose certain water to get maximum benefit for the body.

The question of what kind of water you can drink is relevant for most people. Very often we drink it without thinking about its origin.

However, you should always make sure that the fluid you consume is physically complete and healthy. When discussing whether it is healthy to drink water of a certain origin, the following factors should be considered:

natural origin is important - it must be mined from an underground source;
it should not contain any artificial additives;
it is important that there is no deep cleaning by osmosis;
it is desirable that it be slightly mineralized (0.5-0.75 g / l).

After all, only a liquid of natural origin, in its composition, has all the elements necessary for the body. Accordingly, it is difficult to find a more healthy drink for the body.

Of course, during the discussion, other questions arise - for example, what kind of water is better to drink - boiled or raw.

Which water is healthier - boiled or raw?

Since raw water contains many trace elements in the form of salts, it is better to drink it. Molecules in it are arranged in a peculiar way. That is why raw water is sometimes called living water. It promotes cell regeneration, prevents the formation of free radicals . However, it is often necessary to boil the water, as the untreated raw liquid may contain toxic substances and harmful substances. bacteria .

However, boiled water is practically useless for the body. Moreover, it is even harmful, so sometimes it is even called "dead". This name is associated with the following factors:

after boiling, the oxygen content is significantly reduced;
useful for the body salt in the process of boiling, they precipitate into an insoluble precipitate;
if you boil water from the tap, then chlorine , which it contains, turns into toxic compounds, which can subsequently provoke the development of oncological pathologies;
since after boiling the structure changes, then after about a day bacteria begin to multiply in it.

But, when discussing the questions of how “dead” water is useful, whether boiled water can be consumed, its benefits and harms should be adequately assessed. After all, there is always a very urgent issue of safety, and no one can guarantee that raw does not contain substances harmful and even dangerous to the body. Therefore, those who ask whether it is healthy to drink boiled water can be answered that the benefits of boiled water are at least in its safety.

But those who still choose boiled, should adhere to some rules. It is necessary to let the raw liquid stand for two hours, after which it should be boiled. Turn off the kettle as soon as it starts to boil. Then the liquid will already have time to be disinfected, but at the same time, part of the minerals will still remain in a form in which they can be absorbed by the body.

It is also important to drink boiled water only fresh and not store it. long time. But at the same time, it should be clearly understood that only in a liquid of natural origin there are all the important for health trace elements And macronutrients .

Is drinking water safe in our country?

Is it possible to drink water from the tap - a question that is relevant for many modern people. And not only from the tap, but also spring or bottled.

Through the use modern systems disinfection and purification, from the point of view of sanitary-chemical and microbiological indicators, tap water is safe. However, it must be remembered that in most settlements the water supply system is worn out, which leads to an excess of chlorine and iron in the liquid that flows from the tap. And sometimes it even contains bacteria and organic matter.

More preferably, when it comes to the water supply from an underground source. However, in most settlements, especially very large ones, the population receives it from various land sources - rivers, lakes, large reservoirs. Undoubtedly, it is purified, but still it remains not as high quality as it was raised from the ground.

What is the healthiest water to drink?

If we talk about raw, then the opinions of many differ. Some believe that it is better to buy bottled, even taking into account the rating of its manufacturers. Others calmly drink what runs from the tap.

Let's take a closer look at what water is best for drinking.

Tap water

It is pre-purified at enterprises that supply water to the population, to such an extent that it meets all the standards specified in the relevant documents. But still she is not the best choice. If other options are not available, the following guidelines should be followed:

practice boiling, taking into account the principles that were described above;
filter;
defend for two hours, and drink only the upper half of the settled liquid.

However, the latter method will not provide protection against harmful microorganisms and.

bottled

A good choice is bottled water. What it is? This is raw water that has been industrially purified beforehand. It is safe for consumption. It is also packaged in large bottles of 5, 10, 19 liters, etc. If we discuss the rating of bottled water, then we must take into account that it can be of the first and highest category.

The first category is tap water purified by deep purification, taken from surface water bodies.
The highest category - cleaned using gentle methods, disinfected with ultraviolet light, from an artesian well.

