The downside of desalination has a simple solution

Magnesium, as it turns out, is an element missing in desalinated water. The problem is that a deficiency of magnesium, usually found in tap water, can lead to serious health issues according to a recent study.

The risks of suffering an ischemic stroke or developing Type 2 Diabetes are significantly higher among those with a magnesium deficiency, and experts are calling for the mineral to be re-added to the water supply. 

Magnesium is a nutrient found in foods such as leafy greens, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds and fish. Those who drink plain tap water receive approximately 15% of their recommended daily intake: 320 to 360 mg/day for women and 410 to 420 mg/day for men. It’s a necessity for the proper functioning of body cells, and important for the cardiovascular, immune systems, nerve, bone, and muscle systems. However, desalination removes the mineral, and filtering water also extracts every trace of magnesium.

Almost half of Israel’s population (46%) filter their water, resulting in a deficiency in a significant proportion of the population. 

Some 70% of Israeli households currently rely on desalinated water. Although adding magnesium could significantly improve public health and potentially save lives, the associated costs have been deemed prohibitive. However, the healthcare costs of not addressing this issue are equally concerning.

The "Health And Economic Burden of Desalination-Related Magnesium Deficiency" report was published by the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel, which conducts research in the areas of economics, health, welfare, education, and labor markets.

Maya Sadeh, who heads the Environment and Health Research and Policy Initiative at Taub insisted that “Israel needs to put back magnesium into its drinking water.” Sadeh was jointly responsible for conducting the study with professors Itamar Grotto, Nadav Davidovitch and Alex Weinreb.

The Times of Israel reported the estimated savings made to the cost of healthcare would range from approximately NIS 83 million to NIS 188 million ($22 million to $49 million) in 2025 and NIS 110 million to 253 million ($29 million to $67 million) by 2040 according to the predictions.

According to the Israeli Ministry of Health, the annual cost of adding magnesium to drinking water at a concentration of 20-30 mg per liter would be NIS 37 million ($10 million), about 16 times less was previously thought. While health supplements are a good solution, they are prohibitively expensive for less advantaged sectors of society.

The lack of magnesium in water is also having an impact on the nutritional value of vegetables irrigated with desalinated water. Prof. Grotto warned that this results in a “reduced intake of this essential mineral through people’s diet,” and the researchers expressed their concern over the figures in the report.

The study found that if people get a daily dose of 50 mg more magnesium through drinking water, over 1,000 new cases of Type 2 Diabetes and more than 100 new cases of stroke could be prevented each year. 

Sadeh urged: “Increasing magnesium intake will improve health in Israel in general, help prevent serious diseases, and reduce the economic burden on the healthcare system.”

The issue of reintroducing the mineral was first raised in 2004 but has not yet been implemented.

A Health Ministry spokesperson said the government is working to amend drinking water regulations that will enable water suppliers to add magnesium to drinking water. The spokesperson also told the Times of Israel the ministry is working with the Water Authority and the national water supplier, Mekorot, to “plan a practical pilot for adding magnesium to desalinated water.”

The researchers insist it should be done “immediately,” saying that the benefits will far outweigh the costs.