Does RO Water Cause Kidney Stones? Let’s Find Out!
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Last Updated: Jun 29, 2023
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Kidney stones are a serious problem that not enough people pay active attention. The problem can be exacerbated by factors like poor diet and sedentary lifestyle – something that many of us are predisposed to in our modern society.
What about reverse osmosis water though? Many people like to filter their drinking water, and the availability of household water treatment systems has been growing.
Is that actually healthy or are we going in the wrong direction by filtering our water with reverse osmosis?
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Key Takeaways
- Reverse osmosis water does not cause kidney stones.
- In fact, it can help prevent them.
Does RO Water Cause Kidney Stones?
So, does RO water cause kidney stones?
No, reverse osmosis water does not cause kidney stones. In fact, when you understand how kidney stones are formed and what reverse osmosis water is, it would actually make no sense to believe that.
Your kidneys don’t really differentiate between regular water and reverse osmosis water. The only thing that makes a difference to them is the presence of various minerals like calcium in the water, which can promote the formation of kidney stones. And in this regard, reverse osmosis water is significantly better. Why? Because RO water is almost completely free from any impurity including minerals – no calcium, no magnesium, no sodium, etc.
So not only does reverse osmosis water not cause kidney stones, it may even help prevent them due to its low mineral content.
How Do Kidney Stones Form?
Kidney stones are formed as a result of excess amounts of certain minerals in a person’s diet, combined with other factors, like a lack of exercise. If your diet is rich in sodium etc. and you don’t take care to balance its intake, it could eventually start to deposit inside your kidneys. Over time, those deposits will grow and will lead to the formation of painful kidney stones.
Since kidney stones take some time to develop, it’s not very easy to figure out if your current diet is promoting them. But generally speaking, the less processed foods you eat and the less salt you use when cooking, the better. And avoiding drinking overly hard water can also play a role.
Kidney Stones – Hard Water vs Soft Water
So, hard water can be one enemy when it comes to kidney stones. The main difference between hard water and soft water is the presence of minerals. The more of them there are, the harder the water is. And the more of it you drink, the higher the risk is that excess minerals will get deposited into your kidneys when your body can’t process them.
Therefore, if you’re trying to minimize the risk of developing kidney stones, one thing you can do is to focus on softening your water.
That said, keep in mind that removing all the minerals from your diet won’t be healthy either. You need certain amounts of calcium, magnesium, and other minerals in your daily diet in order to stay healthy.
Is Reverse Osmosis Water Still Bad for Kidneys?
Putting kidney stones aside, are there any other reasons to avoid drinking reverse osmosis water when it comes to the health of your kidneys? Short answer: No. Reverse osmosis water is not bad for your kidneys in any way. In fact, it can help relieve them of some of their burden by removing various contaminants that won’t have to make their way through your organism.
If you’re particularly concerned about kidney stones and the health of your kidneys, drinking purified water on a regular basis could actually be a good thing – your body will have to deal with fewer pollutants.
Common Myths About the Health Effects of Reverse Osmosis Water
Reverse osmosis water has attracted many myths throughout its existence. Some people believe that it’s inherently unhealthy, others are even convinced that it will attack your body. Is any of that true?
RO Water Will Attack Your Body Because It Lacks Minerals
One claim that you might hear repeated particularly often is that reverse osmosis water will somehow attack your body because it is so low in minerals.
Well, it is true that low-mineral water increases the elimination of calcium, magnesium, and other minerals from the body. However, reverse osmosis water won’t harm your body as long as you’re making sure that you meet your recommended daily intake of salts and minerals through other means: Your food.
Besides, drinking reverse osmosis water can be a significant improvement in terms of health properties when you consider all the potential contaminants that you avoid, which, of course, is the reason to drink RO water in the first place.
Further Reading:
The WHO Warns Against RO Water
The World Health Organization has never issued a warning against reverse osmosis drinking water. We don’t know how this rumor started and why it’s still spreading, considering that it’s really easy to debunk with one quick internet search.
See for yourself – you will not find any such statements made by the WHO. Again, what is true is that the WHO suggests that “reintroduction of magnesium and calcium into demineralized water in the remineralization process would likely provide health benefits in consumer populations”.
What Is Reverse Osmosis and How Does It Work?
How exactly does reverse osmosis purify water in the first place though, and why is it considered so effective?
Reverse osmosis is a very powerful method for purifying water, and it remains one of the most commonly used techniques for this purpose. The process relies on a membrane lined with very fine pores. The system forces water through that membrane at high pressure, which results in water molecules making it through to the other side, and everything else getting left behind.
This is a very effective process for purifying water, as it strips out all impurities. In some cases, those contaminants include potentially useful elements like various minerals. Water naturally contains minerals which are good for your health in small concentrations. It’s possible that you might be used to obtaining those minerals from your daily water intake. In that case, if you switch to drinking reverse osmosis water, you might have to compensate for the imbalance in your diet in other ways. The most popular one is taking supplements.
If you have any questions about RO water and kidney stones please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
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