But before buying just such a variety for the whole family, you need to clearly know what bottled water is and whether it is useful. Provided that the cleaning has been carried out correctly, its benefits are undeniable, and it does not need to be boiled before consumption. But the reality is that many manufacturers, trying to save money, carry out certain stages of purification in bad faith. As a result, often the product is not as high quality as the annotations on the label indicate. And often low quality is confirmed by a control purchase.

To determine which bottled water is the best, and choose a good product, you need to consider the following:

a manufacturing company that has been operating on the market for a long time is more reliable;
conscientious manufacturers use high-quality packaging and labels;
a kind of "rating" of the best bottled drinking water can be found by talking with people - "popular" opinion is also important as an argument when choosing;
to fully ascertain the quality of the product, it can be taken to the laboratory and ordered for safety and quality checks.

spring

Spring water, the benefits or harms of which are often discussed by users, undergoes natural purification, making its way through several layers of soil. In such a liquid, as a rule, there are no harmful impurities and, moreover, it is enriched minerals passing through the soil.

When choosing just such water for children and adults, it should be borne in mind that those springs that are located near large cities, highways or industrial enterprises are not suitable in this case, since they are not clean and safe.

But there are a lot of springs, both widely known in certain regions, and small, but very clean, from which they take water that belongs to the highest category in all respects. Some of these springs usually have official passports and are restricted in access.

You can also find spring water on sale - it is also packaged and sold in bottles. But there are cases when, instead of spring water, unscrupulous manufacturers package ordinary artesian water. Its benefits and harms have already been described above. But in any case, artesian water is not spring water, so you should be very careful in choosing. In addition to following the recommendations that have already been described, you need to ensure that the label indicates the spring where the contents of the container were taken.

Those who prefer to collect water from a spring on their own must make sure that the container is always clean. Periodically, samples should be taken from the source and tested in the laboratory.

Mineral

Mineral water comes from natural sources and contains a large amount of salts and trace elements from the deep layers of the soil. When it passes through the soil, its mineralization gradually occurs. It is divided into three groups depending on the content of salts in it:

therapeutic - with a mineralization of more than 8 g / l;
medical-dining room - with a mineralization of 1-8 g / l;
dining room - with a mineralization of less than 1 g / l.

You can figure out what mineral water is useful for, and which mineral water is the most useful, by learning more about each of its varieties.

Dining room

It can be drunk without risk, as it does not have an active effect on the body. It is useful to drink such mineral water for those who have recently suffered poisoning, intoxication, acute intestinal infection. However, drinking it all the time is still not recommended. And it is also impossible to completely replace ordinary drinking mineral water in any case. Children under 12 years of age should not be given it without a doctor's prescription.

Therapeutic mineral

It is prescribed by a specialist, be sure to determine the dosage and period of use. Like medications She has both indications and contraindications. Therefore, without the appointment of a specialist, such water should not be consumed.

Medical-dining room

Such mineral water is also prescribed by a specialist. But later the patient himself can apply it in the same courses, adhering to the previously received recommendations.

Filtered water is widely consumed these days, and many homes have quick filters for cleaning. This is the most economical way to get quality liquid straight from the tap.

An expert will help you choose the best filter for drinking water. You can purchase a flow filter that is built directly into the plumbing system, as well as mobile pitcher-type filters.

But in order to get the most optimal result, you first need to analyze the water coming from the tap. Since each filter has a special cleaning basis, it is necessary to understand exactly what undesirable substances are in the composition of the liquid.

You can get a safe and healthy liquid “at the exit” by adhering to the following conditions:

choose the right filter to filter out specific substances;
change cartridges in a timely manner, ideally without waiting for the expiration of the time specified by the manufacturer;
periodically test samples in the laboratory to determine if filtration is helping.

Universal filters

They completely purify the liquid from bacteria and other harmful substances. Their principle of operation is the so-called reverse osmosis. Are there harm or benefits to the body when using such filters?

Such water is safe, as it is completely free of impurities. However, at the same time, it is also cleansed of salts. And distilled (salt-free) water is not very useful.

Distilled water: benefits and harms

If you regularly consume such a liquid, demineralization of the body develops. Liquid without salts will gradually take them out of the body. As a result, diseases of the heart, blood vessels, and the skeletal system can develop. Also, premature aging of the body will occur, metabolic processes will be disturbed.

