Will Drinking Softened Water Affect Your Health?

As a Florida resident, you know that water treatment systems are considered a must for homeowners. But – and this is particularly important if you have kids – you may be wondering if drinking softened water is a safe and healthy thing to do.

At Guardian Water Services, we consider it our duty to educate our clients about the benefits of softening their water. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the myths and realities of drinking softened water.

Soft Water Health Myths

Let’s start by looking at some of the common myths about drinking softened water. You may have heard some of these. It’s natural to be concerned about the effects of treating your water, and the best way to address your concerns is to learn what’s true and what isn’t.

Here are some of the most common myths about drinking softened water:

• Salt-based water softeners add an unhealthy amount of sodium to water. This is probably the most common myth and completely untrue. According to the Mayo Clinic, most water softeners add about 50 milligrams of sodium per liter of water – a very low sodium level by any standard. Even if your water is very hard, you would only take in about 240 milligrams of sodium per day if you drank two whole liters of water. That’s only about 10% of the recommended daily allowance.
• Softened water prevents the body from absorbing essential minerals. This is another myth that springs from a general misunderstanding about water softening. Water softeners remove “hard” minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron from your water. However, the removal of those minerals does nothing to change your body’s ability to absorb them from other sources – and most people get enough in their diets. If you’re worried about it, you can take a vitamin supplement.

Both of these myths on drinking softened water spring from a lack of knowledge. People hear that water softeners use salt and they assume that the softening process adds sodium to their water. They read that water softeners remove minerals they know to be healthy and they fear that there will be an adverse effect on their health.

The Truth about Drinking Softened Water

So, based on what you’ve just read, what is the truth about the health effects of drinking softened water? Here are some things to keep in mind:

• The amount of sodium in softened water is negligible. However, if you are on a sodium-restricted diet, then you may want to reduce the amount of salt you add to food based on how much softened water you drink.
• The minerals removed from softened water are widely available in food. However, if you eat a restricted diet and are at risk of becoming calcium or magnesium deficient, then you may want to consider supplementing your diet to ensure that you get enough of these essential minerals.

The bottom line is that installing a water softening system in your home can do a great deal to improve your life. It extends the life of your appliances and helps you have healthier skin and hair. And when it comes to your overall health, a system like the Guardian Water Services water refiner has no adverse effects and may actually improve your health.

The damage that hard water can do to your home is well-documented. If you want to have safe, softened water for your family to drink and bathe in, then the first step is testing the quality of your water to determine what needs to be done.

To schedule your free water quality test and receive a complimentary $50 retail store gift card, please click here.