Assessing contribution of bottled water in nutrient absorption using the bottled water nutritional quality index (BWNQI) in Iran

Abstract

Abstract In this study, the contribution of bottled water in the absorption of nutritional minerals in Iran has been investigated. To calculate the nutritional quality index of bottled water (BWNQI) and evaluate the contribution of bottled water in nutrient absorption; the concentration of nutrient minerals, the standard level of these elements in bottled water, the recommended amount of nutrient mineral and the total consumption of drinking water in different age-sex groups were analyzed. The results showed that the average contribution of bottled water in absorbing the recommended amount of the nutrients of fluoride (F), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn) was 12.16, 4.98, 4.85, 2.12, 0.49, 0.33 and 0.02%, respectively. According to the BWNQI index, the bottled water quality was as follows: 53.5% poor, 36.6% marginal, 7% fair, 2.81% good. Although most of the bottled water studied in this research were mineral water, a significant portion of them had poor nutritional quality, so the addition of minerals needed by the body through bottled water should be given more attention by the bottled water manufacturers and suppliers.