Water is usually divided into different typologies according to the amount of dissolved minerals, pursuant to a classification that includes: mineral, medium mineral and oligomineral water, whose prefix comes from the Greek term “few” and indicates the small quantity of substances present in the water chemical composition.
The low levels of mineral salts in oligomineral water are mainly due to two factors, respectively connected with the high speed at which water flows through the subsoil (thus preventing excessive accumulations of minerals) and the presence of basins so deep as to inhibit the complete mineralization of water.
From the therapeutic point of view, oligomineral water is characterised by beneficial effects on human body thanks to its low amount of mineral salts, requiring, however, a daily dosage quite high to allow the small quantity of minerals to offer actual benefits to health.
From a purely medical point of view, oligomineral water and in general those water typologies featuring a low percentage of mineralization, are referred to as hypotonic, a term denoting a lower concentration of dissolved particles compared to other equivalent aqueous solutions. Precisely by virtue of its hypotonicity, oligomineral water is quickly absorbed by the cells of the human body and just as quickly it is expelled, easily filtered by the kidneys.
- Contrary to popular belief, oligomineral water does not improve the elimination of fat, however it helps reduce fluid retention through urination, thus requiring an average consumption of 2 litres per day, in case of an energy-restricted diet, in order to minimize the retention of fluids which could hinder the weight loss.
- Due to its significant diuretic property, oligomineral water offers an excellent contribution to the detoxification of the body and the acceleration of metabolic functions necessary for physical fitness, thus reducing the excessive accumulation of fluids in tissues, so that the amount of the water expelled from the body is higher than the quantity of the water ingested, in the light of a proper organic balance.
- In addition to greater diuretic effects, oligomineral water favours the elimination of certain substances such as oxalic acid, urea nitrogen, sodium chloride and uric acid, which are absorbed into the human body and often cause bacterial and fungal infections.
A regular and constant consumption of oligomineral water increases the number and the strength of the peristaltic contractions and improves the dilation of the urinary tract in order to facilitate the expulsion of kidney stones and counteract hyperuricemia.