Some modern expensive filters are equipped with a system that provides artificial mineralization of purified water. However, those salts that were artificially added to the liquid are not absorbed as well as natural salts. In addition, they can adversely affect the function of the urinary system.

It is also necessary to take into account the fact that chlorine compounds, which are carcinogenic, penetrate back through the membrane. And this increases the risk of developing oncological processes.

Pitcher filters

They purify the liquid only from a specific type of contaminant. And if a laboratory study has not been previously carried out in order to determine the presence of toxins and pollutants, then such filtering may be useless. And pathogenic microorganisms can multiply in cartridges, subsequently only worsening the condition of drinking water.

Melt water: harm and benefit

Relatively recently, information that melt water is very useful began to be widely disseminated in different sources. In particular, much is written about the fact that the molecular structure of such a liquid ensures its positive effect on the body. It is believed that it activates, reduces blood levels, strengthens and improves physical and intellectual activity.

But in fact, under normal conditions, it is impossible to get a useful “product”. After all, even if, after defrosting, the upper part should be separated, then harmful impurities can still remain in it.

Well

Wells are still often used in villages. But very often, well water is not safe, and if it is tested in a laboratory, it will not answer. sanitary standards. Often such a liquid contains a large amount of nitrates, iron, sulfates. And sometimes pathogenic organisms that are dangerous to health are found in it.

It is extracted from surface aquifers, which are heavily polluted. sewage. Rainwater also enters the wells, polluting it even more. In addition, garbage, corpses of birds and animals often fall into the wells. Therefore, it is not necessary to talk about the safety and benefits of such water, alas.

Until the child is three years old, bottled water of the highest category should be given to him. It must be boiled. When the child is three years old, he can drink it without boiling. But you need to buy only a quality, proven product.

However, there is another opinion, less conservative: after a year, you can start giving your child clean, unboiled water, provided that the parents are completely confident in its quality.

As a rule, experts do not advise buying a special one for children. After all, it has few minerals and salts, and it can "pull" them out of the child's body.

In any case, conscious people should ensure that the whole family consumes only high-quality and proven liquid. After all, health and well-being directly depend on this.

How to choose water so that it is healing and of high quality? Beautiful bottles with colorful labels beckon us to buy water not only to quench our thirst, but also to make up for the lack of minerals in the body. The number of bottled water producers is increasing every year, but not all of them produce really high-quality drinking water.

Water sources

There are two main sources of water supply: underground and surface. Underground sources include spring and artesian water. Spring water makes its way to the surface of the earth on its own in the form of a key. Therefore, spring water is also called spring water.

Artesian water is a source of the underground layer. At the same time, the level of artesian water in the underground layer is much higher than in the upper water layer. Artesian water is extracted from artesian wells.

Surface sources are river, lake and glacial waters. surface water are distinguished by their softness and high content of organic and mineral substances.

Underground sources are characterized by a high content of mineral salts, and, as a result, their hardness. At the same time, the deeper the well, the higher its content of harmful inorganic elements and salts of heavy metals at the bottom.

Types of water

Distilled water contains a low concentration of mineral salts, up to 100 mg per 1 liter. It is used to remove toxins from the body. However, the frequent use of distilled water is not recommended, as it leaches beneficial trace elements such as calcium, magnesium and potassium from the body.

Bottled water must comply with all state standards and hygiene requirements to drinking water. Real high-quality bottled water does not contain sweeteners, flavors and other food additives. It is allowed to add extracts and essences of natural origin to bottled water in an amount of not more than 1 weight percent.

Water types

Natural non-carbonated water is classified into categories: first and highest. The first category of natural non-carbonated water is well-purified tap water. Natural non-carbonated water of the highest category is extracted from underground sources.

Such water is considered beneficial for health. But this water may be of poor quality if it has not been properly cleaned or. Therefore, poor-quality natural non-carbonated water can cause intestinal poisoning.

Natural carbonated water is enriched with carbon dioxide to increase its shelf life. Such water is purified from possible microbes. However, carbon dioxide increases acid-base balance stomach, so this water is not suitable for drinking for people suffering from diseases gastrointestinal tract.

Drinking water with an enriched composition is saturated with silver, selenium, oxygen, iodine and fluorine. This water has antibacterial tonic properties. The use of such water is contraindicated for people with allergic reactions to any of the above elements.

