Breaking Down the Hard Water Health Effects

For many years, people thought that hard water health effects were negative. The formation of kidney stones, development of cardiovascular diseases, and even cancer, among other things, had a connection or a correlation with hard water in peoples' minds.

However, researchers have made more intense studies about these claims in recent years. Even entities such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF have gotten involved. They have tested hard water, softened water, purified water, and everything in between to determine if there really is a difference when it comes to health.

Today, we will try to break down their conclusions as simple as we can, so that anybody can understand what their research has found.

It is important to note that even the WHO and NCBI have concluded that there wasn’t enough consistent data to determine if there should be a limit to water hardness before it became dangerous. If you want, check out our main sources: the WHO study here and the NCBI study here.

Hard Water Health Effects in Infants

It is no secret that babies have different nutritional needs than adults. Since their metabolic system isn’t fully developed yet, they have to take their nourishment from their mother’s breast milk and baby formula.

The thing is, water has varying levels of calcium and magnesium depending on its hardness. Since excessive calcium and magnesium have been linked to several problems such as kidney stones and diabetes, many might think that negative hard water health effects will surely impact infants.

However, this is not necessarily the case. Healthy people, especially infants, can secrete a large amount of hormonal-active vitamin D, which counteracts the excessive intake of calcium. Calcium and magnesium are beneficial for infants, as both nutrients help them grow strong and healthy. Furthermore, no comprehensive study found hard water to directly impact an infant’s central nervous system.

Hard Water Health Effects in Diabetics

Diabetics rely on magnesium to enhance their insulin intake. In some areas, hard water contains more than double of the recommended dose of magnesium.

This might not be necessarily good news for regular individuals. However, for diabetics, it is a blessing. Diabetics have been found to have way below the recommended magnesium level. Thus, hard water can bring numerous health benefits for them.

Hard Water Health Effects on Your Kidneys

Can hard water cause kidney stones? This is a crucial question requiring an answer.

Kidney stones form uric acid and calcium salt. Their production depends on several other factors. For a start, they form in supersaturated urine. Genetic, metabolic, nutritional and environmental factors all play a role in this.

High excretion of calcium and low excretion of citric through urine lead to kidney stone buildup. However, high calcium intake does not necessarily mean high excretion through urine. High salt intake and high meat consumption can also cause kidney stones.

Most studies haven’t found a direct relation between hard water and kidney stones. There are too many other factors to properly conclude this. However, if you have had kidney stones in the past, it is preferable to drink soft water. Also, take care to avoid high levels of calcium in general.

Hard Water Health Effects on Digestion

Hard water benefits the digestive system and alleviates constipation. Some scientists even believe that hard water can prolong one’s lifespan.

Because of its laxative effects, hard water promotes a full body detox. By eliminating toxins, you’ll also get an improved immune system.

Does Hard Water Correlate to Cancer?

A few years ago, some researchers speculated that hard water might increase the risk of cancer.

However, recent studies by Taiwanese scientists proved otherwise. On the contrary, calcium in hard water might even prevent gastrointestinal cancer and even breast cancer. Furthermore, high magnesium levels have also proven to be effective in protecting people from cancer in general.

Hard Water Health Effects on Skin and Hair

Unfortunately, hard water has a negative effect on skin and hair. Researchers have shown that water hardness can cause eczema in children.

Furthermore, people who suffer from dermatitis and psoriasis are also affected by hard water. Hard minerals clog skin pores and irritate the skin’s surface. The same thing happens to your scalp when you shower in hard water.

Excess calcium in the scalp blocks blood vessels. In turn, you get reduced blood flow throughout the scalp. This affects how much nutrients your hair can absorb. As such, your hair becomes weaker in time. And it will also be drier and duller, not to mention that it can lose its coloring as well.

The calcium in hard water also reacts with soap and shampoo, creating soap scum. The scum is hard to remove and it’s the main reason why your skin and hair get damaged in time. Also, it sticks to bathtubs and ceramics, making them look unpleasant.

 

 

Hard Water Statistics

USA’s water quality is questionable, as 85% of households have increased water hardness. Hard water causes mineral buildup inside your pipes. Because of this, it also increases costs.

If you have hard water, your heater will use up to 29% more energy.  Washing machines’ and dishwashers’ lifespan can also decrease by half. You will also spend about $1000 more per year on soap and detergent because washing in hard water is difficult. And finally, we estimate that your water bill can rise by $1000 in a few years due to clogging.

How to Get the Full Hard Water Health Benefits Without Any of the Negatives

As you can see, hard water has quite a few health benefits. However, you can’t ignore its downsides.

• Having to pay more on your bills and the risk of breaking expensive appliances is terrible.
• The fact that your pipes can get clogged further increases expenses and waste time.
• And finally, the effects on skin and hair are irritating to say the least.

Many people have tried water softeners in the past. They were once considered to be the best solution for hard water problems. However, while they solved the limescale buildup and appliances issues, they brought other problems as well.

They add sodium to the water, which makes it risky to drink. Nursing women, people with increased blood pressure, and people with heart disease are all affected by sodium. Water softeners also require maintenance and buying salt packs.

Also, sodium negatively impacts septic systems, also preventing plants from getting the nutrients they need from the soil. Water softeners were banned in certain states because of this. So, yes, water softeners are far from perfect.

Introducing Water Descalers

A water descaler works by emitting electric impulses through two coils that you wrap around your main water pipe.

The signals work on the same principles as cathodic protection to eliminate limescale. However, the main benefit is that they alter mineral crystals’ shape. As such, calcium and magnesium particles become less sticky.

They no longer bond with soap, pipes, or appliances. Instead, they flow seamlessly. And because of this, you’ll still get the health benefits of hard water without any of the negatives. No chemicals are added either. The water itself remains unaltered.

The water descaler is the go-to water softener alternative currently available. Their advantages speak for themselves:

• You can install it yourself without any outside help

• It only requires a small amount of energy
• Can easily fir in small spaces
• Doesn’t require any maintenance whatsoever
• No add-ons, salt packs, or other items necessary
• It doesn’t waste any water
• Actively reduces the formation of limescale and limestone inside your pipes

 Can a Water Descaler also Eliminate Pathogens?

 No, a water descaler isn’t a filter. Waterborne pathogens require you to get a reliable filter. And not just any filter, but one designed specifically for that problem, such as a UV filter.

Descalers are only meant to tackle problems related to hard water. If you live in an area with water pollutants, be sure to do your research. Not every filter will work on anything. Some handle heavy metals better, while others are designed for chemicals, sediment, etc.

Why You Should Choose the Yarna Water Descaler to Counteract the Hard Water Health Effects and Hard Water Disadvantages

Our model brings the best capacitive technology with extra-wide coils. If you register your product, we offer you a 10-year warranty for parts and labor.

The Yarna Capacitive Electronic Water Descaler System also comes with a comprehensive instruction manual. You’ll have no trouble figuring it all out in 15 minutes. It can be used on any type of pipe. And you can mount it in different positions to cover as much water flow as necessary.

And to further satisfy your needs, we also offer you a 100-day money-back guarantee. Depending on water hardness levels, you might see results only in 90 days. That’s why we thought about making such an extended trial period. So you can take your time and test it out before sacrificing your hard-earned money.

The Bottom Line

Hard water isn’t nearly as dangerous as researchers initially thought. Its only negative health effects are the ones related to skin and hair.

Completely eliminating the beneficial minerals from drinking water makes no sense. As you just saw, hard water can be helpful in certain conditions, such as indigestion. In this sense, you are far better off getting a descaler rather than a softener.