Dr. Luka Kovač speaks:

People argue about water the way they argue about religion. Everyone thinks their water is holy. The truth is more boring — and more useful.

Let’s go through the main types of drinking water and what actually matters for health.

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1. Filtered Tap Water

This is the baseline for most people.

What it is:
Municipal tap water passed through a filter (carbon, reverse osmosis, etc.).

Pros:

• Removes chlorine, odors, many chemicals
• Cheap and accessible
• Usually safe in developed countries

Cons:

• Quality depends on your city pipes
• Some filters remove beneficial minerals
• Reverse osmosis can strip too much if not remineralized

Doctor’s verdict:
Good daily water if the filter is decent and the system is maintained. A neglected filter is worse than no filter.

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2. Spring Water

This is the romantic one.

What it is:
Water that flows naturally from underground aquifers.

Pros:

• Naturally contains minerals (calcium, magnesium)
• Often tastes better
• Less processing

Cons:

• Quality varies wildly by source
• “Spring” on a label does not guarantee purity
• Can still contain contaminants

Doctor’s verdict:
Excellent if the source is verified and tested. Real spring water nourishes. Fake spring water is just bottled tap water with poetry on the label.

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3. Mineral Water

Spring water’s serious cousin.

What it is:
Water with a consistent, legally defined mineral content.

Pros:

• Provides electrolytes naturally
• Can support bone and muscle health
• Helpful for people who sweat a lot

Cons:

• Not ideal in very large quantities
• High sodium versions can affect blood pressure

Doctor’s verdict:
Very good in moderation. Think of it like food, not infinite hydration.

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4. Distilled Water

This one causes the most confusion.

What it is:
Water boiled into steam and condensed — nothing left behind.

Pros:

• Extremely pure
• No contaminants, metals, bacteria
• Useful short-term or medically

Cons:

• No minerals at all
• Can pull electrolytes from the body if used exclusively
• Flat taste

Doctor’s verdict:
Not for daily, long-term drinking unless minerals are added back. Distilled water cleans machines better than it nourishes humans.

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5. Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water

The lab-coat favorite.

What it is:
Water forced through a membrane that removes nearly everything.

Pros:

• Very clean
• Removes heavy metals and many toxins
• Consistent quality

Cons:

• Strips minerals
• Often slightly acidic
• Needs remineralization

Doctor’s verdict:
Good if remineralized. Pure water without minerals is like eating protein powder without food.

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6. Alkaline Water

Marketing gold.

What it is:
Water with elevated pH, naturally or artificially altered.

Pros:

• Can taste smoother
• May help people with acid reflux

Cons:

• Body tightly regulates blood pH — water won’t change it
• Many claims are exaggerated

Doctor’s verdict:
Harmless, sometimes pleasant, not magic. Your kidneys do the real alkalizing.

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7. Bottled Purified Water

Convenient, anonymous.

What it is:
Often filtered municipal water, rebranded.

Pros:

• Safe
• Portable

Cons:

• Plastic exposure
• Environmental cost
• Often overpriced

Doctor’s verdict:
Fine in emergencies. Not a lifestyle.

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What Actually Matters (Listen Carefully)

Not the label. Not the influencer. Not the bottle design.

What matters is:

• Clean source
• Reasonable mineral content
• No contaminants
• Consistent hydration

Your body evolved drinking imperfect, mineral-rich water, not laboratory purity.

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Dr. Kovač’s Simple Rule

• Daily: filtered or spring water
• Sweating / training: mineral water
• Short-term detox or medical use: distilled or RO (with minerals added)

Hydration should support the body — not fight it.

Water is not a religion.
It’s plumbing for life.