Does drinking water from a tank water purifier for a long period of time lead to inadequate mineral intake?

The filtration technology of a sink water purifier directly affects the retention of minerals.Ultra-filtration (UF) water purifiers have a filtration pore size of about 0.01 microns, which can effectively intercept bacteria, colloids and macromolecular pollutants, but will not remove dissolved mineral ions such as calcium, magnesium and potassium from the water, and are therefore suitable for users who wish to retain minerals.Reverse osmosis (RO) water purifiers have a higher filtration precision and can remove almost all minerals in the water, including both beneficial and harmful ions, but some high-end RO models will be equipped with post-mineralisation cartridges to artificially replenish minerals such as strontium and potassium.Activated carbon water purifiers mainly adsorb residual chlorine and organics, with less impact on minerals, and are suitable for homes with better water quality that only require basic filtration.

Even if you drink pure water filtered by an RO water purifier for a long period of time, the risk of insufficient mineral intake is still low because the minerals that the human body needs mainly come from food rather than drinking water.Studies have shown that more than 90 per cent of minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium come from the daily diet, such as milk, pulses, green leafy vegetables and nuts, while drinking water usually contributes less than 10 per cent of minerals.For example, a glass of milk contains about the same amount of calcium as 40 glasses of mineral water, so as long as you maintain a balanced diet, you don't need to rely too much on drinking water for mineral supplements.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) points out in its Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality that although minerals in drinking water have a supplemental effect on the human body, it has not been proven that long-term consumption of purified water can lead to health problems.The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also made it clear that drinking pure water does not directly lead to mineral deficiencies, but suggests that infants, young children, pregnant women and other special populations should pay attention to a balanced diet in order to ensure adequate nutritional intake.The conclusions of these authorities indicate that for most healthy people, water filtered by water purifiers will not significantly affect mineral intake.

For special populations such as infants, pregnant women, the elderly or osteoporosis patients, it is recommended to choose ultrafiltration water purifiers that can retain minerals, or use RO water purifiers with mineralisation cartridges to ensure that the drinking water contains the right amount of calcium, magnesium and other elements.In addition, these people can also make up for possible nutritional gaps by adjusting their diets to increase the intake of mineral-rich foods, such as dairy products, nuts, whole grains and dark vegetables.

When choosing a water purifier, the trade-off should be based on local water quality and individual needs.If the water quality is highly polluted, RO water purifier is the safest choice, while minerals can be supplemented through diet. If the water quality is good (only residual chlorine, sediment, etc. need to be removed), ultrafiltration or activated carbon water purifiers can satisfy the needs while retaining the natural minerals in the water.In addition, users can optimise their mineral intake by installing mineralisation cartridges or drinking natural mineral water on a regular basis.Regular water quality testing to avoid over-filtration is also an important measure to maintain healthy drinking water.