There has been a lot of emphasis on drinking plenty of water from nutritionist and health experts. Similarly, when discussing global health issues, water always takes center stage. Every year millions of people suffer from gastrointestinal problems due to water contamination.
While we agree water is life, not just any water is good for the body. You should only take clean, pure, and uncontaminated water. However, clean and pure drinking water is not easy to come by. This is where reverse osmosis comes in handy
Reverse Osmosis is a type of water purification technology. It involves using a semi-permeable membrane to eliminate ions, large particles, and molecules from water. Ultimately, it helps to purify water for cooking, drinking, and other uses.
How Does Reverse osmosis happen
Reverse osmosis chemical treatment process forces water to pass through special membranes. It exerts pressure on the water to remove solid substances, minerals, large molecules, and foreign contaminants. Unlike normal osmosis, in reverse osmosis, artificial external pressure counteracts the osmotic pressure to reverse the natural movement of the pure solvent.
Reverse osmosis has potent water purification capabilities. It is a scientifically proven and effective method of filtering harmful elements from water. The process can remove a wide variety of harmful bacteria and tiniest molecules.
On the downside, reverse osmosis removes beneficial minerals from water hence raising concerns. Here is the big question; is reverse osmosis healthy for the human body? The answer is yes. Below are the reasons why.
1. The Water is Lead-Free
Lead is a major contaminant, especially in water systems that have old and depilated plumbing. High lead levels in the human and animal bodies cause fertility problems, high blood pressure, and muscle/nerve damage.
Thus, reverse osmosis filtering system effectively removes lead from water, consequently making the water safe for consumption. Drinking reverse osmosis water also reduces the risk of developing anemia and brain damage.
2. Ideal for cancer patients
Reveres osmosis treated water is ideal for cancer patient during and after treatment. Note, chemotherapy and radiations make the immune system of cancer patients weak. In connection to that, unpurified water that contains germs and microorganism can cause infections. But, the reverse osmosis system provides pure and safe water that does not burden the immune system.
3. Contaminants free
Reverses osmosis eliminates contaminants in water by removing molecular compounds smaller than water molecules. Apart from lead, unhealthy water may contain iron, manganese, and other compounds.
That is why reverse osmosis purifications processes are the most effective method of removing these molecular compounds. Parasites are also a major concern in water contamination. They pose a great threat to safe and clean water. Reverses osmosis removes parasites water.
4. Removes Cryptosporidium
Cryptosporidium is a parasite present in contaminated water. When ingested, it causes fever, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. In addition, it causes malnutrition and dehydration in children. The good thing is that reverse osmosis water does not contain Cryptosporidium. You can, therefore, rest assured that you are safe from developing gastrointestinal infections.
5. Filters Sodium
Reverse osmosis process removes sodium from the water. The membranes of the water filtering system cannot allow large sodium molecules to pass through. Therefore, reverse osmosis water is suitable for people with sodium restrictions, high blood pressure, and liver and kidney diseases.
Reverse osmosis is even better than water softeners. Water softeners resolve water hardness issues only and thus not ideal for water purification. Soft water is excellent for bathing, laundry, and cleaning.
Since water softeners use ion exchange process, sodium molecules replace hard minerals. However, you still have a lot of dissolved solids. While water softeners add sodium molecules, reverse osmosis water filters removes these molecules. It follows that integration of water softeners and reverses osmosis will give you purified soft water.
6. No need to buy bottled water
Tap water may be unfit for drinking. Since some people are wary of tap water content, they resort to buying bottled water. However, bottled water is expensive and creates a lot of waste as bottles go unrecycled. Reverse osmosis system avails clean drinking water at a cheaper cost.
Apart from health effects, reverses osmosis water boasts of other benefits. Here are some of these benefits.
7. Improved taste
Reverses osmosis has better taste compared to tap water. Surprising, isn’t it? Well, tap water contains impurities such as sulfur, nitrates, and lead that affect the taste of food.
For instance, municipal water contains a lot of chlorine. It gives your food a peculiar taste and discolors it. By eliminating these molecules from tap water, reverse osmosis water tends to be fresher, cleaner, and palatable. You might even find that reverse osmosis makes your food, tea, and coffee taste better.
8. Clear Ice Cubes
Have you ever wondered why some ice cubes seem cloudy? The reason is water contains impurities and gases. As the water freezes the impurities get crystalized to form the cloudy appearance. Ice cubes made from reverse osmosis are crystal clear and melt slower hence keeping your drink cold for long.
9. Negative Concerns
Reverses osmosis is not without some concerns. Reverse osmosis eliminates a significant amount of natural and beneficial minerals such as magnesium and calcium, which are necessary for healthy and robust body. Lack of calcium and magnesium in the body causes cardiovascular disorders, fatigue, weakness and muscle cramps.
The water also leaches minerals from the body. This means that the minerals consumed through food will pass as urine. This affects water metabolism imbalance and general health.
As if that is not enough, water treated through reverse osmosis can dilute electrolytes and hence compromise the functioning of vital organs in the body. Electrolyte dysfunction causes headaches, muscle cramps, and fatigue.
There is a way around this problem. First of all, people get most of the minerals from food. Also, most of the minerals found in water are organic meaning that it is difficult for the body to absorb them. But here is the point. If you are concerned about losing minerals, you should consider minerals supplements. They will prove to be very beneficial.
Conclusion
The health benefits of Reverse osmosis outweigh the adverse effects. First, Reverses osmosis prevents adverse health problems. It is also cheaper than buying bottled water and eliminates the maintenance costs of a plumbing system. Lastly, Reverses osmosis water purification process separates harmful chemicals from water. In a nutshell reverses osmosis water offers a plethora of health benefits and, to top it all off, provides tastier water.
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