Mineral table water is of two types: natural and artificial. It contains in its composition calcium, magnesium, sodium, chlorides and bicarbonates not more than 1 g per 1 liter. Artificial mineral water is made from fresh water through its purification and disinfection. Such water in the process of processing is additionally saturated with minerals.

Mineral medicinal table water is characterized by the content of 1-10 g of salts per 1 liter. such water normalizes metabolism. The abuse of such water can lead to the accumulation of salts in the body and their negative effects on various organs.

Mineral medicinal water has a high mineralization of more than 10 g per 1 liter. Such water may contain any one, several or all active trace elements in its composition. Mineral medicinal water is always carbonated. Despite her healing properties, the use of such water is made strictly according to the doctor's prescription.

Artesian water is considered the most useful and clean. In resort towns, pump rooms have been installed to receive artesian water, in which it accumulates, undergoing preliminary purification. Artesian water is bottled after cleaning it.

bottled water

There are 3 types of bottled water: natural mineral, artificial mineral and fresh drinking. Natural mineral water is extracted from artesian wells, mineral springs, springs and pump rooms. If the mineral water is really natural, then this is indicated on the label.

Artificial mineral water is obtained by enriching it with mineral salts, micro and macro elements. The composition and concentration per 1 liter of these substances must be indicated on the water label.

Fresh drinking water is obtained through purification and filtration. On final stage such water is treated with a chemical or ultraviolet light to kill possible bacteria in it. The quality of fresh drinking water must comply with GOST.

Bottled water comes in two categories: first and highest. The first category of bottled water confirms that it is safe to drink. The highest category of bottled water is tested against global safety standards and indicates that it is healthy.

Water of the highest category should contain in its composition a certain amount of macro- and microelements. Therefore, producers claiming to produce water of the highest category must use high-tech equipment to produce water of this quality.

Compound

The composition of water depends on its type, purity, aquatic life, type of production, saturation and purification. So, fresh drinking water is classified according to several parameters: pH acidity, hardness and organoleptics.

The pH value indicates the content of hydrogen ions in the aquatic environment. At pH< 7 водная среда является кислой, при рН = 7 — нейтральной, при рН >7 - alkaline.

According to the type of hardness, fresh drinking water can be carbonate or non-carbonate. In this case, rigidity can be removable or irremovable.

The composition of mineral water can include many micro and macro elements. The most important are calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium. Calcium salts have a beneficial effect on the growth and development of the human body. Potassium salts remove toxins and excess water from the body.

Mineral water, depending on the content of certain minerals in it, is classified into types. So, with a content of more than 600 mg of bicarbonates in its composition, water is considered bicarbonate. Ferrous water contains more than 1 mg of iron per 1 liter.

Calcium water contains 150 mg of calcium per 1 liter, acidic water contains more than 250 mg of carbon dioxide anhydrides per 1 liter. Water with a concentration of more than 50 mg of magnesium per 1 liter is considered magnesium, with a concentration of more than 200 mg of sodium per 1 liter - sodium.

Carbonated or non-carbonated

Carbonated water is considered harmful to the human body, as it can cause bloating or flatulence. Therefore, carbonated water is not recommended for people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Non-carbonated water is considered healthier and safer for all people to drink.

Hardness of water

Water is of two types: hard and soft. The hardness of water is determined by the content of dissolved salts of alkaline elements in it, in particular, calcium and magnesium. Water with a high concentration of such salts is hard, and with a low concentration - soft.

Rigidity is divided into temporary and permanent. So, temporary hardness is formed due to the presence of bicarbonates in water, and is easily eliminated by boiling. Permanent hardness of water is caused by the presence of mineral salts in it. The hardness of water is indicated by plaque on the inner surface of the kettle after boiling it.

Tara

Bottled water is poured into bottles made of two types of materials: polycarbonate and polyethylene containers. The quality of water also depends on the material of the bottle it is in. So, in a bottle made of polyethylene containers, water begins to contact with its walls after 3 months. This can cause poisoning of the body.

Polycarbonate is chemically neutral, that is, harmless, durable material. Water in such a bottle does not come into contact with its walls and does not change its physical and technical properties for 12 months.

