Introduction: Recently, an article on the material and health problems of electric kettles has been widely spread on the Internet, which has attracted the attention of consumers.
The article claims that electric kettles made of high manganese steel will release manganese during the heating process, and long-term drinking of the water boiled by this kettle will cause damage to human health, especially the nervous system, which may lead to memory loss, mental malaise and other problems.
Therefore, the article suggests that consumers should choose a kettle marked with the 304 logo when buying an electric kettle. However, is the truth as the article says?
01
Electric kettle scale, can you drink limescale water?
Many people have had the experience that after a period of use, a layer of limescale will appear on the inner wall of the kettle. This seemingly indecent layer of limescale is actually a carbonate precipitate formed by minerals such as calcium and magnesium during the heating process.
When the calcium and magnesium elements in the water are in the form of bicarbonate, once the water is heated, the bicarbonate will be converted into a white precipitate of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, which adheres to the wall of the pot, forming the scale we see.
So, if this layer of limescale is accidentally drunk into the stomach, will it cause harm to our body? Actually, the answer is no.
Although limescale may look somewhat cloudy, once it enters our stomach, it is dissolved by stomach acid. Stomach acid is a powerful digestive juice that contains ingredients such as hydrochloric acid that are strong enough to break down these carbonate precipitates. Therefore, even if you accidentally drink water that contains limescale, you don't have to worry too much.
It is important to note that although limescale itself is not harmful to the body, drinking water containing limescale for a long time may have certain effects on the body.
This is because minerals such as calcium and magnesium in limescale may take away some beneficial elements in the water, such as silicates, during the precipitation process.
Therefore, in order to ensure the quality of tap water, we can take some measures to reduce the generation of limescale, such as using a water softener, cleaning the kettle regularly, etc.
02
Is drinking water from an electric kettle harmful to the body for a long time?
Whether drinking water boiled in an electric kettle for a long time is harmful to the body is a matter of great concern. There is a saying circulating on the Internet that electric kettles will precipitate heavy metals during the boiling process, which may cause heavy metal poisoning. However, is this true or false?
To unravel this mystery, we first have to understand the material of the electric kettle, most of the electric kettles on the market are made of stainless steel, among them, high manganese steel and 304 stainless steel are the two main materials.
High manganese steels, such as 201 and 202 stainless steels, contain a higher element of manganese, around 7.5% to 10%. In an acidic environment, these manganese elements can be precipitated, and if this electric kettle is used for a long time to boil water, the body may ingest too much manganese, which can increase the risk of manganese poisoning.
Early symptoms of manganese poisoning may include general fatigue, dizziness, memory loss, and muscle aches. As the poisoning worsens, patients may feel heavy in their lower limbs, unsteady walking, shaking hands, slurred speech, etc. Therefore, electric kettles made with 201 or 202 stainless steel do have potential safety hazards.
However, not all stainless steel electric kettles have such risks. 304 stainless steel, a material known as "food grade stainless steel", has an extremely low manganese content of less than 2%, which is well below the safe range. This means that even if you use a 304 stainless steel electric kettle to boil water for a long time, it will not cause manganese poisoning.
In fact, we need to consume a certain amount of manganese every day, and the amount of manganese in a qualified electric kettle is well below the upper limit that the human body can tolerate.
According to the sampling survey of the National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, the average manganese migration of qualified electric kettles on the market is only 0.05 mg to 0.76 mg per kilogram of food, which is far below the upper limit of the tolerable daily manganese intake of the human body.
Therefore, whether drinking water boiled in an electric kettle for a long time is harmful to your body depends on the material of the electric kettle you use.
If you choose an electric kettle made of 201 or 202 stainless steel, then long-term drinking may indeed bring the risk of manganese poisoning, while if you choose an electric kettle made of 304 stainless steel, you don't need to worry about this problem, you can drink it with confidence. When purchasing an electric kettle, consumers should pay attention to the material labeling of the product to ensure that they are choosing a safe and reliable product.
03
Is the water that the electric kettle boils repeatedly is really poisonous?
There is also a saying circulating on the Internet: "Water that is repeatedly boiled with an electric kettle has a high nitrate content, and it will be poisoned if you drink it." So, is this a reliable claim? Let's find out.
We have to understand that tap water itself contains nitrates, but its content is very low, around 0.007mg/L. This concentration is almost negligible for the human body.
However, when water is boiled repeatedly, it is indeed possible for some nitrate to convert to nitrite due to high temperatures and a lack of oxygen. When this substance accumulates too much in the human body, it does have the potential to pose a certain risk to health.
However, in fact, even if the water is boiled many times, its nitrite content is still far below the safe standard for drinking water in mainland China.
Experimental data show that the nitrite content rises to 0.021 mg/L after boiling water once, and only 0.038 mg/L after boiling 20 times. This value is much lower than the mainland standard for nitrite in drinking water≤ 1mg/L.
Therefore, it is theoretically safe to drink water that has been boiled repeatedly. Of course, in order to ensure the safety and health of tap water, we still recommend that everyone use a clean water source and regularly replace equipment such as electric kettles to avoid long-term accumulation of bacteria and impurities. At the same time, drinking fresh water in moderation is also an important part of maintaining good health.
04
Doctor's advice: These 5 points need to be paid more attention
Clean the electric kettle regularly
Since tap water contains various minerals and impurities, these substances will gradually settle on the bottom and walls of the pot during the heating process, forming scale or impurities. These limescale and impurities not only affect the clarity and taste of the water, but can also pose a potential threat to our health.
