The Scientific Truth About Mineral Water Health Benefits

At the last meeting of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (a committee established by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization) in November 1972, I represented the delegation of the State of Kuwait. The conference lasted 11 days, with discussions growing increasingly intense each day regarding a wide range of food standards. The standards issued by this committee are considered the constitution for foodstuffs. The sugar standard prepared by this committee is regarded as the most comprehensive standard for sugar and is used as the constitution for the international sugar trade and as a general basis for the sugar industry; compliance with it has become essential for every producer, manufacturer, exporter, and importer. Among the important standards discussed at this meeting was the draft standard for mineral water, prepared by the European Group of States. A special committee from the World Health Organization was tasked with studying the draft standard for mineral water and formulating recommendations regarding it. The World Health Organization convened 14 expert scientists and physicians to study this draft, and this specialized committee based its recommendation on modern scientific foundations, including 27 scientific studies conducted prior to 1966 and 94 scientific studies conducted between 1966 and 1972. The report of this expert committee was as follows: There is no scientific research supporting the claim that drinking mineral water has a positive effect on health. From the scientific studies reviewed, no evidence emerged that mineral water has health benefits for treating any disease or ailment, with the exception of mineral water with a high iron content used in areas where iron is transported through the water. Several animal experiments have been conducted to determine the health benefits of consuming mineral water; to date, no results have emerged indicating that mineral water has any health benefits. No therapeutic effect has been proven from the consumption of mineral water based on the experiments conducted on animals, which proves that there is absolutely no truth to the claim that mineral water has therapeutic effects. Some scientists have observed therapeutic effects, but these are not curative for some patients. These therapeutic effects were believed to be due to the presence of certain known elements in the water. Experts have agreed that most studies conducted on humans were carried out without adequate supervision, and researchers have confirmed that there is no evidence to support certain studies claiming that unknown substances in mineral water have therapeutic effects. Several pieces of evidence have shown that some mineral waters contain certain substances in high concentrations, and consuming these waters without drinking any other water can be harmful to health. Some research indicates that the effects of radioactive substances in mineral water have a significant impact when added to the large amount of radiation the body has already been exposed to. Researchers claim that mineral water has health benefits, but it should not be considered a medicine, which indicates a conflict of opinions. In conclusion, this technical committee recommended the following: No statement or phrase should be printed on mineral water bottles that indicates or implies to the consumer that this mineral water is healthy or promotes health, as there is no evidence to support this. If any bottler claims that mineral water is healthy or has an effect on health, they must prove the following: Testing of mineral water must be conducted in the same manner as drug testing, based on internationally recognized scientific principles, and specifically in accordance with the World Health Organization’s “Methods for Testing Drugs Before Use to Ensure Their Safety.” Manual No. 241 (1966). Testing must be conducted by oral consumption of the mineral water only. Tests conducted on animals may be taken into consideration if the comparison is analogous to human use. Some local tests conducted on “health water” originating from Lebanon indicated that the concentration of solids (minerals and others) is significantly lower than the permissible limit for scientific substances in drinking water according to Kuwaiti Standard No. 48 and World Health Organization standards. INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR DRINKING WATER *** In summary, it can be said that the health benefits of mineral water have not been scientifically proven, and drinking mineral water may even lead to an insufficient intake of minerals required by the body. *** We have presented the facts and findings of a study by the world’s leading scientific authority on human health, and it is up to you to decide whether you are improving your health by spending your money on water that has been scientifically proven to have no connection to health.