These days more and more people are looking for ways to guarantee that the water they are drinking is the safest, most health beneficial water possible. There are different water options including tap water, bottled water, and different kinds of filtered water. There are many studies on the advantages of each of these water options and a significant amount of these studies have found that filtered water is the best for our bodies for several reasons. 

In this article, we will lay out four healthy benefits of filtered water.

1. Filtered Water is Dechlorinated

The first reason that filtered water is beneficial for our health is that it has been dechlorinated. Many other sources of water, including regular tap water, have had chlorine or chlorine compounds like sodium hypochlorite added to the water. The purpose of this is that chlorine and its compounds act as powerful disinfectants that kill harmful bacteria and nasty diseases that can be found in dirty water like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery. This is, of course, a positive thing because those diseases can be fatal when consumed, with typhoid and cholera causing over 250,000 deaths worldwide as a result of people drinking untreated water. The problem with chlorine though, is that it is indiscriminate when killing bacteria, so even though there is only a trace amount of chlorine in our tap water when we consume the chlorine, it also kills off our friendly gut bacteria. This bacteria is very important for keeping our immune system strong and producing essential vitamins. Whilst adding the chlorine to the tap water is vital to keep it safe before we drink it, we should filter the chlorine out first.

2. A Water Filter Removes the Byproducts of Chlorination

When chlorine is added to the water during chlorination, many unwanted byproducts are produced as a result of the chlorination process. This happens when the chlorine reacts with organic compounds that are found naturally in the water supply. These byproducts can have serious negative effects on our health such as brain problems, cancers of the liver and kidney, heart disease, and, in the most severe cases, can lead to death. Installing a water filter in your home ensures that these potentially deadly chemicals are removed from your water before you drink it. Your water filter should come with the manufacturer’s maintenance and cleaning instructions, but we found this useful resource online which can help you to learn more about cleaning your water filter and making sure it is working perfectly. With so many potentially harmful chemicals in the water, you do not want to take any chances, so make sure you follow the instructions carefully. It is very important that you maintain your water filter and keep it clean so that it can do its job properly and remove all of these unwanted byproducts.

3. Filtered Water Reduces the Load on Our Kidneys

Another important health benefit of filtered water is that it significantly reduces the filtering load that is placed on our kidneys. Our kidneys are a wonderful organ and are our body's major detoxifying tools. They filter all the fluids that pass through our bodies, including the water that we take in through drinking. If our drinking water has already been filtered once externally, we can significantly decrease the toxic load on the kidneys and help those kidneys to function effectively for longer. The kidneys are such an important part of our body that it is recommended that we drink at least two liters of filtered water every day. 

4. Water Filters Remove Heavy Metals and Minerals 

Unfiltered tap water can often contain high levels of heavy metals and minerals such as mercury, arsenic, and lead. Whilst typically these are only present in trace amounts, the long-term effects of consuming these trace amounts throughout a lifetime have yet to be fully ascertained. Lead is extremely toxic and can cause a range of health problems in people, which is why substances like lead-based paint are now banned in many countries. Likewise, arsenic is a powerful poison in high doses whilst mercury poisoning can damage your major organs as well as your skin and eyes. Water filters remove these heavy metals and minerals, meaning that your water is free of these harmful substances which could cause serious issues down the line.

There are a great number of health benefits from drinking filtered water and that is without even going into the financial savings of not having to buy bottled water. Filtered water is free from chlorine, its byproducts, and all the potentially harmful metals and minerals that can often be found in tap water. Filtered water is far kinder to our kidneys and protects all our other organs from damage. If you are looking to improve the quality of your water, look into installing a water filter today.