Nano membrane or Mineral cartridge?

[EssentialMinerals]

Some RO systems offer a:

• Nano membrane option to use instead of the reverse osmosis membrane to leave more beneficial minerals in the water
• Mineral cartridge to replace some of the beneficial minerals that are removed by the RO process

What are the pros & cons of these two approaches?

Thanks

[Andy CWS]

A nano membrane usually only removes about 50% of the TDS from your water whereas an RO membrane over 94%. Big difference. Nano will produce water faster with, perhaps, less concentrate (down the drain).

I am puzzled why people depend on water to provide so-called essential minerals. I believe water should be a transporter of nutrients, not a supplier. The vast amounts of water you need to consume would be far more dangerous, even deadly, that any benefit you might receive from the absolute (nearly undetectable) minimum trace nutrients found in drinking water supplies.

Rely on your diet and supplements to provide health benefits for your body and mind, not your water. Does that make sense?

So my suggestion of the two would be an RO with sacrificial mineral cartridge. This will add some taste to the water, also.

Kinetico makes an RO that does just that with their options.

Andy Christensen, CWS-II

[EssentialMinerals]

Andy,

Thanks for explaining about nano membranes.

I inquired about the mineral content of RO water because of information I've read such as:

Per "Chemistry of Hard and Soft Water"

"The minerals in water give it a characteristic taste. Some natural mineral waters are highly sought for their flavor and the health benefits they may confer."

Per http://www.consumersearch.com/water-...-water-filters

"The most powerful under-sink water filters use reverse osmosis. Experts recommend this type only if your water has extra contaminants such as nitrates, since reverse-osmosis filters waste water as they work. Some waste as much as 5 gallons of water for every gallon of filtered water produced. This filtering process is also much slower than most, and they filter out "good" minerals your body may need."

Per the user's manual I received with our first water test in 1985 regarding "The significance of impurities commonly found in drinking water" - specifically hardness:

"An optimum hardness / softness level may be protective of cardiovascular health, but current research has not yet defined such a level."

"It seems appropriate to point out that many contaminants - zinc, calcium, sodium, magnesium, copper, selenium, for example - are essential to good health, and can create problems either by their absence or by their excess."

Has current public health / medical research defined optimum mineral levels in drinking water?

[Andy CWS]

Has current public health / medical research defined optimum mineral levels in drinking water?

I don't know of any minimal minerals required in drinking water by any testing or validatiing orgnization.

[EssentialMinerals]

Andy,

In the K5 Drinking Water Station Cartridge Options brochure (page 2) these two paragraphs describes their Mineral Plus cartridge:

"Mineral Plus—Adds beneficial minerals (magnesium, calcium, etc.) to treated drinking water"

"Enhance
By adding minerals to the water already treated by the standard configuration, this package actively supports your nervous system-helping to build strong bones, regulate blood flow and relax muscle tension."

On what information is Kinetico basing these health benefits? I would genuinely like to learn more about it.

Thanks again

[Andy CWS]

The public is more savvy now than ever before on almost any topic, product or service available. Drinking water is no different, and maybe increasingly more so than many other technologies.

I don't know what data they used in reaching these conclusions. It can be a combination of factors including the trend of anti-ROers making arduous claims that RO was is 'bad' for you and correcting these notions, thus giving an option to counter those claims. I would rather get as much out of my water as I can (and there is a lot in today’s drinking water supplies--no argument there, right?), and put back so-called beneficial elements if necessary.

Calcium, that is able to metabolize in the body, has those benefits. Whether the amount consumed is adequate depends on many other factors. The Kinetico K5 may contribute but would never claim that it provides the total daily total value needed to maintain good health. I am not a nutritionist and I would know what those values are.

I still believe, in my opinion, that the amount gained from drinking water whether from sources natural or enhanced is so minimal that it is hardly worth calculating as a holistic approach to nutrition and well-being. I believe your diet is and always has been the key source of nutrients, minerals, vitamins and nearly all other elements that benefit growth and health. I feel that water should be a transporter of nutrients not a supplier. Adding these to excellent water should not a detriment, for sure.

Another reason, albeit not mentioned in the brochure, will be to add ‘flavor’ to the water. Water is a colorless, odorless and tasteless liquid and one complaint I hear often is that RO water has “no taste” and “I miss my old well water flavor”, etc. I haven't tested the pre- and post-mineral cartridge water, but I assume it may also raise pH slightly. Another contention found in today's consumers.

The point is, the Kinetico K5 gives you that option. I have known others that follow their ROs with a calcite mineral cartridge in the attempt to do likewise.

But to answer your question, I don’t how this was determined. I don’t know how much this would benefit one’s vitamin and mineral deficiencies, but they have been tested and will contribute nothing harmful according to NSF. I think Kinetico was trying to address consumer’s needs, desires and opinions in a convenient, safe and reliable manner.

There is no doubt in my mind that Kinetico’s engineer’s do take their research and development very seriously.

Andy Christensen, CWS-II

[robbie]

Although adding back minerals to RO water may not replace taking a mineral supplement the pH adjustment that re mineralization filters do is often necessary. I have compared RO water to RO water plus trace minerals added back and I have found with the filter I use that the water tastes better, holds its pH to 8.0 and is not corrosive to other metals as regular RO water is.

[EssentialMinerals]

The following quotes describe one application where an optimum level of minerals is beneficial:

All tea, both hot and iced, is affected by water quality. Because of tea’s light flavor, the quality of input water is crucial to the beverage.

The clarity of tea is particularly affected by mineral content in water. Water hardness, caused by calcium and magnesium content in excess of 200 ppm, can cause clouding in iced tea. Water with 50 - 150 ppm total dissolved solids or 1 to 3 grains hardness provides the best results, according to the Tea Association of the USA.

http://www.teaandcoffee.net/0609/tea.htm

Because a brewed cup of tea is mostly water, the quality of your water is as important as the tea leaves themselves. Beyond just using any spring water or filtered water, there are a number of factors that will affect the taste of your infusion.

For centuries, Chinese tea aficionados have designated water from specific springs as the best water for brewing certain teas. A famous example is Dragon Well tea, which is considered best when brewed with water from the famous Tiger-Run Spring. Ancient tea masters would even have fresh water from renowned springs carried many miles in stone containers to ensure they had the best water for their tea. This is because subtle variations in the pH (acidity, alkalinity) and mineral content (Total Dissolved Solids, or TDS) of the water can affect the taste of the brew. Generally, higher mineral content can give a fuller, sweeter taste, while water with a lower mineral content can taste slightly sharper and bright. The types of minerals present will also change the taste and body of the tea. Calcium is needed for a full, sweet taste, whereas magnesium and iron are detrimental to the flavor of the brew. Distilled water should never be used because it lacks trace minerals and gives a flat, lifeless taste. The pH of the water can have similar effects, though closer to neutral (a pH of 7 is neutral) or slightly alkaline is generally considered best for tea.

If you are using tap water, some sort of filtration is usually recommended. You want to remove chlorine and other chemicals as well as sediment from your water without eliminating too many trace minerals.

http://www.taooftea.com/display.php3?id=&num=22