Label

When choosing bottled water, pay attention to its label. It should indicate the manufacturer and his address. Also, the label should contain information about whether the water is with or without gas, mineral, artesian, spring or drinking purified water.

If the water is mineral, then the label should indicate what type it belongs to: table, medical table or medicinal. Also, the label should contain information about the group of water according to the concentration of basic salts and ions in it, and, in addition, about the number and location of the well.

Be sure to check the label for the release date and expiration date of the bottled water. The shelf life of water plastic bottles is 3-18 months, and in glass - 24 months.

Also on the label mineral water the total mineralization parameter must be specified. If these data are not indicated on the label, or there is no information about the manufacturer, then you should stop buying such water.

Manufacturer

When choosing bottled water, it is best to give preference to a domestic manufacturer, since in this case you can have at least some idea about the sources of its production. In addition, foreign manufacturers purify water through reverse osmosis technology, which is not effective.

If the water label indicates that it is iodized, then this is nothing more than a marketing ploy. In fact, scientists have not yet figured out how to saturate water with iodine. The manufacturer must indicate on the label of his bottled water compliance with all GOSTs and SanPiN.

Helpful Hints

How to determine the quality of bottled water by sight? First of all, carefully inspect the bottle. It must be new, elastic without damage and defects. The plug must be hermetically sealed.

The label must be properly affixed to the bottle. Slightly shake the bottle and see if the sediment settles on its bottom. It is best not to take water with sediment, as it may be of poor quality or expired.

Useful properties of water

The healing properties of water have been known to mankind since ancient times. Resorts and clinics were built near the mineral springs. So, mineral water promotes the regeneration of all cells of the human body and life expectancy.

The healing properties of mineral water are determined by 6 basic dissolved salts of sodium, calcium, magnesium, chlorine, sulfate and bicarbonate. In addition, the composition of mineral water includes in smaller quantities the rest of the chemical elements of the periodic table.

Mineral water is widely used in medicine for the treatment and prevention of various diseases. For certain diseases, doctors recommend drinking mineral water with a certain content and concentration of mineral salts in it.

Hydrocarbonate-sulfate mineral waters with a low concentration or absence of dissolved organic substances are indicated for people suffering from gastritis, uncomplicated peptic ulcer, and chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract.

Hydrocarbonate-chloride-sulfate mineral waters are prescribed for people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Chloride-sulfate mineral waters are indicated for patients with diabetes, obesity and gout. Hydrocarbonate-chloride-sulfate medicinal table waters are prescribed for patients with chronic diseases of the liver and pancreas.

Hydrocarbonate-sulfate mineral waters are recommended for chronic diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract. Ferrous mineral waters are prescribed for patients with iron deficiency anemia.

Mineral waters are widely and successfully used for the treatment and prevention of diseases of the stomach, intestines, liver and kidneys. In case of diseased intestines and liver, it is recommended to drink a glass of mineral water 3 times a day 30-60 minutes before meals, after heating it to a temperature of 40-45 degrees.

In case of obesity, it is recommended to consume 150-200 ml of mineral water room temperature 3 times a day 30-60 minutes before meals, after releasing all the gas. It should be remembered that it is impossible to self-medicate even in the case of drinking mineral water. The appointment should be made by a doctor after diagnosis and identification of symptoms.

We wish you a good choice!

In Europe, there has long been a rule to drink at least 2 liters of non-carbonated water daily, regardless of the number of first courses eaten and coffee, tea, and other drinks drunk. This norm is sacredly observed by people of any profession and any material wealth. In our country, people are also gradually joining this rule, but not everyone knows what kind of water is better to buy. There are so many of them on the shelves of stores that the eyes run wide. Few people meticulously read the information on the labels, moreover, it is often served in such small print that you need to take a magnifying glass. Therefore, among the abundance of brands, some choose the most famous, others - the one that is cheaper, believing that the water is all the same. This is not entirely true, because there is water of the highest category and the first, and among them there is natural and purified, which is far from the same thing. So what kind of water should be taken in order to benefit from it? Let's figure it out.

Why does the body need water

Even children know that we are all 80% water. Every day 500 ml is lost with sweat and breath, 1500 ml - with urine. Here, in order to restore the losses, you need to pour in yourself 2000 lost ml, only it should be high-quality drinking water. All this is true, but only in part.

