Setback for remineralization of drinking water
The World Health Organization has just issued a report on “the possible protective effect of hard water against cardiovascular disease.” The report of an expert group gathered last Spring is labeled “for a restricted audience,” so I’ll honor that without full disclosure of the contents. But the report merits attention.
Coming in the wake of WHO’s infamous expert Report 916 on diet, nutrition and health and on the heels of WHO-Europe’s anti-obesity campaign that sweeps salt into a package of dietary improvements, this expert report is commendably restrained.
Of particular note is the review of scientific evidence of an earlier-asserted claim that hard water reduces the risk of cardiovascular events. The report notes a “large number” of studies of water hardness, but explains that these are “ecologic” and that the “inherent weaknesses in the ecologic study design limit the conclusions that can be drawn.” Exactly right. Continuing to discuss case-control and cohort studies, the experts agreed that “there is no evidence of an association between water hardness or calcium and acute myocardial infarction or deaths from cardiovascular disease” although drinking water magnesium is seen as conferring benefits.
The lack of transparency in announcing the results of the expert consultation is disappointing – and totally unjustified. True, further research is required before any confident conclusions – or public health policy – should be based on the evidence these experts were able to discover. That conclusion should not be kept a secret. It should inform, and discourage, those who would suggest that the effect of ion-exchange water softeners to remove “healthy” calcium and magnesium from drinking water is, in some way, impairing the healthfulness of that drinking water.