A large-scale and first-of-its-kind survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and revealed for the first time in the Shomarim investigation found that the concentration of magnesium in the water we drink is low in a way that endangers our health. The reason for the shortage is the removal of salts and minerals in the desalination process. Although the Ministry of Health has been warning for over a decade that magnesium should be returned to the desalinated water, nothing has been done and the results of the survey reveal what appears to be the biggest health failure in the last decade: the magnesium failure.
“The results completely amazed me,” says Prof. Michael Schechter, director of the clinical research unit in the heart department of Sheba Tel Hashomer Hospital. “Central cities in Israel with the greatest concentration of population receive a very low level of magnesium that can cause health damage. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is higher, the risk of developing obesity is higher, the risk of heart disease is higher and recent studies also indicate an increased risk of developing dementia “.
While the World Health Organization recommends a minimum concentration of 25-50 milligrams per liter of magnesium in order to prevent heart disease, in most large cities, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Beer Sheva, the concentration of magnesium in drinking water is lower than 10 milligrams per liter.
“Drinking water low in minerals in general, and magnesium in particular,” wrote the survey’s editors, members of the National Environmental Health System at the Ministry of Health, “may have serious health effects… The results of the survey show low concentrations of magnesium in the largest cities in Israel and emphasize the importance of adding magnesium to desalinated water for Prevention of cardiovascular disease”.
In the survey (which was uploaded to the website of the Ministry of Health on Wednesday this week) found that the average concentration of magnesium in drinking water in Israel is 18 mgl. For comparison, until the desalination revolution, the average concentration of magnesium in Israel was about 30 mgl.
Prof. Itamar Grotto, formerly the Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Health, also warns of the health danger reflected in the survey: “A deficiency of 10 milligrams from the average, twice the multiples of the entire population, has great implications in terms of public health.” Grotto points the finger of blame at the government that drags legs and delaying the process of introducing magnesium into desalinated water, a move that was supposed to be carried out by 2018.
Watch the full investigation by Shomarim journalist Chaim Rivlin in the Saturday edition of News 13:
responses
The response of the Ministry of Health: “At the initiative of the Ministry of Health, it was decided to promote a pilot to examine the addition of magnesium to desalinated water. After the theoretical part of the pilot ended, the corona epidemic broke out, which required the prioritization of resources, and now the health system is faced with a war of iron swords. The pilot is in the planning stage of its practical part. Following the results of the survey, the Ministry promotes actions to increase Public awareness of consuming food rich in magnesium, with special reference to certain risk groups.”
The Water Authority’s response: “The cost of adding magnesium to desalinated water is approximately NIS 400 million per year, which is a 4% increase to the water rates of all consumers. The source of funding for this increase has not yet been presented. To the extent that the Ministry of Health wishes to continue promoting the issue, we will renew the dialogue with it regarding the technical possibilities, considering The benefit and source of funding for the supplement to drinking water.”
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