Natural mineral waters: chemical characteristics and health effects

• Published in: Clinical cases in mineral and bone metabolism Vol. 13; no. 3; pp. 173 - 180
• Main Authors: Quattrini, Sara, Pampaloni, Barbara, Brandi, Maria Luisa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Italy CIC Edizioni Internazionali 2016
• Subjects: Mini-Review; calcium; bottled water; natural mineral waters; sulphate; endocrine disruptors; magnesium; bicarbonate
• ISSN: 1724-8914; 1971-3266; 1971-3266
• DOI: 10.11138/ccmbm/2016.13.3.173

Water contributes significantly to health and a daily intake of 1.5 to 2 liters of water should be guaranteed, because a good hydration is essential to maintain the body water equilibrium, although needs may vary among people. However, worldwide population is far from the Recommended Allowance for water intake. Among the waters for human uses, there are 'waters (treated or not), intended for drinking, used for the food and beverages preparation or for other domestic purposes' and
that are 'originated from an aquifer or underground reservoir, spring from one or more natural or bore sources and have specific hygienic features and, eventually, healthy properties'. According to the European Legislation (2009/54/EC Directive), physical and chemical characterization is used to make a classification of the different mineral waters, basing on the analysis of main parameters. Mineral composition enables to classify natural mineral waters as bicarbonate mineral waters, sulphate mineral waters, chloride mineral waters, calcic mineral waters, magnesiac mineral waters, fluorurate mineral waters, ferrous mineral waters and sodium-rich mineral waters. Although the concerns about bottled mineral waters (due to plasticizers and endocrine disruptors), many are the health effects of natural mineral waters and several studies explored their properties and their role in different physiological and pathological conditions.