Contact with water is an integral part of our contact with nature. We dream of our holidays in the mountains, with crystal waters flowing all around us.

Water is a source of life. A source of coolness, tranquility and peace, when the mountain gurgles next to us.

But when is it a source of health? When can we drink it in our glass? What characteristics of water make it drinkable and beneficial for our health?

Let's start things from the beginning...

1. Where does drinking water come from?

Water is everywhere and beautifies the landscape!

It is constantly changing forms, rising from earth to heaven and falling back to earth, in a perpetual cycle.

We all remember the "water cycle" from school:

Falling back to the earth, the water either stays on its surface (surface water), or sinks into its bowels (groundwater).

There are two options for the water we can use as drinking water:

• Surface waters (lakes, rivers, reservoirs)
• Groundwater (wells, springs)

Surface water is all around us, we see it, enjoy it and take care to protect it from environmental pollution and climate change.

Groundwater is not visible. Due to the need to protect groundwater from climate change and environmental pollution, the United Nations is dedicating World Water Day 2022, March 22, to groundwater, with the message:

"Ground Water: Making the invisible visible"

2. Tap water or bottled?

Drinking water is available as tap water, or bottled water.

The increase in bottled water consumption in recent years has increased plastic waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

In order to improve tap water and reduce the consumption of bottled water, the European Union has passed new drinking water regulations.

Image Source: europarl.eu

The quality of tap water is very important, because let's not forget that even if we drink bottled water at our table, we use tap water to prepare our food, for our coffee or tea, for the baby food we give to our children and for so many other uses.

2.1 Tap water

Having water at our disposal on the surface of the Earth, but also in its depths, we can channel it through the water supply systems to the taps of our homes, after first making it drinkable!

There are specific European Union standards that we follow for the treatment of water (the last one was actually passed in 2019, see below) and its conversion into potable water:

• Filter to remove large particles such as leaves and sand
• We filter with activated carbon for smaller particles and germs
• Disinfect with chlorine
• We fluoridate to promote bone and tooth health.

2.2 The water filters

Although the competent services take care, many times the tap water does not have the quality and purity that we would like. In order to improve its quality, we use water filters.

With filters we can remove many contaminants that may be present in the water we drink such as sediments, chlorine derivatives, nitrates, lead, asbestos, copper, iron, arsenic and other substances such as pesticides, bacteria, viruses etc.

By purifying tap water with filters, we no longer need to buy bottled water and burden the environment and our pocket.

The simplest and most economical solution is the carbon filter. It consists of a layer of carbon that has millions of tiny pores (invisible to the eye) that absorb water contaminants (stick to the carbon grains) leaving the rest of the water to pass clean through the filter.

There are different types of filters and we should study well how they work before applying them in our home.

2. 3 Bottled Water

Not all bottled waters are the same. They are divided into three main categories:

• Table water, which can be of any origin (even from the sea), but has been processed to be drinkable, according to regulations.
• Natural mineral waterwhich only has an underground origin and is bottled at its source. It should not be processed and should not contain parasites and statistically dangerous to human health. The composition of natural mineral water is influenced by the subsoil from which it emerges, because as the water flows into the depths of the Earth, it is enriched with minerals and trace elements.
• Spring waterwhich is something between table and natural mineral water. It has an underground origin, it is bottled at the source, but it follows the standards of table water. It does not contain minerals, like natural mineral water.

2.4 The new directive of the European Union on the Quality of Tap Water

The importance of natural minerals and trace elements present in natural mineral water, groundwater, is shown in the new European Union directive on the quality of tap water:

Safe water for human consumption does not only mean the absence of harmful microorganisms and substances, but also the presence of certain amounts of natural minerals and trace elements, taking into account that long-term consumption of deionized water or water with a very low content of trace elements, such as calcium and magnesium, can put risk to human health. A certain amount of these minerals is also vital to ensure that water for human consumption is neither aggressive nor corrosive and to improve the taste of that water.

3. How do we assess water quality?

Drinking tap water is rated by:

• The organoleptic characteristics (turbidity, taste, smell)
• Pollutant levels (nitrates, nitrites, ammonia)
• Toxic substances (pesticides, heavy metals, etc. )

Natural mineral water contains metals and trace elements, which, depending on their concentration, characterize the water (eg magnesium). It is evaluated by the content of:

• Mineral salts
• Sodium
• O acid carbonates
• Sulphates
• Chloride salts
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Fluorine
• Bivalent iron
• Carbon dioxide

4. Water and Health

4.1 How much water should we drink?

We all know that we should drink about 8 glasses of water a day, since water makes up 60-70% of our body.

Drinking water helps us:

• In maintaining normal body temperature.
• In lubricating the joints.
• In the protection of vital tissues.
• In the washing of useless substances from the body and their elimination.

The body's need for water increases when we exercise, when we have a fever, diarrhea or vomiting, or when it's summer.

Watch in the video below what will happen if we don't drink water:

4.2 The importance of pH for our health

Very important for our health is the pH of the water.

pH refers to the concentration of hydrogen ions. When the pH in a substance is greater than 7, then the substance is alkaline. At 7 it is neutral, while less than 7 it is acidic.

