Mineral water- reading labels

1. Mineral water- reading labels What water should we drink?

2. Mineral water Mineral water – natural healing water that contains min.1000 mg/dm³ of soluble components in the form of ions. Besides it can contain natual gas(carbon dioxide or sulfide). In Poland the most popular water that can be found in shops is confined ground water which received mineral salts from natural rocks or minerals it was passing by. The first definition of mineral water was created during the International Balneological Congress in Bad Nauheim in 1911.

3. Water selection How to choose water? The answer is not easy. Despite the fact that water in bottles looks similar, not every bottled water is for everyone and sometimes it is necessary to behave like two specialists – a dietician and a detective – to make a good choice. What information can we find on bottle labels?

4. Labels- what does a producer tell us about his product? Labels on bottles with mineral water should have basic information necessary for all food products: name of the product, name of the producer, place of production , address, the expiry date and storage conditions. Labels on mineral water bottles should also inform about the level of water mineralization, the amount of characteristic mineral ingredients and in case of sparkling mineral water – saturation level with CO2.

5. Mineral ingredients – healthy elements to drink • Mineral ingredients of water are well digested by our body. They can supplement our every day diet. Bottled mineral water contains four times more of calcium and magnesium than tap water. By drinking mineral water rich in magnesium people with high blood pressure are able to lower it. Magnesium helps to lower stress in stressful situations. It is helpful if you suffer from allergies. Our magnesium needs equal to 300 mg a day. There are other sources of magnesium, too. Brown rice, almonds or spinach are good sources of magnesium. Another important ingredient is calcium which is the essential component of our bones orteeth. Our needs amount to 1000 mg a day. • Drinking water can definitely contribute to intake a lot of minerals such as calcium or magnesium but it can’t be the only source of minerals. What is more, mineral water will not supply our body with such important elements as proteins, amino acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, fats as well as some important minerals, for example iron, phosphorus or iodine.

7. Mineralization or how many minerals in water? Depending on the general number of minerals in the liter of mineral water the following classification is used: -not higher than 50 mg/l – very low mineralized • -not higher than 500 mg/l – low mineralized • -from500 to 1500 mg/l – medium mineralized • - over1500 mg/l – high mineralized

8. Toxic ingredients-what should we avoid? Nitrites and nitrates. Theyindicateimpurities that come from plant protection substance and organic substances. Nitrates are not very harmful but they can change into toxic nitrites. They can also block or even damage vitamins. Fluorine. Although fluorine is the essential component of bones, in large amounts can be toxic. Low amounts of fluorine causes teeth decay and osteoporosis. Uranium. It is a radioactive metal. Its occurrence in drinking water is not connected with its radioactive features but with its chemical features. If we drink water with high level of uranium for a long time, it can damage our kidneys. http://www.pro-test.pl/userfile/article_picture/pix_max/test_wod_2011_tabela.jpg

9. Thank you for reading our presentation. Sources: *http://www.pro-test.pl/tests_article/167328,0/Test+w%C3%B3d+mineralnych+i+%C5%BAr%C3%B3dlanych_Wyb%C3%B3r+wody.html *http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woda_mineralna Prepared by: Adam Jacewicz, Karol Bryzgiel