Do Water Filters Remove Minerals?

Imagine the perfect glass of water. Crystal-clear, devoid of impurities, rich in health-boosting minerals, cool and silky-smooth. The taste: neutral and natural. Not bland, not overpowering, but exactly what you want to drink to hydrate with peace of mind. This is what Brio water filters promise and deliver.

It’s the pleasant-tasting, healthy, environmentally-friendly and cost-effective result that follows a powerful filtering process. Our highly-sensitive filters not only remove dangerous contaminants, but also the minerals that naturally occur in water.

 

It means your purified water is completely safe to drink. There’s then an additional, frosting-on-the-cake stage. It actually adds back minerals into your perfectly processed water, giving it a palatable taste and numerous health benefits.

Here, we walk you through our remineralizing process: why adding minerals to filtered water results in the healthiest, tastiest and safest H2O to elevate your well-being.

How do water filters remove minerals?

 

Chemical or carbon filtration systems use certain materials to attract or directly target the contaminants, but they cannot remove bacteria, viruses or dissolved solids from water. 

Ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis (RO) filtration are much more effective. Let’s explore the differences between these two systems.

How does reverse osmosis filtration work?

Originally developed to desalinate sea water, RO filtration has become a popular water purification system for homes and offices. Available in both undersink filtration systems and water dispensers, the RO filtration process works the same in each one.

 

By pushing water through a microscopically small filter material, it removes total dissolved solids (TDS) from water. Examples of TDS include salts, “forever chemicals” known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), nitrates, fluoride and heavy metals such as lead and arsenic. 

Neither ultrafiltration (0.1 to 0.01 micron pores) nor nanofiltration (0.001 micron pores) can achieve that level of contaminant reduction.

RO is so effective that it not only removes the big stuff, like sediment, toxins, microbes and lead, but also substances that have actually dissolved in the water. So microscopic are the pores in the RO membrane that even minerals usually present in water are removed. 

This lowers the pH of the water, making it slightly acidic. After treatment, RO water has an average pH of between 5 and 7. This more alkaline pH level is considered healthy for human consumption.

How does ultrafiltration work?

Ultrafiltration (UF) is a barrier method of filtration and is typically the third stage in a four-stage process. 

After prefiltration by a sediment and pre-carbon filter, incoming water enters the ultrafiltration cartridge. This comprises a membrane perforated with pores 0.1 microns in diameter. 

The water flows through the pores, and anything larger than 0.1 microns is blocked from moving on to the final stage of filtration and then to a dedicated faucet at the sink. Notably, ultrafiltration removes solid particulates only, not TDS, like RO systems.

Do I need to add minerals to reverse osmosis water?

Brio reverse osmosis water filtration coolers and systems first remove any sediment, chlorine, heavy metals and other impurities that commonly affect water quality. RO filtration is incredibly thorough – it removes everything, including alkaline minerals. 

So, do you need to add minerals to filtered water?

Answer: you don’t HAVE to, but…an alkaline water filter can enrich your purified water, making it taste even better and enhance its health-giving properties. 

An alkaline filter remineralizes your purified water using multiple layers of filtration. These include layers of high-purity copper and zinc to reduce contaminants. Alkaline balls add traces of healthy minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and selenium, back into the water.

We all know that drinking plenty of water is crucial for our health. It’s essential for important organ functions, lubricates joints, and keeps your skin in good condition. So, if it tastes good, we’re more likely to drink up. And if the water we’re imbibing is infused with healthy minerals, all the better.

 

Here are three reasons why adding minerals to filtered water makes sense.

1. Remineralized water tastes goooood

Ever been put off by tap water because of that sharp, chlorine tang? Alkaline water with re-added minerals, however, tastes delicious. In fact, it’s so good that you’ll be more likely to reach for a glass of filtered water than a glass of juice or soda.

2. Delicious remineralized water encourages hydration

You’ll easily hit the optimum water quota required by your body if your water tastes pleasant. Because your RO water tastes so great, you’re going to want to drink more of it. Drinking more water doesn’t just help all your bodily functions work better. It also improves your energy levels, fills you up to keep hunger pangs (and snacking) at bay, and keeps your thinking clear.

3. Optimized hydration keeps you healthier

Tap water contains mineral particles like calcium and magnesium. These minerals could provide important health benefits like lowering blood pressure, improving blood circulation, strengthening bones and promoting digestion.

Alkaline water filters restore calcium, magnesium and potassium to your ultra-purified, safe-to-drink water. This makes it far more healthy than your average glass of tap water. Take a deep dive into the benefits of alkaline water, and find out why these minerals are so important below.

 

Why are minerals so important?

Like vitamins, minerals help your body stay healthy. The body uses minerals to do many things, from building strong bones to sending nerve impulses. Let’s take a closer look at some of the beneficial minerals restored to your pure water as part of the remineralization process.

Calcium

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. It’s almost all stored in bones and teeth, giving them structure and strength. We need it for our muscles to move and for our nerves to carry messages between the brain and every part of the body.

Magnesium

Magnesium regulates muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, blood pressure and making protein, bone and DNA. It helps to stimulate and control hundreds of biochemical reactions and, alongside calcium, can help to develop and maintain healthy bones.

Potassium

Potassium helps maintain normal levels of fluid inside our cells, enables muscles to contract and supports normal blood pressure.

 

How to remineralize filtered water

Remineralizing alkaline water filters are a hassle-free way to add beneficial minerals back into your purified water with an RO system.

A drop-in filter means purified water comes straight out of your own faucet, so you don’t have to worry about dangerous contaminants or adding mineral drops. 

Take a look at our reverse osmosis filters and ultrafiltration systems for perfect water, with huge health benefits.