Firstly, the figure of 80% is the average, but in fact, depending on age, weight and other indicators of water, each of us has a different amount. Secondly, we lose it also in different ways. More in the heat, less in the cold, more on the move, less on the couch. That is, someone needs to drink 2 liters of it, and for someone, even 3 will not be enough. But why drink it? Is it only to recover losses? It turns out that water can easily dissolve both organics and all kinds of chemical compounds, such as salts. Once in our body, it takes in a lot of harmful substances that are safely excreted in the urine. Thus, there is a natural cleaning of our systems from toxins and other muck. Of course, the best drinking water, that is, chemically purer, copes with this task much more efficiently. And one more important function of water is that chemical reactions and complex complex compounds are formed, without which we cannot live. That is why the loss of only about 10% of fluid by our body can end very sadly.

Types of drinking water

Now they write a lot about what drinking water of the highest category is. The rating of this product partly helps to find out which brand to buy. It is based on various analyzes and tests that determine the compliance of the chemical composition of water with GOSTs and SanPiNam. But the results of such checks are rarely displayed on the labels. But there is almost always evidence that water was extracted in such and such a region from such and such a depth, and other data that are not understandable to everyone are also reported. To clarify the situation, or perhaps even more confuse it, we note that in nature there are approximately 476 modifications of water, depending on which isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen make up its molecule. Naturally, the properties of these waters are different, and not all of them are equally beneficial to health. Fortunately, not all modifications can last long enough, and information about them is not displayed on the labels at all. What kind of water can be used for drinking? Its most famous types are:

light;
heavy;
soft;
hard;
underground (extracted from wells and aquifers);
mineral;
plumbing;
purified.

Categories of drinking water

Apart from the technical, which is not considered in this article, there are two categories of water - the highest and the first. Each country has GOSTs and SanPiNs for bottled drinking water that regulate their taste, color, chemical composition, transparency. Drinking water of both categories, unless it is therapeutic mineral water, must be clear, odorless, foreign impurities and sediment, otherwise it cannot be consumed at all. Regarding the chemical composition, higher requirements, of course, must be met by drinking water of the highest category. The rating, taken into account by many buyers, shows which brands of water that passed the quality control meet the standards. It is this product that becomes the most popular. Now about 700 types of drinking water are produced. It is clear that it is difficult to check all of them, and unscrupulous manufacturers can write anything on the label. How common man distinguish quality water from a fake?

First, for the price. If the water is really extracted in an ecologically clean region, and even from a decent depth, then it has high production costs. Therefore, it cannot be cheap. If the water is of poor quality, the manufacturer does not risk setting a high price, since it is very important for him to quickly sell his product and get benefits before a possible test.

Secondly, according to the information on the label. On it, if indeed the water is of the highest category, the place of its production, the address and website of the manufacturer, and the chemical composition must be indicated. In reality, almost all elements from the periodic table can be present in natural drinking water, but most chemical elements are so small that they are ignored.

Basically indicate the content of such chemicals and compounds:

potassium (up to 10 mg/l);
magnesium (up to 20 mg/l);
sodium (up to 100 mg/l);
calcium (up to 20 mg/l);
nitrates (up to 45 mg/l);
chlorides (up to 100 mg/l);
sulfates (up to 30 mg/l);
bicarbonates (up to 300 mg/l).

Sometimes the labels indicate the pH of the water, which should be in the range of 6.5-7.5. The discrepancy of even one of these indicators does not give the right to assign the highest category to water.

Water is light and heavy

The taste, color, smell and one and the other are the same, but the usefulness is very different. Numerous experiments have proven that the best drinking water, which, among other things, has high medicinal properties, is easy. It contains practically no impurities of deuterium (an isotope of hydrogen) and other heavy elements, therefore, the purification of the body from toxins, and all metabolic processes in it, are better. Light water even in the treatment of cancerous tumors helps. in which deuterium atoms are attached to the oxygen atom, it is harmless to humans if you drink it in large quantities. But there is no benefit from it either. In nature, deuterium molecules are found in any water, no matter how deep it is extracted from wells. It is logical that these molecules contain any drinking water of the highest category. There is no rating on this issue, but choosing bottled water, you can buy products from well-established brands, and at home make this good, but ordinary water easy way freezing in the refrigerator followed by thawing. What will melt, first of all, will be the cleanest drinking water in the world, which is most beneficial to health. And the rest of the ice after such a procedure is desirable to throw away, since it will collect all the harmful impurities.