Long-term use of an electric kettle that accumulates limescale will not only reduce the heating efficiency and increase energy consumption, but also the calcium, magnesium and other minerals in the scale may be re-released into the water at high temperatures, resulting in excessive calcium and magnesium in the water. Drinking such water for a long time can adversely affect our bone and cardiovascular health. In addition, limescale can also become a breeding ground for bacteria, putting a burden on our gastrointestinal tract.
Therefore, in order to ensure the normal use of the electric kettle and our good health, it is recommended to clean the electric kettle regularly. When cleaning, we can choose to use white vinegar or a special cleaner. The acetic acid in white vinegar effectively dissolves limescale, while a special cleaner cleans the pot more thoroughly.
Use fresh water
Choosing fresh, clean water is key to maintaining good health and quality of life. Water is the source of life, and our bodies need it to maintain various physiological functions and metabolic activities. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the water we drink is pure and safe.
Water stored for long periods of time may harbor bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that can cause damage to our gastrointestinal tract, causing symptoms such as diarrhea. In addition, contaminated water may contain harmful substances such as chlorine, lead, cadmium, etc., and long-term consumption may cause health effects.
To avoid these problems, we should try to choose fresh, clean water sources. If you are using tap water, it is recommended to use a filter for filtration. The filter can effectively remove impurities and harmful substances in the water, such as chlorine, lead, cadmium, etc., to ensure the safety and purity of tap water.
Do not reheat repeatedly
Repeatedly heated water, popularly known as "thousand boiling water", seems to be not uncommon in our daily life. Many people, out of frugality or habit, reheat water that has already been boiled several times. However, this practice can actually pose a potential threat to our health.
In the process of repeated heating, the mineral elements such as calcium and magnesium in the water will be concentrated, and the content will increase significantly. While these minerals are beneficial to our body in moderate amounts, excessive intake can be a burden on our health. Long-term consumption of such water may increase the body's intake of mineral elements, which can lead to a series of health problems, such as stones, indigestion, etc.
In order to avoid this from happening, we recommend that you do not reheat water that has already been boiled. When boiling water, you can boil more in moderation in case you need it. If you do need to heat again, you should also try to avoid heating more than once and try to heat it only once.
Pay attention to the temperature of the water
In addition to the temporary pain of burning the oral cavity and esophageal mucosa, overheated water can also have a more profound impact on physical health.
Overheated water can also cause damage to the esophageal mucosa, which is an important protective barrier inside our body that prevents harmful substances from entering the body. However, excessively hot water can damage the esophageal mucosa, making it fragile and vulnerable. Long-term consumption of excessively hot water may lead to repeated damage to the esophageal mucosa, increasing the risk of esophageal cancer.
Therefore, when boiling water, we should pay attention to controlling the water temperature and avoid drinking overheated water, generally speaking, the suitable water temperature should be between 40°C and 60°C. The water temperature in this range ensures the safety of the water and retains the beneficial substances in the water.
Replace the electric kettle regularly
As an indispensable tool for boiling water in our daily life, the electric kettle is often used very frequently, when the electric kettle is used for too long, the heating element inside it may be aged, damaged or in poor contact, resulting in a long boiling time or unable to boil the water. Not only is this a waste of our time, but it can also affect our daily routines.
In addition, due to the aging or damage of the internal parts, the electric kettle may have short circuits, leakage and other situations during use, which will not only damage the electric kettle itself, but also may pose a threat to our life safety. The risk is doubled especially when using an aging electric kettle at night or unattended.
Therefore, in order to ensure the safety of our daily life and the effect of boiling water, it is recommended to replace the electric kettle regularly. Generally speaking, the service life of an electric kettle is about 2-3 years, beyond which we should consider replacing it with a new one.
05
Do water purifiers really work? Or is it an IQ tax?
Are water purifiers really useful, or are they just IQ taxes? However, if we look at this question from a scientific point of view, the answer may become clearer.
Water purifiers are designed to remove impurities and contaminants from the water to provide safer, healthier drinking water. This includes removing harmful substances such as bacteria, viruses, harmful chemicals, heavy metals, etc. from the water. So, from this point of view, water purifiers are really useful.
However, some people may think that water purifiers are just an IQ tax because they think that tap water is clean enough that it doesn't need to be treated with a water purifier anymore. However, in fact, tap water can still contain some microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and parasites, which can cause damage to the body's gastrointestinal tract and cause symptoms such as diarrhea.
In addition, tap water may also contain harmful substances such as chlorine, lead, cadmium, etc., and long-term consumption may cause health effects.
In addition, the effect of a water purifier is also related to its quality and how it is used. If the selected water purifier is of poor quality, or if it is not used properly, then the effect of the water purifier may be greatly reduced. Therefore, when choosing a water purifier, we should choose a product with reliable quality and mature technology, and use it correctly according to the instructions.
06
What you really need to drink less is these 3 types of water
Sugar-sweetened beverages
Sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soft drinks, fruit drinks, etc., contain a lot of added sugar. Long-term high sugar intake can lead to health problems such as obesity and diabetes.
Therefore, we should try to drink fewer of these sugary drinks and opt for healthier options such as plain water or sugar-free tea.
Alcoholic beverages
Alcoholic beverages, such as beer, red wine, liquor, etc., can cause damage to the body when consumed in excess. Long-term alcohol consumption may lead to liver disease, cardiovascular disease, etc. Therefore, we should drink alcohol in moderation and avoid excessive consumption.
unboiled water
Raw water may contain bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms, and drinking it directly may cause diarrhea and other problems. Therefore, we should boil raw water and leave it at a suitable temperature before drinking.