One of the most profitable schemes ever devised to deprive the gullible of their money must be the sale of bottled water. In the western world, tap water is about as safe as it can be and it is relatively cheap. Yet many people are prepared to pay up to 1,500 times as much when the same stuff comes in a bottle. In this paper we will consider this phenomenon.

The bottled water boom was indeed an unlikely phenomenon. Perhaps the strangest thing about it was that this bland commodity made its impact in Britain at the height of a recession and with raging inflation. There was a general lack of money in people’s pockets, yet bottled water became an overnight success. Strange too is the fact that present water companies boast of the purity of their product, when the various impurities that mineral waters contain used to be the whole point of buying the stuff anyway.

Natural water is never purer than when it falls on the hills as rain. Once it hits the ground, however, all that changes. Seeping into the soil, it moves underground through passages and caverns carved over the millennia, eating away at the rock and dissolving metals, salts and minerals along the way. As it goes, its character changes, depending on the type of rock through which it passes. Eventually, it arrives in underground lakes or aquifers – the sources of most bottled mineral waters.

Is Mineral Water a Good Source of Calcium?

Adult men and women need between 1,000 and 1,200 milligram? of calcium a day. Unfortunately, most adults don’t get enough of this bone-preserving mineral. To make up the shortfall, some people reach for a bottle of calcium supplements. Recently, the safety of taking supplemental calcium has been called into question after a study showed taking calcium supplements increases the risk of heart attack by 30%. For this reason, if s better to get calcium from natural sources such as dairy products – or even mineral water. Is calcium in mineral water a good way to add more calcium to your diet?

What Are the Minerals in Mineral Water?

Mineral water is water that contains natural minerals such as calcium and magnesium. It comes from minerals springs, and extra minerals can’t be added to the final product. Some companies bottle mineral water and sell it directly to the public as plain mineral water or sparkling mineral water. Mineral water may contain a variety of minerals and trace minerals including magnesium, calcium, zinc, and iron.

Calcium in Mineral Water: Is It a Good Source?

The amount of calcium in mineral water varies, depending upon the spring it’s collected from. Mineral water from European mineral springs is usually higher in calcium than mineral water from Canada and the United States. Calcium content in mineral water marketed in most stores ranges from a low of 50 milligrams to over 300 milligrams per serving. Perrier water, which is popular in the United States, has 170 milligrams of calcium per serving.Since you need 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day, you’d have to drink a large amount of mineral water to meet your daily calcium requirement through mineral water alone.