You most certainly can drink water that has been softened. You cannot drink water straight from a water softener, but depending on the original hardness of your water, it will add little to no salt.
That is, you can drink water that has little or no effect on your daily salt consumption.
The harder the water, the more salt is used to soften it, which results in an increase in the amount of salt in your drinking water.
If your water is extremely hard (10 grains or more), there is a possibility that it contains excessive sodium.
If you have health concerns or dietary restrictions, you may need to find an alternative source of water for your daily needs.
There is some conflicting information regarding the safety of softened water and hard water, as well as whether they are safe to drink, which is understandable given the critical nature of water.
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Is Soft Water Safe to Drink?
We’ll discuss how both are generally safe to drink, how the minerals in hard water do not readily absorb into our bodies, and how to remove the salt from softened water if there are health concerns.
You most certainly can drink water that has been softened. You cannot drink water straight from a water softener, but depending on the original hardness of your water, it will add little to no salt. That is, you can drink water that has little or no effect on your daily salt consumption.
Is Water from a Water Softener Safe to Drink?
The harder the water, the more salt is used to soften it, which results in an increase in the amount of salt in your drinking water.
If your water is extremely hard (10 grains or more), there is a possibility that it contains excessive sodium.
If you have health concerns or dietary restrictions, you may need to find an alternative source of water for your daily needs.
How Do Water Softeners Treat Hard Water?
Water softeners treat hard water by establishing an ion exchange process in which the minerals in hard water are removed and exchanged for sodium added to the system.
Ion-exchange water softeners are the only ones that will remove the majority of minerals from the water, rather than just a few or merely preventing pipe scaling.
There are two types of pellets available for use in water softeners that perform this ion exchange.
There will be a salt-based pellet that is less expensive, and a potassium-based pellet that is more expensive.
Both pellets will be the only products that truly treat hard water and remove minerals in ion-exchange softeners.
Which Water Is Better to Drink Hard Water or Soft Water and Why?
For drinking water, it will depend on a variety of factors, including health, taste, and sensation.
If you have salt-sensitive health conditions or dietary restrictions, hard water may be preferable for you to drink, depending on the amount of salt in your softened water.
Due to the fact that the minerals in hard water are inorganic, they will have no adverse effect on you. This means that they will have a difficult time being absorbed and utilized by your body, and the health benefits may be negligible in hard water.
If you enjoy the taste and feel of hard water, it will encourage you to drink more water, making it a better choice.
If you enjoy the taste and feel of soft water and do not have any salt-related dietary restrictions, soft water will encourage you to drink more and is the healthier option.
Drinking Softened Water Side Effects
If you use salt-based ion exchange rather than potassium-based ion exchange to create soft water, certain side effects may occur
- You are increasing your daily salt intake, which may cause health problems such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
- You will be eliminating a source of calcium and magnesium, which may require supplementation through other dietary changes.
- You may have developed an aversion to drinking soft water as a result of the taste changing completely. This can be easily remedied by adding a squeeze of fresh lemon, a pinch of apple cider vinegar, or by drinking more tea.
- Depending on the type of pipes in your home, you may have excess iron or lead in your water from the water softener. To correct this, you will need an additional filter and to clean your water softener more frequently.
Can You Filter Softened Water for Drinking?
You can filter softened drinking water to remove the sodium and potassium that the ion exchange process adds to the water.
Because the particles used in the ion-exchange process are too small for standard filters, you will need to install a reverse osmosis filter where you intend to drink water.
With the exception of distilling the water, you can filter the water in small batches using the only other filtering method.
Distillation is the process of boiling water and collecting and condensing the steam. While this will result in pure water, the process will be extremely time and energy consuming.
The more expensive reverse osmosis filter is the superior method, but it still requires time and maintenance to replace filters.
How to Make Softened Water Drinkable
If you have no objections to the taste, feel, or the addition of sodium to your diet, your softened water is already perfectly safe to drink.
You can make softened water drinkable in a variety of ways:
A Hard Water Tap
This will provide you with water that tastes very similar to what you had previously and will allow you to continue using soft water throughout the rest of your house.
Filtration by Reverse Osmosis
This is the preferred method for obtaining the purest drinking water possible, as you will only be filtering out sodium or potassium from the already soft water flowing to your faucet, thereby extending the life of the filter.
Distilling Water
This method is suitable for those who require a small amount of water and have the time and energy to complete this labor-intensive task.
The most straightforward solution If you simply dislike the taste and are willing to add a little salt to your diet, brewing it as a tea or adding fruit for flavor will be the healthiest and most nutritionally dense options.
How to Drink Softened Water?
If you have no dietary restrictions, drinking softened water with added sodium is perfectly safe. If you dislike the taste, you can purchase a hard water tap or a reverse osmosis filter, or you can add more nutrients to your water by drinking tea or adding fruits.
Is Softened Water Safe to Drink While Pregnant?
There are no conclusive signs or evidence that softened water is unsafe to drink while pregnant. As a result, you should avoid using soft water to prepare baby formula during the first six weeks of a newborn’s life.
Adding sodium can have a negative effect on newborns and their kidneys, as they have not developed sufficiently and do not have their own kidneys to filter out salt.
Is It Safe to Drink Potassium Chloride-Softened Water?
If you have kidney disease or are seriously ill, an excess of potassium in your diet may cause an adverse reaction.
For the majority of people, adding potassium will not only benefit their health, but will also benefit their gardens and yards, as potassium is a critical nutrient for various types of vegetation.
Is Filtered Softened Water Safe to Drink?
It is extremely safe to drink filtered water, even more so when the water has been filtered using a reverse osmosis system. Consuming water filtered through one of these filters is one of the purest forms of water available on the market.
Is Soft Water Beneficial to Your Skin?
Your skin will be indebted to you for removing all the extra minerals from hard water that were dehydrating it and causing oil imbalances due to overproduction or underproduction of the oils your skin requires to stay healthy.
This may be the first time your skin feels truly silky smooth, rather than squeaky or dry.
Final Remarks
Contrary to popular belief, hard water minerals are difficult for our bodies to absorb because they are inorganic and not pre-digested.
If the softener is not working overtime to remove minerals, softened water will not contain as much salt as some other beverages.
If you follow a low-salt diet or have health-related dietary restrictions, there are ways to remove salt from your softened drinking water.
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