There’s no universal rule when it comes to drinking water or liquid intake. Generally speaking, however, experts recommend that men get approximately 15.5 cups daily and that women consume roughly 11.5 cups of liquid each day, according to the Mayo Clinic.
While different drinks and food sources can help us stay hydrated, water is a top priority. After all, H2O is responsible for nearly half to 70% of our total body weight. Water helps us maintain a normal body temperature, hydrates our joints, removes waste from the body, and much more. Yet a specific kind of water may offer benefits specific to our cardiovascular health. This is good news for fans of mineral water.
Mineral water comes in two forms: natural or artificial (via WebMD). Natural mineral water is sourced from underground springs, while artificial mineral water is the product of salts added to distilled water or water that has had its fizziness enhanced by aerating it with CO2. While natural mineral water and artificial mineral water will differ when it comes to the amount of nutrients found in each, both are rich in calcium carbonate, sodium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, and potassium. Research shows it’s these mineral components that may mitigate certain risk factors associated with heart issues.
Mineral water may lower blood pressure
In a 2004 study published in BMC Public Health, researchers took a closer look at the potential relationship between blood pressure and consumption of water with added magnesium or natural mineral water. Hypertension is a contributing risk factor for heart disease. Over the course of four weeks, 70 participants with borderline high blood pressure drank either water with low mineral concentrations, water with added magnesium, or natural mineral water.
The study findings revealed that participants who began the study with low levels of calcium or magnesium output in their pee saw increases in these levels in association with drinking magnesium-enriched water or natural mineral water. More specifically, a significant drop in blood pressure was seen among those in the mineral-water group halfway through the study as well as at the end of the study period. While this research suggests potential benefits to be gained for those more prone to heart disease due to hypertension, results of an alternate study show that healthy adults may also enhance their heart health by drinking mineral water, too.
Mineral water may help lower an elevated heart rate
Researchers from a 2020 study published in the Journal of Functional Foods examined how drinking mineral water impacted heart responses in 16 non-obese, healthy young adults. Cardiac responses measured included participant blood pressure and heart rate, all of which fell into the normal range at the start of the study. For the experiment, the individuals received samples of Evian mineral water and distilled water. Results of the study showed that mineral water produced a greater decrease in heart rate starting a half-hour following consumption compared to distilled water. Mineral water was also found to boost participant baroreflex sensitivity to a greater degree than distilled water.
How are these findings relevant to one’s heart health? The researchers explained how our resting heart rate factors into myocardial function (or the functioning of the heart’s muscular tissue). Having a higher-than-normal resting heart rate can increase a person’s risk for heart disease. Additionally, low baroreflex sensitivity is often observed in heart attack patients. Mineral water was found to not only increase baroreflex sensitivity, but its ability to potentially lower one’s heart rate in the short term could also be beneficial for healthy adults with an elevated resting heart rate. Research on potential long-term effects, however, is still needed.