The pH of the extracellular fluid of the human body is 7.4, that is, it is slightly alkaline. The correct ratio of alkaline to acidic foods that we should get is 80% - 20%, in order to keep the pH of our body alkaline.

Vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, spices - herbs, cereals, etc. have an alkaline pH .

Meat , seafood , eggs, mature cheeses, milk, butter, margarine, white flour products, pasta, bread, sweets, sugar, chocolate, cookies, alcohol, coffee, tea, carbonated soft drinks, ice creams, etc.

I cannot speak better about the importance of alkaline pH than Dr. Papatheodorou : Dr. Papatheodorou ::

Our body behaves unorthodox when it has acid reserves, a very common occurrence due to the modern lifestyle. This can be expressed with a variety of symptoms and manifestations such as: gastrointestinal problems (flatulence, indigestion, gastritis, ulcers), skin diseases (eczema, acne, psoriasis, dermatitis), bad sweat, bad breath, metabolic disorders such as hypercholesterolemia , diabetes mellitus, allergic conditions (allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma), headache, migraine, arthralgias, myalgias, chronic fatigue, depression, premature aging.

The acidic pH destroys the body's normal flora and favors the growth of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. It creates high cholesterol levels and loss of essential trace elements (magnesium, potassium, sodium, calcium). The acidic environment also favors the growth of cancer cells. In short, chronic hyperacidity is at the root of every disease.

A proper diet of excellent quality in balanced quantities and a proper combination together with regular exercise, which keep the body 's pH alkaline , can protect us from many diseases, offer us a balanced physical and mental health and well-being, and strengthen our immunity.

4.3 Water characteristics and health

In addition to pH , the main characteristics of water that concern our health, apart from of course its purity which goes without saying, are to have:

• Sodium content Sodiumfor hypertensives, infants and the elderly, because sodium is taken in large quantities from our food.
• Sodium content Potassium contentbecause the body cannot manage the excess of potassium. A content of less than 12 mg / L is recommended to avoid kidney problems.
• Magnesium content Magnesium for older ages, to reduce heart disease
• Sodium content Magnesium for children under 7 years of age
• No increased Calcium content Calcium, because it affects the hardness of the water. Low water hardness is beneficial for hair and skin in the bath.

4.4 The water of Montanema Handmade Village

The region of Agrafa , where Montanema Handmade Village is located, was ranked in a recent UNESCO survey, among the five cleanest regions on the planet in terms of natural environment. It has the cleanest waters in all of Europe and the second cleanest atmospheric air!

A natural spring with crystal clear water located at a distance of 500 meters from the hotel premises supplies water to Montanema Handmade Village . Thanks to the purity of the water, its chlorination is not required.

The taste of the water is excellent and its composition, due to its origin from the underground waters of Agrafa , reveals its multiple benefits for our body:

• The pH value of the water in Montanema HandMade Village is 8.6 which makes it an alkaline water, valuable for health.
• Its balanced content of minerals and trace elements is also very important for heart disease and its reduced hardness benefits the skin and hair.

See the water analysis in Montanema HandMade Village :

The excellent quality water of Montanema Handmade Village flows abundantly everywhere in our hotel

• It is channeled through certified pipelines and supplies water to all our homes.
• It is used for the preparation of meals in our restaurant and drinks in the café bar Irema and the Botanic bar.
• It is used for the preparation of our herbal cosmetics, such as face and body creams, deodorants, shampoos, which we provide completely free of charge for the personal care and treatment of our customers during their stay. This is how they treat their hair and skin not only with the precious herbal ingredients of the care products but also with the water contained in them and running from the faucet!

• It is used for our outdoor and indoor pool - SPA , maximizing well-being and benefits to the skin and the whole body.

• It is used to water the vegetables in our garden. These vegetables reach the table of our customers, in our restaurant.

Read More...

• About For the ecological construction of Montanema Handmade VillageOur love for nature was the reason we discovered this magical landscape and respect for the environment has been a dominant factor in every stage of Montanema 's creation Handmade Village .
• For the special flavors and the wood oven of our restaurant. μας.
• For the IREMA coffee bar ΗΡΕΜΑ and tea varieties at Botanic our bar.

The hostess of the village

Artemis Kokkinou

Sources

• United Nations :Groundwater Making the invisible visible
• Molecular Diversity Preservation International: Drinking Water Quality and Human Health
• International Water Association: Digital Water
• Wikipedia:Its qualitywater
• CDC: Health Benefits of Water-Based Exercise
• TED-Ed: What would happen if you didn't drink water?
• Drinking Adequate Water Can Make Your Skin Glow!
• 4 Reasons Water Quality Is Important For Skin Care
• The Importance Of Water Quality
• EU standard fornatural mineral waters
• Benefits ofquality water
• Bottled Water:Before I quench my thirst, I must read
• WaterFilters What they do and what souldwe prefer
• Toprefer bottledor tap water?
• Water analysis