Water soft and hard

With these characteristics, things are easier. Soft water or hard - depends on the content of magnesium and calcium salts in it. In small quantities, you can drink both, and in large quantities, hard water can lead to the formation of kidney stones, and soft water can lead to pressure problems. In everyday life, you can by eye. So, if there is too much calcium and magnesium salts in it, there will be little foam when soaping the hands, and if there is a shortage, it will seem that the soap is not washed off the hands. But when buying water in a store, no one conducts such experiments. Yes, this is not necessary, because the content of hardness salts in water is strictly defined by GOST and must be indicated on the label. IN different countries figures may vary slightly.

In Russia, from 01/01/2014, water hardness is measured in degrees and is indicated by "°F" or in milligram equivalents per liter, of which in drinking water should be at least 1.5 and not more than 2.5 units. Sometimes the labels do not indicate hardness, but the amount of calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+), as well as their salts (CaSO4, MgSO4, CaCl2, MgCl2). The amount of each salt is not regulated by GOST, it only indicates how many of them should be in total. If these standards are met, then we may well have drinking water of the highest category suitable for everyday use. The rating, in order to be high, must take into account the content in it of other useful trace elements, especially nitrates. As for the tests for magnesium-calcium, such well-known brands as Aqua Minerale, Dombay did not pass it, and there was a lot of chlorine in the water of the Holy Spring and Shishkin Les brands.

Mineral water

Now mineral water is freely sold in any store, so many people buy it as ordinary drinking water, being sure that mineral water is any where there are trace elements. In fact, mineral water is called water, extracted only from certain aquifers and having a strictly regulated chemical composition. Just this water of the highest category can have a rather unpleasant taste, smell, and sometimes even color and sediment, which depends on the salts with which it is rich. It is important to know that, despite the rich (indicated on the labels) chemical composition, water is not considered mineral if it is a mixture of natural and artificially made.

There will be no high-quality mineral water and water, which is a mixture extracted from various aquifers, but, unfortunately, this cannot be determined by the label. You can navigate here only by the names of brands. So, time-tested and having good feedback consumers, natural drinking water is Borjomi, Narzan, Essentuki, Mukhinskaya, and in Ukraine - Mirgorodskaya, Kuyalnik, Polyana Kvasova. In terms of composition, mineral waters can be sulfate, hydrocarbonate, chloride, mixed, and in terms of the concentration of useful substances, they can be table waters (trace elements in them up to 1 gram per 1 dm 3), medical table waters (trace elements up to 10 grams per dm 3) and medicinal. Every day you can use only the dining room without consulting a doctor.

Tap water and purified

Previously, no one bought bottled water, and even non-carbonated water, everyone drank tap water. There are also GOST and SanPiN standards for its purity, therefore, in principle, it should be suitable for drinking in any quantities. tap water in most countries, they are subjected to several stages of purification: mechanical, coagulation, filtration, aeration, sterilization, or, in other words, chlorination. Despite such a serious technology, the rating of drinking tap water is one of the lowest, because it almost always contains salts of various chemical elements in large quantities, these elements themselves, such as chlorine, and sometimes pathogens. Therefore, we no longer want to drink such water.

Savvy entrepreneurs figured out how to capitalize on it and still do good. The method is simple and consists in additional cleaning. The cost of the whole process is relatively low, so the price of the product is low, although the label may indicate that the water is crystal clear, mineralized and generally the best.

However, a reasonable buyer should understand that the best bottled water cannot cost 5-10 rubles per liter and a half, even if it says “spring” or “artesian”. For comparison, bottled water, extracted from pure natural sources of the Alps, pulls 70-80 rubles per liter bottle.

But what is purified water? We use two methods: trusted by the people, although little understood, reverse osmosis and mysterious coagulation. Let's see how they work.

