Hot Springs & Geothermal Mineral Waters: User’s Guide
Jason Toussaint L'Ouvertur Entrepreneur, Visionary, Food Style Consultant, Travel Consultant
Introduction Since the beginning of times, hot springs have been one of the favourite destinations for travellers. It is a very special experience, since each hot spring has its own minerals and characteristics that makes them unique. But all of them are capable of providing benefits for circulation, relaxation, and many others thanks to the minerals their water contains. This waters form when water sinks through cracks and pores on the ground, and then is collected in “aquifers”, which flow near volcanic rocks or any other hot underground geology. This hot water dissolves the minerals of rocks and emerges to the surface hot and enriched with plenty of minerals. Nowadays wellness travellers can visit different type of thermal water, from rustic to luxurious. Some of the facilities may include massages, spas, yoga practices, family entertainment, etc.
NonHot Springs Bathing There are many spas that offer “hot springs” but they use drinking water and heat it, which is nice, and many people like it, but it doesn’t have the properties that real mineral hot springs offer. This type of baths is usually called “warm water bathing”. Other spas drill into a dry earth dep enough to access the natural heat of the underground Earth, this way heating water in a natural way. This is called “geothermal”, it is a sustainable way of heating water
but still it is not a geothermal mineral water since the water comes from above the ground, without having this dissolved mineral that it would have if it came from underground. For these reasons it is important to ask and make sure of the origins of the waters. It could come from natural aquifers, or from the sea, or just tap water with some added minerals.
Health Benefits of Hot Springs Some researchers have proven the benefits of hot spring waters for specific aliments referred to as “cures”. Some of those cures are related to the high mineral concentrations, which are absorbed by the skin and incorporated into body tissues. Others are related to temperature, alkalinity, and other properties of those waters. In general, people that visit and soak in these waters guarantee they feel better afterwards. This is not possible to quantify, but one thing is certain, humans throughout history have been feeling better with hot springs. Muds and algae from the spring are used as body scrubs or spa treatments, which provides benefits for the skin because of the high mineral concentration. There are also natural cold springs, which also come from underground, have all the minerals dissolver from the rocks, but cooled down on their way to the surface. They are usually used as drinking water, since sometimes they are too cold for soaking. Lots of drinking water come from this kind of springs and it’s bottled for consumption all around the world.
It is also important to mention that not all hot springs are healthy and beneficial, there are some that have harmful levels of toxic components such as arsenic or fluoride that can be dangerous for your health. But for your safety, there are plenty spas that offer a detailed laboratory analysis of all the components of the water, and also provide recommendations for bathing and drinking. So it is suggested to check that information before soaking or drinking water from the hot spring.
Medical Uses for Hot Springs Some regions recommend the use of hot springs as medical treatments. There are some government health care systems and insurance companies that send patients for springs as a prescription. Since each spring has different content and temperature, each prescription is determined individually according to the patient’s needs. Along with this prescription, it is recommended by doctors to include rest, massages, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, specific diets, among others. Some physicians prescribe “contrast bathing” which consists in going from one hot spring to a cold one in a sequence previously prescribed to receive some health benefits, accompanied by massages, spa treatments and diet. Other places prefer for their guests to choose how and when to soak in each spring water. There are mineral water bottles that are sold as a mineral supplement rather than drinking water, because of the high concentration of minerals dissolved in the water. Other useful things extracted from this natural hot springs are mud, algae, salts, peat.
Hot Springs and our DNA Water molecules are billions of years old, they arrived to the Earth from comets and asteroids when our solar system formed. The evolution of every living being is inseparable for water, and hot springs. At least 2/3 of our body is formed by water, and at least 6% by minerals that come from water, this means we are part of hot springs, and they are part of us too. Hot springs are also an important part of the water cycle and habitats for many species. They have been mineral-rich habitats for the past 4 billion years. In each spring different and unique species are able to evolve because of the different characteristics each spring has.
Hot Springs Temperature Some hot springs that emerge from underground are perfectly suited for human bathing, other are too hot, or barely warm, so sometimes they are heated or cooled by artificial means for human use. There are some warm temperatures that are perfect for a long bath, but springs that are too hot or cold are for a 1-minute bath or a quick dip. Our bodies tolerate a narrow range of water temperature. A comfortable range is between 36ºC (98ºF) to 41ºC (106ºF).
Why Do Some Hot Springs Smell? There are some hot springs that contain some elements that have a very specific odour and taste, for example, hydrogen sulphide gas
(smells like rotten egg), iron, salt, magnesium, copper, and many others. These odours are related to each unique composition of hot springs. Some scents and flavours may not seem very nice, and yet are healthy medicines for our body. The taste or smell does not indicate how healthy can it be.
Biodiversity of Hot Springs Many species have evolved to habit hot springs, there are plants, algae, fish, fungi, crustaceans, and insects. Some of them can live in extreme conditions, such as the very high temperatures of a hot spring. For example, in a specific Mexican springs location, lives the Julimes Pupfish, with temperatures up to 45ºC (114ºF), with a water snail and some algae that they eat. Very few organisms can survive those temperatures. Green and blue-green colonies of single-celled photosynthetic plants grow in mineral-rich waters and are used as scrubs and masks for the skin. Muds, peats and soils are also use for this purpose. Conservation of all the species that live in hot springs and its surroundings is essential to maintain they genetic diversity and future benefits to medicine. Some springs have closed because of encroaching developments and aquifer threats in order to protect endangered species.
Hot Springs Sanitation
Hot springs are usually monitored for some pathogen microorganisms such as E. coli and PAM amoeba. Some facilities have enough water flow so sanitation with chemicals is not needed. Other places drain the pools and clean them every day. Many others use chemicals to sanitize the water and keep it healthy. Many hot springs experts prefer non-sanitized hot springs, but almost all of them agree that it is better to clean it with chemicals than to suffer from some pathogen disease. Most facilities and spas carefully manage the quality of water, and many governments established regulation in order to play a role in the sanitation management. It is recommended to wash prior soaking to avoid contamination from pathogens that could be in our skin, or lotions, sun screen, deodorants, and many other chemical products. Some natural springs have signs warning users from spiders, biting insects, and some pathogen that may habit those waters.
Before You Go It is wise to ask the origin of the waters; most facilities have a very complete information about it. Be sure to investigate the clothing and bathing protocols, since some countries or facilities may require a specific clothing, or some may segregate women and men, others do not allow clothing, so avoid having a surprise when you get there and ask ahead of time. Some pools require silence, other are suitable to talk or even to have kids and the entire family at the springs.
Remember that it is good etiquette to bathe before entering a hot spring to keep lotions and other chemicals away from the shared waters.