Is a water softener unhealthy?

Is a water softener unhealthy? Good question. During the water softening process, two minerals are always removed from the water. These are calcium and magnesium. Both are very important for human health, so at first glance this doesn’t seem like a good idea. This is where the reasoning of some water companies and other stakeholders sometimes stops, and you might get the impression that a water softener may be harmful to your health.

This may put off some people who are considering buying a water softener. That’s a shame, and it’s unwarranted.

Magnesium and calcium are present only in small amounts in tap water that has not been softened. For example, the tap water here in Dronten contains 35.5 mg/litre of calcium and 2.64 mg/litre of magnesium. The Dutch Nutrition Centre On their website, they recommend a daily intake of 1,000–1,200 mg of calcium and 280–350 mg of magnesium for an adult. So, if you want to obtain your RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of both these nutrients from your tap water, you would need to drink at least 28 litres of water for the calcium and at least 106 litres of water for the magnesium! That is, of course, not an option, as it would lead to a whole host of other health problems……

Myth: A water softener removes important nutrients from the water, which is unhealthy

Calcium and magnesium

So you’ll need to get your daily intake of magnesium and calcium from your diet in completely different ways. Fortunately, that’s perfectly possible.
The table below shows, using a few examples, the calcium content of two foods and of water.
Semi-skimmed milk (250 ml): 300 mg
Cheese (per slice): 160 mg
Water in Dronten (250ml): 9mg

The table below shows the magnesium content of two foods and of water.

Dark chocolate (100 grams): 210 mg
Avocado (per piece): 58mg
Water in Dronten (250ml): 3mg

These are just a few examples. You can find information on many other websites about how to meet your RDA for all sorts of nutrients. Water is certainly very healthy, but it is by no means essential for meeting your daily requirements for calcium and magnesium.

Is softened water unhealthy?

As described above, soft waterIt’s not unhealthy. Whilst calcium and magnesium are healthy minerals, you’d have to drink far too much water to get these nutrients from water alone. Even a residual hardness level isn’t necessary, as you get most of your calcium from other sources.

See also:

Is softened water bad for my blood pressure?

Fewer skin problems thanks to a water softener

Is spring water healthier than tap water?