Is reverse osmosis water good for you? How RO water affects your health?

When it comes to water filtration, there are many types of systems to choose from and one of them is the reverse osmosis water system also known as RO. But if you are reading this article you want to know if the water filtered by a reverse osmosis system is good for your health. So, let’s dive into it by explaining first how the RO system works:

The RO machines have a series of filters that remove various things, but the primary stage is a semi-permeable membrane through which about 20 to 25% of the water molecules are forced. The rest is sent to the drain, although some ROs now claim to be as high as 50% efficient.

Water from a reverse osmosis water system, often called RO, has virtually everything but the H2O removed.

That means that it’s fairly unnatural, but some people feel compelled to have as “pure” water as they can get believing it to be healthier.

The reality is that no creature on the planet has evolved to drink water that’s been purified to such an extent, and that’s why there are so many conflicting views.

Is reverse osmosis water safe to drink?

For most people, you can drink reverse osmosis water everyday and it will be perfectly safe.

There’s nothing in reverse osmosis water that’s bad for your health.

It will still hydrate you, and staying hydrated is certainly good for your health. So drinking RO water is good for health from that perspective.

Is drinking reverse osmosis water bad for you?

Not really, although there are some conditions to that.

Ordinary water contains all sorts of minerals and trace elements that are vital to health, so if you only drink reverse osmosis water then you could, potentially, have deficiencies of some of those elements.

According the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendations on water quality demineralised water such as from RO does not conform to standards.

That’s because it recommends at least 10mg/L of magnesium, 30 mg/L of bicarbonate ions, 30 mg/L of calcium, and 100 mg/L of other dissolved salts and RO water fails those parameters.

However, if you have a good, varied diet and “eat the rainbow” of different coloured, unprocessed foods then you’ll never have to question is RO water bad for health.

That’s because all those mineral and elements will be provided by the rest of your diet.

There is chatter online about drinking reverse osmosis water can reverse the process and it leaches the minerals out of your body.

There is some medical opinion that supports the theory, although it hasn’t been categorically proven as far as we know.

Going back to the WHO’s guidance; it states that “low-mineral content water — in the light of the absence or substantial lack of essential minerals in it — is not considered ideal drinking water, and therefore, its regular consumption may not be providing adequate levels of some beneficial nutrients.”

In the UK our access to diets rich in minerals and other substances means that it’s less crucial to have the levels suggested by the WHO, but it could be a risk for people with underlying health conditions and pregnant women.

Bearing that in mind, you may wish to reconsider whether there are any health benefits of reverse osmosis.

What about the contaminants in tap water?

If you’ve arrived at this article because you may have been worrying about the tap water in the UK having all sorts of nasty and dangerous chemicals, then you’re probably already considering getting a reverse osmosis water filter.

If you’ve set your heart on that then we suggest that you should ensure you get an RO that has a remineralisation stage – these have a final filter that adds calcium, and sometimes magnesium back into the water. That will also lift the pH again so it’s not to acidic.

However, there are many more minerals and elements that have been removed too that these do not restore.

Alternatives to a reverse osmosis water system

We always ask people who contact us what it is about their water that they want to improve – and you should ask yourself that before deciding that you need an RO water filtration system.

The reason we do that is because there’s a very good chance there’s a simpler, more cost effective, and more environmentally friendly way to get the water quality that’s desired.

The majority of “contaminants” that people want to remove are things like chlorine, lead, bacteria, hormones, chemicals, pollutants such as PFAS, and the like.

The water in the UK is some of the best in the world, however it’s a legitimate concern.

What you may not realise is that all of those can be removed to a great extent by water filters that are highly efficient and cheaper to run than an RO system.

Better still, they leave the good minerals and elements in your drinking water and are much easier to maintain.

There’s also less waste of water, fewer cartridge changes, and no electricity for the pump.

Have a look at our water purifiers in stock that can be used for mains water and drinking water applications – they are especially affordable if you want to purify the water to your whole house.

And if you’re still confused or unsure what you need at Fountain Filters we are always happy to speak to you about your specific requirements, you can call us on 01352838281 or ask us a question on our helpdesk.