Water science
What Dissolved Minerals Are, and Why Water Carries Them
Dissolved minerals can look invisible in a glass, yet differ in measured concentration. Here is how to read the profile without turning it into a health ranking.
Two glasses can look identical while carrying different amounts of magnesium, calcium, sodium or other dissolved substances. A clear appearance does not reveal that composition.
The useful unit on a mineral analysis is usually milligrams per liter, written mg/L. It describes a concentration, not an amount automatically contained in every bottle.
Ions rather than visible grains
Many dissolved mineral constituents are present as ions: charged chemical species such as calcium, magnesium, sodium and bicarbonate. They are different from visible sediment that settles at the bottom of a glass.
Those ions contribute to electrical conductivity. That is why a handheld TDS meter can estimate dissolved content, but cannot identify each mineral. USGS explains the relationship between ions and conductivity.
Source and processing both matter
Water interacts with its surroundings, and treatment can change its composition. Membrane treatment, distillation, blending or mineral addition can produce different finished profiles. A source name alone does not explain every production step.
“Contains minerals” is a compositional statement. The U.S. legal category “mineral water” has additional source and other requirements, explained in our water-label guide.
There is no need to treat lower-mineral drinking water as empty or useless. Plain water contributes to hydration. The right comparison depends on the question: taste, a specific dietary restriction or the measured concentration of a constituent.
Concentration becomes an amount
To calculate the amount in a serving, multiply the concentration in mg/L by the volume in liters. At 20 mg/L calcium, a 500 mL serving would contain 10 mg calcium. That is an illustration, not a new laboratory result.
Minerals can contribute to the diet, but their presence does not establish superior absorption or faster recovery. The amount consumed, overall diet and individual circumstances matter. See our guide to minerals from water.
Reading Recovery’s profile
The manufacturer’s August 5, 2025 inspection recorded magnesium at 60.85–60.90 mg/L, calcium at 19.88–20.12 mg/L, potassium at 16.67 mg/L and sodium at 17.57 mg/L. The composition page keeps those values tied to the dated record.
Our Body-Inspired Mineral Balance™ language is brand positioning. The approximate Mg / Ca / K “3 to 1 to 1” description is not an exact ratio of those measured mass concentrations and is not evidence of a match to blood plasma. Scientific calculations should use the individual measurements and their units.
For taste, try a blind comparison and record your own impressions. The mineral panel can help you understand a water; it does not decide which glass you will enjoy.
Editorial · not medical advice