Reverse osmosis is the passage of water through several membranes with a microscopic texture, on which all the elements dissolved in water remain one by one. The result is almost perfectly pure, similar to distilled water. For health, it is not useful, because, once in the human body, it begins to replenish those removed from it. useful material taking them away from our body. To prevent this from happening, manufacturers enrich it again, so the composition of trace elements indicated on the labels of such water may be correct, but the highest category is rarely assigned to it.

Coagulation consists in adding a coagulant (clarifier) to ordinary water, which precipitates some chemical substances and micronutrients. After that, the water is separated from the sediment and bottled. The process is so cheap and easy that about 70% of all manufacturers use it. So, buying the cheapest drinking water, you can stumble upon a product that is not particularly suitable for health.

Water from the bowels of the earth

Wells of various depths (even more than 50 meters) are available to many Russians in their yards. It would seem, why should they buy bottled natural water, if you can use your own, also natural. However, such water shows the excess of microelements in it not by two, and not even by ten, but by several tens of times. Obviously, you can't drink it. The problem is that the entire thickness of the earth's crust, like a cake of cakes, is made up of geological layers - loam, sandstone, limestone and others. The closer to the surface of the earth and the closer to settlements, especially to industrial centers, the more chemical elements, garbage, waste products of people and animals are in the layers. All this easily falls into shallow water layers, so they can be used for drinking only after thorough cleaning.

The so-called high water, which is formed during floods and river floods, is also unsuitable for drinking. And yet, the bowels of the Earth can give us clean and healthy water, only to get it, you need to drill artesian wells. IN different regions their depth varies from 100 to 1000 meters. The required water must be between waterproof layers rocks and to be there under pressure, therefore, from a drilled well it beats with a fountain. In many ways, artesian water is the best bottled water available in stores, despite the fact that it also contains some salts and trace elements. Manufacturers, as a rule, indicate on the labels from what depth and in what region their product was mined. If it is, for example, the Carpathians, the Urals or the Alps, whose ecological cleanliness no one doubts, we can safely say that such drinking water is of excellent quality. There can be dozens of brand names here. Which one to choose if there are no well-known and popular ones on sale? There is only one advice here - trust the information on the label.

Carbonated water

It is believed that soda quenches thirst better than plain water, that it is tastier and completely harmless. But is it useful? If you take European countries, for example, Greece, the founder of the rule on daily and mandatory drinking of water, so it is almost impossible to meet soda in one and a half liter, and even more so two-liter eggplants. Such water is sold in a maximum of half-liter glass bottles, not counting the classic soda.

We have everything in a row, adding carbon dioxide to it. He really changes taste qualities, and in addition, it helps the salts to remain dissolved and not precipitate. It is for this that they are enriched with carbon dioxide before bottling, because there are a lot of salts in them. Should non-mineral water of the highest category be carbonated? And why do this if there are not so many salts in plain water to be afraid of their precipitation, and the taste should be good even without carbon dioxide? The answer to these controversial questions may be the taste preferences of buyers, many of whom like soda.

Products of famous brands, whose manufacturers value their name, can be purchased safely, but when buying cheap soda, it is useful to think about whether there is something good in it, except for carbon dioxide. But high-quality carbonated water should not be drunk in large quantities, since CO2, which is part of it, activates the secretion of gastric juice, adversely affects enamel, and contributes to increased gas formation in the intestines.

Drinking water rating of famous brands

A single study that would cover all commercially available water, not forgetting the one intended for coolers, has not yet been conducted, so the rating of brands can be considered conditional, since it is based on checks made selectively. According to some data, Bon Aqua water is the best, followed by Holy Spring, Aqua Minerale, Arkhyz. According to others, "Holy Spring" and "Aqua Minerale" did not reach the highest category at all, and the first place was taken by the Nizhny Novgorod water "Dixie". Second and third places went to "foreigners", the French Vittel and Evian. Not only in Russia, but also in Europe, this is water of the highest category. Customer reviews about it are excellent, but absolutely all respondents note a high price.

Domestic "Lipetsk byuvet" is a little cheaper, but it also contains fewer trace elements. "Aqua Minerale" according to the results of the test turned out to be without trace elements at all, that is, almost sterile, although the label does not say this. But the waters Shishkin Les, Prosto Azbuka, Crristaline, Aparan, Holy Spring and even Bon Aqua, bottled in Moscow, were blacklisted due to gross violations of quality standards and deception of customers.