Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site mot.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcs!mnetor!mot!waycott From: waycott@mot.UUCP (John Waycott) Newsgroups: net.med Subject: Is soft water harmful to drink? Message-ID: <432@mot.UUCP> Date: Fri, 1-Nov-85 21:24:42 EST Article-I.D.: mot.432 Posted: Fri Nov 1 21:24:42 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 2-Nov-85 04:07:25 EST Distribution: na Organization: Motorola Microsystems, Tempe, AZ 85282 Lines: 26 Has anyone seen any hard scientific evidence that soft water is harmful to drink? The only people I've heard make these claims are the makers of water purifiers which do not soften the water. These companies state that drinking soft water causes learning disabilities in children, heart disease, and several other problems. One ad even stated that you should only drink distilled water (the softest you can get) in extreme emergencies! The ads, of course, give no reference to any specific studies. I can see only two reasons why drinking soft water could possibly be harmful: 1. A lack of minerals in soft water causes a deficiency in the diet. 2. An increase in sodium from a water softener has harmful effects. I'm skeptical of both of these reasons. First, I figured that I got plenty of minerals from the food I eat. Second, the increase in sodium intake from soft water seems negligible compared to the rest of an average person's diet. Are these companies pulling our legs? -- John Waycott, Motorola Microsystems, Tempe, AZ, (602) 438-3164 {seismo!terak, trwrb!flkvax, utzoo!mnetor, ihnp4, attunix}!mot!waycott oakhill!mot!fred@ut-sally.ARPA