How to drink mineral water: temperature, bubbles, how much and when

In short: table water up to 1 g/L can be drunk freely, like any other water. Medicinal-table waters such as Narzan and Essentuki No. 4 are usually taken as one to three glasses a day, with meals or between them, and the rest of your daily intake comes from table water. A prescribed course of medicinal water, its dose, temperature and timing, is set by a doctor.

Start with the type of water

How you drink a water depends on its type, not on the brand. Table water goes up to 1 g/L: drink as much as you like and cook with it. Medicinal-table water usually runs from 1 to 10 g/L, which covers Narzan at 2-3.5 g/L and Essentuki No. 4 at 7-10 g/L. Water like that belongs on the table, but not by the litre in place of your ordinary water. Medicinal water sits at 10-15 g/L, Essentuki No. 17 for example, and is taken as a course prescribed by a doctor. Under GOST R 54316-2020 the producer has to print the type on the label.

• Table water: mineralisation up to 1 g/L. Drink it every day in any amount and cook with it
• Medicinal-table water: usually 1 to 10 g/L. This covers Narzan (2-3.5 g/L) and Essentuki No. 4 (7-10 g/L). It belongs on the table, but not by the litre in place of ordinary water
• Medicinal water: usually 10-15 g/L, Essentuki No. 17 for example. It is taken as a course prescribed by a doctor, not to quench thirst
• Under GOST R 54316-2020 the producer must print the type of water on the label

How much Narzan or Essentuki No. 4 can you drink in a day?

Without a doctor's instructions, medicinal-table water is usually taken as a 150-250 ml glass up to three times a day. The rest of your intake comes from table water: EFSA considers 2 L a day adequate for women and 2.5 L for men including the water in food, and in the Phuket heat you need more. Keep an eye on sodium: a 0.45 L bottle of Essentuki No. 4 delivers 0.9-1.35 g of sodium with potassium, against the WHO benchmark of 2 g a day. Narzan has far less of it, 50-450 mg/L.

• Without a doctor's instructions, medicinal-table water is usually taken as one 150-250 ml glass up to 3 times a day
• Everything else should be table water. EFSA considers 2-2.5 L a day adequate in a temperate climate, and in the Phuket heat you need more
• Count the sodium from the label. A 0.45 L bottle of Essentuki No. 4 delivers 0.9-1.35 g of sodium with potassium, and the WHO advises adults to stay under 2 g of sodium a day
• Narzan has far less sodium: 50-450 mg/L on the label, and around 150 mg/L in the 2023 batch analyses

Temperature and bubbles

At the table Narzan is served chilled to 8-12 °C: the bubbles last longer and the taste is fresher. For a prescribed course, balneology handbooks have the water drunk at room temperature or warmed to 36-45 °C, but that is a doctor's regimen rather than a habit for home. If the bubbles leave you feeling bloated, open the bottle in advance or pour the water into a carafe for 20-30 minutes. There is no need to boil mineral water: the gas goes and some of the salts drop out as sediment.

• At the table Narzan is served chilled to 8-12 °C: the bubbles last longer and the taste is fresher
• Balneology handbooks have the water drunk at room temperature or warm, up to 36-45 °C, for a prescribed course, but that is already a doctor's regimen
• If the bubbles leave you feeling bloated, open the bottle in advance or pour the water into a carafe for 20-30 minutes and some of them will go
• There is no need to boil mineral water: the gas goes and some of the salts drop out as sediment

Should mineral water be drunk before or after a meal?

As a drink at the table, mineral water is drunk with the meal, which is the usual scenario and needs no calculation. For a prescribed course the timing depends on the diagnosis: the Gastroscan handbook cites anything from 15-20 to 60-90 minutes before eating, and the doctor picks the regimen. A course at a spa resort lasts 3-4 weeks and at home 4-6 weeks, repeated after 4-6 months. After a sauna or a workout you can have 1-2 glasses straight away, then carry on with table water.

• As a drink at the table, mineral water is drunk with the meal; that is the usual scenario
• For a prescribed course the timing depends on the diagnosis: the Gastroscan handbook cites 15-20 to 60-90 minutes before eating. The doctor chooses the regimen
• A course at a spa resort usually lasts 3-4 weeks and at home 4-6 weeks, repeated after 4-6 months
• After a sauna or a workout you can have 1-2 glasses of mineral water straight away, then carry on with table water

When you need a doctor

A salt restriction is the main stop sign: with high blood pressure, swelling, or heart or kidney conditions, Essentuki No. 4 is not something to take without a doctor. A flare-up of a stomach, intestinal or pancreatic condition is another reason not to start a course of mineral water on your own. Pregnant women and young children should only be given medicinal-table water after a conversation with a doctor. Everything above is general information from reference handbooks and manufacturer data, not medical advice.

• If you have been told to cut down on salt: blood pressure, swelling, heart or kidney conditions. In that case Essentuki No. 4 is not taken without a doctor
• During a flare-up of a stomach, intestinal or pancreatic condition, a course of mineral water is not taken
• Pregnant women and young children should only be given medicinal-table water after a conversation with a doctor
• Everything above is general information from reference handbooks and manufacturer data. It is not medical advice

Sources

• GOST R 54316-2020: types of mineral water and the composition of Narzan and Essentuki No. 4
• EFSA: adequate water intake, 2 L a day for women and 2.5 L for men (2010)
• WHO: sodium reduction (no more than 2 g a day)
• Gastroscan handbook: how Essentuki No. 4 is taken
• Gastroscan handbook: how Narzan is taken