10 Types of Water: Is there a Best Type of Water to Drink?

How often do you think about what type of water you drink?

Most of us settle into a routine that we follow on a regular basis, drinking the same water day in and day out.

For some, drinking tap water is the most normal thing in the world. For others, bottled water is the go-to. For still others, purified water is the only thing they’ll put in their bodies.

But is there a “best” type of water? Is any one type of water better than another?

In this post, we’ll take a deep dive into the most common types of water available to you to help you see which is the smartest choice for you to drink on a daily basis.

The 10 Types of Water You Need to Know About

1. Tap Water

Tap water comes from your kitchen faucets or from the hose you hook up to your kitchen fridge (if it has a built-in water dispenser). It’s fed into your home by pipes that connect you to the local or municipal water supply.

Typically, tap water is sourced from a river or dam near your city, but gets treated at a water treatment facility before being stored and supplied to your home. There are certain government regulations and guidelines that have to be met in order for the water to be delivered to your house. However, these don’t always make that water “safe”.

For example, some tap water will be contaminated, as we’ve seen with the water supply in places like Flint, Michigan and others.

Tap water is also more prone to being contaminated with plastic particles, particulates from old pipes, aluminum, pesticide residue, and sediment from the source or reservoir.

The safety of tap water varies from city to city, as does its taste. It’s always a good idea to research the tap water in your city (or even neighborhood) in order to determine whether it’s safe and healthy to drink.

2. Well Water

Well water is far more common in rural environments, areas with plentiful access to running water pumped up from wells dug deep to access underground rivers or water sources.

Well water is usually “raw” and “untreated”, meaning that you absolutely need some sort of home purification and/or filtration system to make the water suitable for drinking.

Wells are at a higher risk of contamination than other more regulated water sources. It’s smart to test your well water annually to make certain it’s not contaminated by bacteria, parasites, particulates, heavy metals, or nitrates.

3. Filtered Water

Filtered water is water that has been run through a filtration system.

It may be either tap water or well water, but regardless of its origin, it runs through a filtration system (often carbon filters) that remove sediment, particulates, and, in cases of municipal water supply, chlorine.

Filtered water is one of the “cleaner” water types, as the filtration system will eliminate a lot of the potential hazards. However, there is still a risk of bacteria and parasites, as well as micro-particulates that are simply too small to be trapped by the filtration system.

4. Purified Water

Purified water is basically filtered water with a few extra steps.

Typically, the first stage of the purification process is a filtration process. The water (be it well water or municipal water) is run through the carbon filters to trap the larger sediments and particulates.

However, instead of just stopping there, the purification system adds on another layer of cleansing: purification. The filtered water is run through some sort of purification system—deionization, distillation, or reverse osmosis—that not only eliminate any smaller particulates and contaminants that slipped through the filters, but also any pathogens (bacteria or parasites) that might be present.

The end result is water that is very clean and safe to drink, regardless of its source.

5. Spring or Glacier Water

Spring water is collected from springs, directly at the source of the water. Because of that, it’s typically free of contaminants, bacteria, and parasites. There may be some particulates, but those are usually eradicated during the filtration process a lot of spring water goes through.

Glacier water is collected from melting glaciers. Again, it’s collected directly from the source, so is usually safe to drink with minimal treatment required.

On the upside, a lot of glacier and spring water is rich in vital minerals that make it “healthier” and give it a unique taste. On the downside, however, it’s typically far more expensive than “standard” bottled water.

6. Alkaline Water

Alkaline water is basically water that has passed over or through rocks that have a high mineral content. As the water wears away at the rocks, it’s infused with the minerals from the rocks, which raises its pH and makes it more alkaline than “standard” water.

It’s believed (without much evidence [1]) that the high alkaline content of alkaline water can neutralize acids in the body and maintain a healthy pH level.

However, be warned: reducing the acidity in your stomach by drinking a lot of alkaline water can actually reduce your body’s natural ability to eradicate bacteria. Excessive consumption of alkaline water can also lead to metabolic alkalosis, leading to vomiting, nausea, and other symptoms.

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7. Hydrogen Water

Hydrogen water is essentially water (filtered or purified) that has been infused with hydrogen gas (similar to carbonation infusing CO2 gas).

Some research [2] has pointed to potential benefits of drinking hydrogen water, including:

• Enhanced athletic performance and faster post-workout recovery

• Decreased inflammation overall, as well as due to muscle damage caused by exercise

• Reduced symptoms and side effects of radiation therapy

• Higher antioxidant content that led to decreased oxidative stress

The evidence to support the theory that hydrogen water is superior form of water is growing so watch out for the next big thing in health.

8. Distilled Water

Distilled water is essentially water that has been boiled, turned to steam, and then collected in that steam form and allowed to condense back into water.

The boiling and evaporation process eliminates all pathogens from the water, and it’s highly effective at purifying even contaminated water.

On the downside, however, the distillation process also eliminates all minerals and vitamins from the water. The lack of minerals in the water may actually be harmful, as it pulls minerals from other sources (such as your teeth) as you absorb it.

9. Mineral Water

Mineral water comes from mineral springs, and typically tend to be replete with minerals: calcium, sulfur, magnesium, and more. These minerals are critical for the healthy functioning of your body, so mineral water is usually seen as a “healthier” form of water.

Mineral water may also aid in digestion [3], and a lot of people prefer the taste of mineral water.

However, be advised: most of the minerals found in mineral water can also be obtained through a healthy, balanced diet. You don’t need mineral water just because it is rich in minerals.

Mineral water is also significantly more expensive than even the typical spring or glacier waters.

10. Sparkling Water

Last but not least, there is sparkling water.

Sparkling water is the fancy name for soda or carbonated water, water that has been infused with carbon dioxide gas during the bottling process.

People like sparkling water because it has a more active mouthfeel, and even a different taste (due to the CO2 gas) than flat water. Some sparkling water is derived from mineral sources, so it contains those added (if minor) benefits of mineral water.

However, there are no concrete benefits of sparkling water except for the fact that it encourages you to drink more fluids.

Wrapping Up: What’s the Best Water?

If we had to choose one type of water to label the “best”, it would have to be purified water, even though hydrogen water is definitely the runner up.

Purified water is the cleanest, safest form of water to drink. You can buy purified water in bottles or install your own in-home purification system to purify your home’s tap or well water supply.

It’s the cheapest, smartest, and most efficient solution in the long term.

However, hydrogen water now shows positive edidence of anti-inflammatory benefits so it may be worth trying it out.

Our friend and health researcher Trevor King spent the last 18 months interviewing doctors and scientists about this topic…

And he will host a FREE webinar about “The Power Of Hydrogen Water”...

Where he will reveal:

• How to try “Hydrogen Water” today (without expensive “Hydrogen generator” machines).

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• How to check if your water is FLOODED with drugs, toxins, & cancer-causing chemicals.

• How “Hydrogen Water” can help with diabetes, arthritis, or autoimmune diseases.

And he’s invited you to join his webinar for FREE by clicking here.

Even if you cannot make it to the LIVE webinar, there will be a replay available :).

We hope you enjoyed this blog post.

Make sure to do your research before drinking tap water, test your well water regularly, and make sure you’re getting enough additional minerals in your diet if you drink distilled water. As for the claims that spring, glacier, alkaline, or mineral water are any better than your typical water, take those with a grain of salt.

Resources:

[1] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/alkaline-water/faq-20058029

[2] https://www.webmd.com/diet/hydrogen-water-health-benefits

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5318167/

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