Mineral-Rich Drinking Water

Recommended Spring Water Brands

If drinking spring water, the water must be labeled "spring water." "Purified water" has had its minerals removed, and may be contaminated with a specific type of plastic from reverse osmosis filters, so please avoid it.

If possible, rotate at least 4 brands of spring water for a balanced variety of minerals. Dr. Larry Wilson provides the following list of recommended brands:

• "European: Evian, Icelandic Glacial, Icelandic Spring, Aqua Panna, Volvic [avoid Volvic due to arsenic], Evamor and Voss (but not most other European brands).
• American: Simple Truth Artesian Water, Simply Sedona, Walmart, Whole Foods (365), Ozarka, Resource, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, and Alpine Pure.
• Canadian: Artesian Spring, Mt. Doug Spring, Canadian Springs, Salt Spring Island Water, (B.C). You may have a tablespoon of Ice Age Premium Glacial Water per cup of spring or other water, but not [more]. The reason [for the limited amount of Ice Age water] is it is very low in minerals.
• Asian/Pacific: Hawaiian Springs, Waikea, Ka-Vita, Eternal (from New Zealand)."

Dr. Wilson recommends avoiding Deer Park brand (due to possible contamination) and Arrowhead brand (which comes from many sources, some undesirable, and impossible to tell them apart from the label).

Also, please avoid any spring water from Olancha Peak source, Olancha, CA. It may be labeled as various brands, including brands which are otherwise recommended above. Olancha Peak source water seems widely distibuted in supermarkets in the southwestern United States. The company discloses that it contains fluoride and arsenic. I've heard from several people with adverse reactions to Olancha Peak source water.

Please avoid any brand identified by Consumer Reports to contain arsenic. These include: Starkey, Peñafiel, Crystal Geyser [Olancha, CA source], Volvic, Crystal Creamery, EartH₂O, Aguavida, Badoit, Fiji, and Niagara Bottling Company. Also, the water report for Trader Joe's New Zealand Artesian Water shows arsenic as well, so please avoid it.

If you feel that the brands of bottled spring water you're drinking aren't hydrating you well, please seek alternatives. In these cases, carbon-filtered tap water such as with a Berkey filter may be a good option (see below).

Recommended Filtered Water

Look for a filter that uses only natural methods such as carbon and sand. The Berkey is one such filter that I'd recommend.

Many people are finding Berkey-filtered tap water to be working just as well as the spring water, or sometimes better, for hydrating the body. In the long term, the Berkey will likely be more economical and resource-efficient than bottled spring water.

Fluoride and arsenic are very difficult to filter from water, without removing beneficial minerals or adding contaminants. This is why I recommend starting with water that's already naturally fluoride- and arsenic-free.

If your tap water contains arsenic and/or fluoride, please look for a different source. Maybe you can find some inexpensive spring water which has other contaminants, but not fluoride or arsenic, and then run it through a carbon or sand filter such as the Berkey.

I recommend the main filters for the Berkey, but not the fluoride add-on filter. The basis for the add-on filter is passing the water through aluminum oxide. However, the possible effect of the aluminum concerns me. A small but significant amount of aluminum enters the water from the add-on filter (click on "Extended Description" in previous link and scroll down to find measurements). After 5 cycles, the amount of aluminum is just barely below the FDA acceptable level of 0.2 ppm aluminum. Even at lower amounts after more cycles, I'd avoid the aluminum.

Please avoid reverse osmosis filtered water, sometimes labeled "purified water", which sometimes seems to be contaminated with a plastic from the filter. Please avoid unfiltered tap water, which often contains various metal and chemical contaminants and additives.

Caution with Reverse Osmosis Multi-Step Machines

There are multi-step drinking water machines available which may claim to make water even better than it started. These usually involve reverse osmosis filtration, other filtration, remineralization, and other ways of improving the water.

I'm skeptical that we can make water better than natural waters. Maybe it's possible.

Nonetheless, when other, more natural options above don't seem readily available, maybe a multi-step machine might be the next best option.

Dr. Wilson warns against multi-step machines:

"Unfortunately, all the multi-stage filters that I have seen damage the water and make it less usable by the body. As a result, it does not hydrate the body well. I am not sure which filter medium is causing the problem at this time. Stay away from these more costly and heavily advertised units at this time."

The Root Cause Protocol includes:

"START Eating organic ancestral whole foods and drinking mineralized filtered water"

At this time, I'm unaware of more detailed guidance in RCP about the filtration method.

For now, I'd stick with the spring water or naturally filtered water discussed above, if you can.