Drinking hard water can have certain health benefits. |
What Happens If You Drink
‘Hard’ Water?
.
.
You’d have a hard time forming lather with hard water. Talk about too much hardness in a single sentence! |
Ashish
Hard
water is generally not a health risk, just more of a nuisance.
In
fact, drinking hard water can have certain health benefits, which are
attributed to the calcium and magnesium dissolved in the water.
Have
you ever had someone remark that the water they drink is ‘too hard’?
If
you’ve heard that phrase, did you know what they meant? As in, do you
understand how water — which is a liquid — can be ‘too hard’?
I
have asked this question to plenty of people, and they often have no idea what
hard water is — just like this guy:
If
you know what hard water is, do you know if it’s safe to drink it? Drinking
hard water doesn’t seem like a normal thing to do, but is it actually risky?
What
is Hard Water?
Hard
water is just like regular water, except it has more minerals.
To
be more specific, hard water has a higher concentration of magnesium and
calcium ions.
These
are the two primary ions, but the hardness of water can be caused by other
dissolved metals too, namely those that form divalent or multivalent cations,
including barium, aluminum, strontium, zinc and manganese. Usually, monovalent
ions (like sodium and potassium) don’t cause hardness in water.
How
does water get hard?
Water
is a very good solvent, which is why it picks up and dissolves impurities so
easily.
After
originating from its source, water moves through rock and soil. During its
journey, it dissolves tiny amounts of minerals and holds them in solution.
As
water moves through rocks, it continues to accumulate these minerals, and
eventually, the concentration of these minerals becomes significant enough to
impart a “hardness” to water.
As water moves through rocks, it continually acquires hardness. |
Also,
it’s particularly difficult to work up a lather in hard water, which also lends
itself to the name.
How
can you tell if water is hard?
Soap
used in hard water combines with the minerals present in the water to form a
sticky soap curd.
This
is why certain synthetic detergents are less effective at forming lather in
hard water, as the active ingredient of the detergent is partially inactivated
by water’s hardness.
The
inability of hard water to easily form a lather is the biggest indicator of its
hardness.
.
This is often experienced in conjunction with the formation of a film of sticky soap curd on the skin. This film usually prevents bacteria and soil from being removed.
.
This is often experienced in conjunction with the formation of a film of sticky soap curd on the skin. This film usually prevents bacteria and soil from being removed.
Is
hard water safe to drink?
Hard
water is not a health hazard, even if it doesn’t taste completely normal.
That
is the decidedly simple answer, but there are a few more things you should
consider before making it a habit…
Hard
water is generally not a health risk, just more of a nuisance (for other
reasons, including taste, how it messes with water pipes, its effect on skin
and hair, etc.).
In
fact, drinking hard water can have certain health benefits, which are
attributed to the calcium and magnesium dissolved in the water.
According
to the World Health Organization, hard water has no known adverse health
effects.
A
great deal of research has been done on the relationship between cardiovascular
diseases and hard water.
Many
studies suggest a correlation between the consumption of hard water and a
lowered risk of cardiovascular disease, but no firm conclusions have been drawn.
In
studies conducted by a group of Taiwanese scientists, a negative statistical
association of various types of cancer with the hardness of water and calcium
consumption was found.
Several
studies indicated that the calcium from hard water provided a protective effect
against cancer.
Hard
water has an effect on many other conditions too, including diabetes, kidney
stones, Alzheimer’s disease, childhood atopic dermatitis and many more.
All
in all, the one thing that you can take away from this article is that hard
water is certainly NOT a health hazard, just a noticeable nuisance when you’re
washing your hands!
Ashish is a
Science graduate (Bachelor of Science) from Punjabi University (India). He
spends a lot of time watching movies, and an awful lot more time discussing
them. He likes Harry Potter and the Avengers, and obsesses over how thoroughly
Science dictates every aspect of life… in this universe, at least.
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