The mineralisation of water is linked to the level of salts it contains, which can be seen on the labels of mineral waters, for example. There are waters with low mineral contents, the mineral salt content is not higher than 500mg/l, waters with very low mineral contents, content up to 50mg/l, and waters rich in mineral salts, content higher than 1500mg/l.
Depending on each person and their specific needs, it may make more or less sense to choose a more specific water considering its composition. For example, in the case of newborns and babies, water with a very low mineral content is recommended (and dry residue lower than 50mg/L), with a low sodium (Na+) and nitrate (NO3-) content.
In cases where a person has the need to restrict sodium intake, it may make sense to choose a water with lower sodium content.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding until the age of six months and continuously until the age of two, with the introduction of supplementary foods such as infant milk, porridge, juices, and soups.
For its preparation, the question normally arises as to which water to use. It is important to consider all the aspects that influence feeding in this initial phase of life, in which the baby is developing, and water is no exception.
Infant formulas are developed especially for babies to guarantee healthy growth, and therefore they already contain the necessary amount of minerals. Thus, the water to be used should have an extremely low mineral content, so as not to alter the recommended values.
Água de Luso is considered an extremely low mineralisation water.
Its mineral salt content or dry residue is less than 50mg/l, the sodium content is less than 50mg/l, and nitrates are less than 25mg/l. Furthermore, it is a natural mineral water, of deep underground origin and circulation, with a stable and permanent chemical composition and microbiological guarantee.
Its catchment area, in the Bussaco Mountain Range, is protected by a perimeter that prevents possible contamination or addition of other minerals or compounds that pose a risk to health, such as chlorine or aluminium.
It is also for these reasons that it does not need to be boiled after opening, making life much easier for the whole family.
For all these reasons, Luso is one of the few waters considered by the Ministry of Agriculture to be suitable for the preparation of infant food.
Waters with very low mineral contents are more suitable for individuals who need low-sodium diets, namely when there are kidney function disorders, hypertension, heart failure, and other pathologies where there is fluid retention.
Its catchment area, in the Bussaco Mountain Range, is protected by a perimeter that prevents possible contamination or addition of other minerals or compounds that pose a risk to health, such as chlorine or aluminium.
It is also for these reasons that it does not need to be boiled after opening, making life much easier for the whole family.
pH is the marker that indicates whether a substance is acidic or alkaline.
The pH ranges from 0 to 14. It is considered neutral when 7, acid when lower than 7, and alkaline when higher than 7.
The human body's blood has a neutral pH of approximately 7.4. It is the responsibility of the lungs and kidneys to maintain the stability of the body's pH. Under normal conditions, the pH is not expected to change, but if it does (even if it changes, e.g., from 7.4 to 7.6), the person in question will have obvious signs that will lead him/her to seek medical attention.
Everything we drink and eat goes directly into our stomach. For this reason, the stomach has an acidic pH of 3. This acidity, driven by gastric acid, is fundamental. It is an important defence mechanism as it sterilises food by preventing infection by bacteria (which can, for example, come from the surface of food) and is also necessary for food processing. From the stomach, the food goes to the intestines, where the pH is again neutralised to approx. 7.4 with the intervention of secretions and enzymes from the pancreas. The intestines are then the main leveller, so that everything we eat will end the digestive process with the same pH – even if it initially is food with a different pH when on the plate or in the cup. Our body is an incredible machine, programmed to keep our blood pH levels safe and healthy. Source: Interview with Jorge J. Nieva, MD, associate professor of clinical medicine at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center of Keck Medicine of USC.
The pH value (hydrogen potential) expresses the acidity or alkalinity of water. It is impossible to ascertain a direct relationship between human health and the pH value of drinking water, according to the WHO, because the pH value is so closely associated with other aspects of water quality. The pH is important when we talk about water that is subject to treatment, as is the case with mains water, and not with natural mineral waters. In this case, the pH can indicate the level of corrosion of metals as well as the efficiency of disinfection. When we eat or drink, regardless of the pH of the food, it will be digested in the stomach, where the acidity is between 1.5 and 3. It is then alkalised again in the intestine. After absorption, some nutrients reveal an acidifying or alkalising potential, but the body has a great capacity for self-regulation, and except for urine, the diet cannot alter the acidity of any part of the body. In conclusion, water is a solvent because it is the medium in which all the cellular processes take place. It also acts as a means of transport of nutrients to the cells and regulates body temperature. The functions of water are not to keep the body alkaline, as blood pH is neutral, between 7.3 and 7.4.
Luso has a balanced pH value of +- 5.8.
PORTUGUESE SOCIETY OF NUTRITIONISTS
"Waters: from catchment to consumption"
https://www.apn.org.pt/documentos/ebooks/
Carvalho P., "Os Mitos que Comemos".
1st edition, Matéria-prima Edições publications. 2016.
APIAM
“Águas Minerais Naturais e Águas de Nascente Livro Branco – APIAM 2017” [Natural Mineral Waters and Spring Waters White Paper]
https://www.apiam.pt/
