How does municipal water treatment potentially contribute to a chronic magnesium deficit for residents in certain regions?
Answer
The treatment process, particularly water softening, removes valuable magnesium from the water supply, meaning a primary source of hydration contributes very little to daily intake.
Water is often perceived as a neutral source of hydration, but its mineral content varies widely. In regions where municipal water treatment facilities perform water softening—a process aimed at improving cleaning efficiency—valuable magnesium is frequently removed from the supply. If individuals rely heavily on this treated water for daily hydration, and hard water sources could otherwise contribute up to 30 mg/L of magnesium, the cumulative effect of drinking de-mineralized or stripped water becomes a substantial, chronic deficit over time.
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