With more than 30 years’ experience in the residential and commercial water treatment space, Mark Nelson is a Class 1 Drinking-Water Operator and a CBWA (Canadian Bottled Water Association) Certified Plant Operator. As founder and president of Nelson Water in Ottawa, Mark focuses on dealing with challenging water treatment system designs for problem water. He also heads the largest water bottling plant in the city of Ottawa with a delivery network throughout the Valley.

Every day, health experts are heard speaking about the importance of minerals in our diet. Our bodies require approximately 70 different minerals for all the necessary functions, but not all minerals can be beneficial for health. This leads to confusion, since you may struggle to know the difference between inorganic and organic minerals. Here we’ll explore these differences so that you can make the right, healthy choices.

A Snap Shot of the Problem:

Organic minerals are compounds that are living or once lived. These contain carbon and may promote cell life. Organic mineral electrons spin clockwise, just like the electrons in the human body. The mineral cells also create ionic bonds with the human body and can be broken down easily into the materials needed for bodily functions.

Conversely, inorganic minerals lack carbon and have never been a living organism. These minerals are treated like a toxin by the body, and they cannot be easily broken down. Inorganic minerals have counterclockwise spinning electrons, so they are out of sync with our bodies.

Inorganic Minerals, What are the Negative Effects?:

Although organic minerals may be beneficial to the human body, this is not the case with inorganic minerals and can produce some significant negative effects. Typically, inorganic minerals are removed from our water supplies during the natural water cycle, but inorganic materials can be picked up as the water runs through the ground.

When inorganic minerals are consumed, they are not fully absorbed as a nutrient by the human body. The minerals cannot pass through cell walls, so they are deposited in other areas of our bodies. This can lead to a number of negative health effects, including clogged arteries, gallstones, arthritis, and joint pain. If you need further proof of the detrimental effects of inorganic materials on the human body, just look at your plumbing fixtures. Lime or calcium carbonate is a typical inorganic mineral, and it creates deposits on bathtubs, showers and other fixtures. This residue requires special cleaning products for removal and may even cause permanent damage inside your home.

The Scope of the Problem:

While you may think a bit of inorganic material in water supplies is not a big problem, Dr. Norman W. Walker disagrees. According to Dr. Walker, if you drink two pints of water every day for a 70 year lifespan, it will add up to 4,500 gallons and as much as 300 pounds of inorganic minerals that cannot be used by the body. He states that most of these minerals are deposited in the water, blood and lymph systems of the body, needing excretion. Unfortunately, as not all the deposits may be expelled, it can result in some serious health implications.

Fortunately, drinking contaminated water is not inevitable. Water treatment professionals can guide you through the variety of domestic water treatment solutions that can eliminate the excess inorganic minerals in your water supply. An experienced technician can conduct water testing and recommend the system best suited to your specific water conditions.