Tap water vs. mineral water: Which is healthier?

Tap water has long been an indispensable part of our everyday lives. Unlike other countries in the world, Germany has the great advantage that water can be drunk directly from the tap.

There are many reasons to choose tap water. Here we have listed the most important advantages for you:

• Cost savings: Compared to mineral water, tap water is usually much cheaper. So you can save a lot of money if you consciously choose not to drink bottled water.
• Accessibility: In Germany, tap water is available practically everywhere as long as you have access to a tap. In this case, you are not dependent on the opening hours of supermarkets and drugstores. In addition, you don't have to transport the water to your home, just turn on the tap.
• Environmental friendliness: As already mentioned, mineral water is often bottled in plastic. If you choose tap water, however, you do not support the consumption of disposable bottles.
• Drinking water quality: In Germany, there are strict regulations and controls to ensure the best possible quality of water from the tap. In Germany, you can drink tap water as long as there are no lead pipes in the house.

Despite careful water purification and treatment in Germany, more or less impurities can remain unnoticed in tap water, depending on the region. Various pollutants such as hormones, microplastics, pesticides, germs, bacteria and heavy metals can be present in tap water. This already brings us to the big disadvantage of tap water.

But don't worry, you don't have to expose yourself to these contaminants. To ensure that you drink clean and healthy water, you can consider using a water filter. Filtering tap water is particularly useful if contamination by pollutants cannot be ruled out. There are many reasons why a water filter can be useful (alb-filter.com).

Tap water can therefore be contaminated even in Germany, where we can generally look forward to high drinking water quality.

Another disadvantage of tap water is that, depending on the region, it has a specific taste and smell that you may find unpleasant. To prevent this, a water filter can help. After all, the taste and smell of tap water should not prevent you from drinking sufficient amounts of it every day.

Besides tap water, mineral water enjoys great popularity in domestic supermarkets, restaurants and cafés. It is often seen as a healthy alternative to sugary drinks like Coca-Cola, Fanta and Sprite and is associated with numerous positive effects. But what influence does mineral water actually have on our health?

• Mineral-rich composition: The name "mineral water" is no coincidence. The water from the disposable bottle contains a variety of valuable minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. All these minerals make an essential contribution to maintaining our mineral balance and support various bodily functions.
• Highest quality: Mineral water usually comes from natural sources that are subject to strict quality controls. This means that mineral water is free of impurities.
• Variety of taste: Mineral water offers a wide range of tastes - depending on the minerals and trace elements present in the different sources. So you have a wide range of choices and can find the mineral water that suits your taste.

But apart from the three advantages mentioned, there are also a few points that we have to criticise about mineral water:

• Environmental impact: The production, packaging and transport of mineral water create a significant environmental footprint. So if you buy mineral water regularly, you are contributing to the environmental impact.
• Unnecessary mineral intake: Although the mineral composition is positive, it may be unnecessary for some people to take in additional minerals. This is especially the case if you are already eating a balanced diet that provides all the essential minerals. In some cases, excessive mineral intake can even have undesirable health effects.
• High cost: Compared to tap water, mineral water is usually more expensive - especially, of course, if you regularly consume large amounts of it.

A family of four in Germany drinks 3 litres of mineral water together every day. If 1 litre of mineral water costs 0.50 €, the family has to reckon with monthly costs of 45 €. Annually, that is 540 €.

This question cannot be answered in a general way. Both tap water and mineral water have advantages and disadvantages. The final decision depends entirely on your personal preferences. Here are a few considerations:

• If you want to save money and be more sustainable in your everyday life, tap water is the way to go. With a water filter, you can also ensure that the water is neither contaminated or has an unpleasant taste.
• If, on the other hand, you want to benefit from a higher mineral content, more purity and a greater variety of tastes, mineral water is the better choice.

We hope we have helped you with this article - even if the overall question of this blog post is not so easy to answer. If you often drink tap water, it's best to visit our online shop: Here you can discover the cheerfully colourful world of BODDELS!