What is Natural Mineral Water?

Natural Mineral Water is water that is bacterially healthy, originates from a water course or an underground aquifer and comes from a spring that is exploited at one or more natural outlets or through drilling. Natural Mineral Water differs clearly from usual drinking water:
• By nature, it is characterized by its mineral content, trace elements or other
ingredients and, in some cases, specific results
• By its initial cleanliness.
Both of the above characteristics have remained unchanged due to the underground origin of this water, which has been protected from any risk of contamination.

Which mineral water should we prefer?

Natural mineral waters are not all the same; they originate from different springs and have a different composition with respect to the minerals, trace elements and nutrients that they contain.  For this reason, consumption depends on the needs of a specific organism.
An overdose of magnesium has not been proven to cause a health problem but it can, however, have a laxative effect if the dose exceeds 3 gr daily.  Hypertension patients should prefer water with a sodium content that is lower than 10 mg per litre.

How does one “read” the label?

According to law, the label should mention specific details concerning the origin, nutritious value etc of the water.  i.e.:
- Name of spring: the name of the spring and bottling area (natural mineral waters are not to be transported, local bottling is mandatory).
- Logo for the type of packaging: The word “PET”, which means that the material used to make the package, is suitable for foodstuffs. Moreover, it can include the special recycling symbol, provided environmentally-friendly packaging has been used.
-Mandatory information. This information includes the name and address of the company exploiting the spring, advice on how to preserve the product (e.g. store in a cool place away from direct sunlight) and the date of expiry.
-Composition; it is mandatory to mention the water’s content in minerals, total solids etc.  Moreover, the water’s conductivity and pH should also be mentioned.
-Suitable for low sodium diet or the sodium content is lower than 20 mg/l.

How much water should I drink?

There is no specific and precise answer to this question.  The consumption of 8 glasses of water a day is a general rule. There is no scientific explanation for this advice. An average man requires a larger quantity than an average woman and an athlete more than both of them.  Recent studies recommend the consumption of 2.7 litres of fluids per day for women and 3.7 litres for men.