Exploring the Potential Benefits of Natural Calcium-Rich Mineral Waters for Health and Wellness: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This systematic review investigates the potential health and wellness benefits of natural calcium-rich mineral waters. It emphasizes the importance of dietary calcium sourced from natural mineral waters in promoting bone health, maintaining cardiovascular function, aiding in weight management, and enhancing overall well-being. The review process involved the comprehensive analysis of peer-reviewed articles, clinical trials, and experimental studies published within the last decade. Findings reveal that consuming calcium-rich mineral water can contribute significantly to daily calcium intake, particularly for those with lactose intolerance or individuals adhering to plant-based diets. The unique bioavailability of calcium from such waters also appears to enhance absorption, thus potentially offering an advantage over other calcium sources. The potential benefits extend to the cardiovascular system, with some studies indicating a reduction in blood pressure and the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases. Emerging evidence suggests that calcium-rich mineral water might have a role in body weight management, though further research is needed. The review identifies several areas requiring additional research, such as the potential interaction between calcium-rich mineral water and other dietary components, the effects on populations with specific health conditions, and the long-term effects of consumption. In conclusion, natural calcium-rich mineral waters show promise as a readily accessible and bioavailable sources of dietary calcium, potentially beneficial for a broad range of individuals. However, further investigation is required to fully understand its range of health impacts and define optimal intake levels.

Aquifers and Groundwater: Challenges and Opportunities in Water Resource Management in Colombia

“…Some studies believe that compounds such as sulphate, bicarbonate, calcium, and magnesium present in mineral water have health benefits like improving digestion [89][90][91][92][93] mainly due to the direct action of mineral waters on the intestinal epithelium, generating an accelerated process of epithelial renewal, without epithelial disruption [94]. Other benefits of mineral water consumption include improved gastric emptying [95], gastroduodenal peristalsis [96], dyspepsia [97], the activity of the bile ducts [98,99], cholagogue activity [100], increased mineralization [101,102], and a reduction in bone resorption [103]. Studies on mineral water consumption show that frequent intake of mineral water can have health effects on biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk, especially reducing total cholesterol, fasting glucose, and LDL cholesterol [104,105], and the formation of kidney stones [106].…”

“…There are many sources of mineral waters worldwide, and due to their mineralmedicinal properties, several countries market these waters. Europe is a continent abundant in natural mineral waters [109], and there, some countries such as Spain, Slovakia, Romania, Germany, and France bottle and market them for consumption [102,110]. In Italy, these waters are mainly used for recreational purposes [111].…”

“…North America also has an abundance of mineral waters; however, the geological characteristics of the formations containing these groundwaters differ from the European continent. In fact, some studies have found that European mineral waters have much higher calcium content compared to American mineral waters [102,112,113].…”

“…This is possible if the properties of mineral water consumption are analyzed, and the quality parameters and purification requirements are carried out. Some sources of useful trace elements for people are iron, fluoride, calcium, magnesium, zinc, among others, and these can contribute to medicinal and therapeutic processes [102,129].…”

Long-Term Consumption of Purified Water Altered Amino Acid, Fatty Acid and Energy Metabolism in Livers of Rats

“…Human intervention studies showed that drinking low-mineral water exacerbates lipid profile and raises homocystine (an independent cardiovascular disease biomarker) levels [16]. On the contrary, drinking natural mineral water may promote bone health, maintain cardiovascular function, improve lipid profile, aid weight management, and enhance overall well-being [17]. Animal studies also proved that the consumption of low mineral water leads to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease [16] and impaired bone quality [18].…”