4 replies to this topic

[david ellis]

I have used a reverse osmosis filter for years. Lately, I have started to worry about the effects of reverse osmosis. The water is so mineral free that it could pull minerals out of my body. I drink well over a liter a day. The water that I excrete has the same amount of minerals as my body fluids. (an effect of diffusion pressure that equalizes concentrations of minerals). So every day, in addition to my biological needs for mineral replacement, I need to replace the minerals lost to diffusion pressure from the mineral free water.

Is this diffusion pressure effect serious, or just an annoyance? I seem to be bothered by magnesium and potassium deficiencies frequently. It would be very handy to know how to mineralize the water with magnesium and potassium (maybe even a little lithium) if this diffusion effect is serious.

[Deckah]

I made a thread here: http://www.longecity...remineralizing/
about something similar. Maybe you might find it useful.

I still haven't come to a concrete conclusion, but I'm using the stuff in that thread.


EDIT: Forgot to mention that I'm also using 5x 2.5gal jugs from: http://www.container...ductId=10006448
My fridge looks camelized, so if anyone knows of a bigger jug(non-bpa), I'm all ears.

Edited by Deckah, 14 September 2013 - 06:49 PM.

[david ellis]

I made a thread here: http://www.longecity...remineralizing/
about something similar. Maybe you might find it useful.

That thread was useful, thanks Deckah. I found a link that has averaged what the mineral content of tap water is in the US and Europe. The ConcenTrate has a good amount of magnesium, but nowhere close to the amount of calcium in both US and European waters.

Assuming niner's post at your thread was talking about 102mg per a liter for magnesium, then an adult drinking 2 liters a day would get 204mg a day, almost 50 % of the 420 mg RDA using ConcenTrate. That is good, but the calcium comes in at less than a mg a day. Because calcium is way underrepresented, I wonder about the diffusion pressure of a mix of ConcenTrate. If the pressure isn't close to the diffusion pressure of tap water, then there is still a difference of diffusion pressure between mineralized RO water and blood.

I think I have 5 liters of blood, so drinking 2 liters of low diffusion pressure water could be a problem. I only have General Chemistry under my belt, maybe Organic/Biochem next semester. There is probably something here I don't recognize that makes everything OK. I hope to learn it here.

[niner]

I found a link that has averaged what the mineral content of tap water is in the US and Europe. The ConcenTrate has a good amount of magnesium, but nowhere close to the amount of calcium in both US and European waters.

Assuming niner's post at your thread was talking about 102mg per a liter for magnesium, then an adult drinking 2 liters a day would get 204mg a day, almost 50 % of the 420 mg RDA using ConcenTrate. That is good, but the calcium comes in at less than a mg a day. Because calcium is way underrepresented, I wonder about the diffusion pressure of a mix of ConcenTrate. If the pressure isn't close to the diffusion pressure of tap water, then there is still a difference of diffusion pressure between mineralized RO water and blood.

I think I have 5 liters of blood, so drinking 2 liters of low diffusion pressure water could be a problem. I only have General Chemistry under my belt, maybe Organic/Biochem next semester. There is probably something here I don't recognize that makes everything OK. I hope to learn it here.

Thanks for that link, David. One thing it tells me is that tap water isn't really a great source for calcium or magnesium in most cities, although there are a couple exceptions. The numbers that I gave for ConcenTrace are based on using one milliliter of it, which is something like 20 drops, more or less.

I don't know about the diffusion pressure business. The body regulates the concentration of ions, so it's not at all obvious to me that drinking water that's low in an ion is going to cost your body a significant amount of that ion. The kidneys reabsorb specific electrolytes in order to maintain balance, and most metals have elaborate systems involving storage and transport proteins that are involved in their homeostasis.

[david ellis]

I don't know about the diffusion pressure business. The body regulates the concentration of ions, so it's not at all obvious to me that drinking water that's low in an ion is going to cost your body a significant amount of that ion. The kidneys reabsorb specific electrolytes in order to maintain balance, and most metals have elaborate systems involving storage and transport proteins that are involved in their homeostasis.

Decided after your post to experiment and drink tap water and see what happens. Big difference for both me and my wife. Both of us experienced a big drop in the frequency of night time cramped muscles. Cramps probably caused by electrolyte deficiences. Now we drink Colorado river water and use the RO water for the room vaporizer machine.