The Role of Low Mineral Water Consumption in Reducing the Mineral Density of Bones and Teeth: A Narrative Review.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing mechanistic reasoning and existing literature without systematic methodology or primary human data.
PubMed 38125211 · doi:10.7759/cureus.49119
What was done
This narrative review examined literature regarding the consumption of low-mineral water produced by reverse osmosis filtration and its potential effects on bone mineral density and dental health.
What was found
The abstract reports that reverse osmosis removes 92–99% of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, fluoride, and iron from water. It asserts that drinking low-mineral water leads to mineral extraction from the body and urinary excretion, contributing to bone and tooth demineralization and increasing risks of osteoporosis and caries. No clinical trial numbers, effect sizes, or quantitative health outcome data were reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
It highlights potential nutritional drawbacks of extensive drinking water purification and the potential need for remineralization strategies.
Limits
As a narrative review, it lacks a systematic search protocol, risk of bias assessment, or quantitative synthesis. The abstract does not account for baseline dietary mineral intake from solid food, which typically provides the majority of essential minerals.
Cited by
- supports Reverse osmosis water filtration removes essential minerals and trace elements such as phosphorus, manganese, and iodine from drinking water.