What are the Benefits of Reverse Osmosis Water and Why You Need It

By Rehan Iqbal

Water is life’s most precious gift, but contaminated drinking water poses serious health risks and knowing when your tap is contaminated or not is next to impossible. The good news is that filtering your water with reverse osmosis ensures it is free of harmful toxins and safe to drink. If you want to discover all of the life-changing benefits of reverse osmosis water, this entry is for you.

Reverse osmosis system water filter in kitchen

Drinking enough fresh, clean water is the single most important thing for human health. The Scientific American states that the human body can’t go more than a week without it, and that’s under perfect conditions.

Drinking contaminated water isn’t much better than going without it, though. Contaminated water exposes those who drink it to serious health risks. The EPA recently found that tap water had over 200 unregulated chemicals in it. When you add the Flint, Michigan water crisis of recent times, it’s easy to see why the public water supply is coming under such heavy scrutiny.

It’s no surprise that people around the world are turning to water filtration systems to ensure that they have pure, clean drinking water. One of the most popular choices is reverse osmosis filtration. It is one of the safest, most reliable ways to make water safe for drinking.

But what are the benefits of drinking reverse osmosis water? Is it worth the time and investment?

Yes!

First, What is Reverse Osmosis Water?

Reverse osmosis sounds like a very fancy term, but in reality is a very simple concept. At its base, it is simply a filtration system that removes unsafe impurities (we cover the impurities in tap water down below) from water, leaving behind only pure, fresh, potable drinking water.

The process involves running water through a semipermeable (meaning it only allows certain things to pass through) membrane and carbon filters so that chemicals, viruses, and other impurities are taken out. The membrane is only wide enough for water to pass through, meaning that when water is squeezed through it, all of the impurities are caught. What’s left over is water in its purest form. It’s the same concept as any filtration system you’ve ever encountered, even a colander that catches pasta and lets water pass through!

WATCH THIS!: Here is a fascinating explainer video of how reverse osmosis works. It’s from Australia, a country where many cities now use reverse osmosis for their public water!

The Benefits of Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water

The verdict is in: tap water isn’t always safe and having a filter in place is a great idea. But what exactly are the benefits of reverse osmosis drinking water?

In general, they all revolve around removing chemicals from the water and improving your health by reducing the risk of exposure to toxins. However, there are also some major hidden benefits that consumers are starting to notice.

Health Benefits of Reverse Osmosis Water

Reverse Osmosis Water is Free of Lead: Lead is one of the most common contaminants found in water, and it can lead to high blood pressure and kidney issues in adults as well as serious developmental problems in infants. It has even been linked to Anemia in children. The CDC claims that reverse osmosis effectively eliminates lead from water.
It Also Eliminates Cryptosporidium: This pesky little parasite is commonly found in unsafe drinking water. If exposed, you risk severe gastrointestinal problems like cramps, fever, and other very uncomfortable problems (you get the picture). It’s especially dangerous for children.
It’s Great for People on a Sodium Restriction: Sodium can cause high blood pressure as well as kidney and liver issues. If you’re on a sodium restriction, then filtering your water will help drastically reduce your sodium intake and improve your overall health.
It Tastes Better: OK, we admit that this is a bit subjective, but purified water just tastes better. A lot of the unpleasant tastes associated with tap water come from contaminants in it and chemical residues leftover. When you remove all of those chemicals, it gives it a cleaner, fresher taste.
It’s Great For Cooking: Ever wonder why Naples has the best pizza and Germany has the best beer? It’s because of the quality of the water. When your water is pure and fresh, your food tastes better. Period.

One of the most common questions consumers have is “is reverse osmosis water safe to drink”? The answer is definitely yes.

Reverse Osmosis Water Helps You Save Money and the Environment

Wait, so you’re saying that the same invention that completely purifies my water and makes it taste better also puts money back into my pocket?

Yes. Believe it or not, one of the biggest benefits of a water filtration system is the impact it has on your wallet and the environment.

With a reverse osmosis system in place, you’ll never have to buy bottled water again. Did you know that bottled water costs 2,000 times MORE than water from the tap? And Americans spend nearly $16 billion dollars per year on bottled water. It’s great that water consumption is now outpacing soft drink consumption, but it is still very costly.

Now, whenever you need fresh water, you can just flip on your tap and pay pennies on the dollar. If you are raising a family, a water filtration system will pay for itself in no time.

When it comes to saving Mother Nature, you can also stop wasting all of those plastic water bottles. Plastic bottle waste is one of the most pressing issues facing society in the 21st century. A whopping 91% of plastic bottles worldwide are NOT recycled. Everyone needs to do their part!

Did you know?: A MILLION plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute and that number may jump by 20% by 2021. (source).

Are There Disadvantages to Reverse Osmosis Water?

Nothing in this world is perfect. As with all things, there are some drawbacks to reverse osmosis filtration. While drinking pure, fresh water protects you from harmful contaminated water, it also prevents you from getting full nutrition.

There are many nutrients present in water that cannot pass through the semipermeable membrane used during the filtration process. The membrane is not capable of telling which ingredients are good and which are harmful. These vital minerals are a key part of your diet.

However, these minerals and nutrients are readily available in all foods. You should be deriving the vast majority of them from your food intake and not through water anyway. For those who are concerned about nutrient deficiency, consider taking supplements to ensure you get proper intake.

Another “disadvantage” is up-front investment. Having a water filtration system installed is not very expensive and will certainly pay for itself in a short time, but it does require spending money to upgrade your tap. If you are on a budget, then consider waiting for a reverse osmosis system.

Reverse osmosis is one of the easiest and most reliable ways of ensuring that you and your family drink only the purest, most potable water free of toxic contaminants. It is never possible to fully trust the water that comes from your tap. If you want to save money, help protect the environment, and ensure that your water is free of toxins and chemicals, the benefits of reverse osmosis are exactly what you are looking for.