From a non-scientific perspective‚
the simple fact that nowhere on this planet do we find naturally occurring de-mineralized water‚ should tell us that
we were not meant to have it. In nature all fresh water contains traces of natural minerals like calcium‚ magnesium
and potassium‚ which is what our body was designed to run on and what the Aquasana system produces.
On a more scientific level‚ there are several very credible
research reports and books that stress the more recent opinion that long term consumption of de-mineralized water can in fact
be dangerous. Dr. Zolton Rona‚ author of The Joy of Health‚ states that "the longer one consumes distilled
water‚ the more likely the development of mineral deficiencies and an acid state." Dr. Paavo Airola‚ cancer
expert and author of "How to Get Well" and "Cancer... Causes‚ Prevention and Healing" also reports that "long term consumption
of distilled water eventually results in multiple mineral deficiencies."
It is important to look at the advantages or disadvantages of
other products or technologies even though they are not leading brands; such is the case with reverse osmosis and distillation
systems. Although none of the leading brands employ either of these de-mineralizing techniques‚ as their popularity
has declined in recent years‚ there is an ongoing debate over the healthfulness of de-mineralized water vs. filtered
water‚ with minerals. While there are studies that argue both sides of this debate‚ after 15 years of specialized
study in water quality and health‚ we feel that the benefits of drinking naturally balanced water with minerals vs.
de-mineralized water‚ just makes more sense.
Two very negative things happen when we consume water that has
been stripped of its natural minerals. First‚ because de-mineralized water contains more hydrogen it is an acid with
a pH below seven. Any time we consume an acid substance our body will pull minerals from our teeth and bones to produce bicarbonate
in order to neutralize the acid. Second‚ it has been proven that when our body fluids become more acid than alkaline
the production of free radicals increases‚ causing increased cancer risks. Many studies suggest that cancer cells can
only grow in an acid environment. This theory seems to be supported by the fact that around the world the areas where people
live the longest most disease free lives are the areas that have the most alkaline water‚ water with the highest mineral
content.
Reverse Osmosis and Distillation were first developed over 40
years ago for the printing and photo processing industries‚ which require mineral free water. Because of the popularity
and demand for home water treatment products many companies have marketed these products as "state-of-the-art" drinking water
systems‚ which they simply are not. Often these products are marketed by using a demonstration that measures the TDS
(total dissolved solids) and implies that this measurement shows the systems effectiveness at removing contaminants. TDS meters
measure the dissolved minerals in water‚ primarily calcium and magnesium‚ and have little or nothing to do with
contaminant levels.
Distillation and
reverse Osmosis are not very effective at removing synthetic chemicals. Distillation removes things based on their relative
boiling point. Virtually all synthetic chemicals boil at a lower temperature than water and therefore are vaporized and condensed
along with the water in a distillation process. Reverse Osmosis removes things based on molecular size. Virtually all synthetic
chemicals are molecularly smaller than water and therefore cannot be effectively removed by reverse osmosis..
This is a process that exposes water under pressure‚ to a semi-permeable membrane with a very fine pore structure. Because
most inorganic contaminants are of a larger molecular size than water‚ the membrane rejects certain contaminants‚
minerals and a large part of the water. The portion of water that passes through the membrane is stripped of inorganic compounds
and trace minerals. Because many synthetic chemicals like herbicides and pesticides are smaller‚ molecularly‚
than water... an R.O. system must also be used in conjunction with a carbon filter. R.O. systems require adequate water pressure
and extensive maintenance. Because most point-of-use R.O. systems produce less than 1 gal. per hour‚ they require a
diaphragmed storage tank. Reverse osmosis typically wastes 2 to 3 gallons of water for every gallon it produces and has an
18 to 24 cents per gallon usage cost.
